Pete Carroll greeted his players with three simple words Tuesday when the Seahawks’ offseason program kicked off: It starts now.
“That was coach Pete’s message,” offensive lineman 
The directness of Carroll’s message also was evident on the T-shirts the players were wearing. Printed on the front was “Always Compete.” On the back was “Finish.”
“As broad as it is, it’s really all you need,” Locklear said, comparing the complexities of the game with the simplicity of Carroll’s message. “You don’t need some long slogan. Just compete and finish. That’s football. We all know what it is, and that’s what we need to do – compete and finish.”
Simple, yet direct. That’s the M.O. under Carroll, the team’s third head coach in as many years. But the change isn’t limited to the top, with Carroll and first-year general manager John Schneider. There are 18 new assistant coaches, with a new offensive scheme and more aggressive defensive approach to go with them. There are a handful of new players – tight end
There also were players conspicuous by their absence – strong safety Deon Grant, who was released Monday; backup quarterback Seneca Wallace, who was traded to the Cleveland Browns last week; and wide receiver Nate Burleson, who signed with the Detroit Lions on the first day of free agency.
Change is a way of life in the NFL, as Locklear is well aware. In 2005, he was the kid on an offensive line that led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. In his second season with the team, and first as a starter, Locklear was at right tackle with a group that featured the All-Pro tandem of
Tuesday, Locklear was the senior member in a group of linemen that included
“Now, going on seven years, I’m the older guy,” Locklear said with a smile. “It’s weird. Just looking around, it shows how much times flies.”
And how much things can change. Last year’s prearranged coaching shift from Mike Holmgren to Jim Mora wasn’t as encompassing, because many of the assistant coaches were retained in the transition.
“Things are really new around here,” Locklear said. “Last year, it was new, but kind of the same. Now, everything is brand new – except for a couple of (defensive) coaches. So I’m here, showing my face, showing that I want to be here and that I’m ready to do whatever it takes to be ready to play.”
Another promising sign was middle linebacker
“Just faces I’m familiar with, and we had some good times down there,” said Tatupu, who played on back-to-back national championship teams with the Trojans. “Hopefully we can translate that to up here.”
Tuesday was a good first step in that direction.
