Training camp is here for the Seattle Seahawks and after months of hemming and hawing about players, we can now see some tangible evidence of how the 2008 version of the Seahawks will play out in the final season with Mike Holmgren as coach.
We know the annual intrasquad game will be at Qwest Field on August 2nd, kickoff is at 11 a.m. We also know that the team will break camp on Aug. 21 in its first week at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
And while the preseason begins Aug. 8 at Minnesota, followed by the game with the Bears, they then travel to San Diego for a Monday night game on Aug. 25 and wrap up the season preseason Aug. 29 at home with the Oakland Raiders. The regular season begins at Buffalo against the Bills on Sept. 7, with the San Francisco 49ers coming Qwest Field Sept. 14 for the home opener.
Many thanks for the all the questions that have poured in during the offseason, amplifying once again how loyal Seahawks fans are, even when nothing is going on. More importantly, this will also end all the hypothesizing, if only because we really will get a handle on what the Seahawks, circa 2008, will be all about.
Thanks again and enjoy ... on to the e-mail of the week:
From: Jack
Mike,
Do you think we have a advantage over other teams this year due to the fact we have all these young players that are going to start at wide receiver? Nobody has really seen them in action.
Jack,
It will be an interesting exercise to see how it all plays out. Advantage or disadvantage isn't really an issue until we see how they perform and impact the game. Generally, speaking, the offensive system of coach Mike Holmgren has made a lot of receivers productive over the years because of the style.
Each of the young receivers - Ben Obomanu, Courtney Taylor, Logan Payne and Jordan Kent is different is his strengths and weaknesses. It will all play out somewhat in training camp, but they should start to separate themselves in the preseason games and that will predicate who will get the most opportunity once the regular season begins. Thanks for writing.
Yours in sport,
Mike
From: Mike F.
Mike,
Do you have any suggestions on planning a visit to training camp? I haven't seen any information about open practices, etc. published and would like your perspective regardless. I used to live in Spokane and as a kid and adult I'd occasionally make the trek out to Cheney...now it's my turn to take my kids. Any insight you can offer would be appreciated.
Mike,
Unfortunately, there is no official access to training camp yet this year. It is impossible to have fans come to the facility in Kirkland. The security for the Northwest University grounds - which owns the building and land where the Seahawks train - doesn't have the space or staff to deal with it. It has never been open to fans.
However, the permanent Virginia Mason Athletic Center will officially be home beginning Aug. 18 on the banks of Lake Washington in Renton. By next season, training will be open to the public berm that was built for the fans to watch camp with Lake Washington as the backdrop. But as of now, there are no definitive plans for the fans during the final two weeks this summer because of the limited access to a brand new property. Thanks for writing.
Yours in sport,
Mike
From: Damien
Mike,
I want Justin Forsett returning kicks this year. That will help get this guy acclimated to the speed of the game in the NFL and seeing the field as soon as possible. Go Hawks!
Damien,
Forsett is certainly one of the candidates to return kicks, particularly with expectations growing for Nate Burleson at wide receiver this season. The 5-8, 195-pound Forsett did return 10 kickoffs during his highly productive career at California, but he did not return punts.
Forsett, the Seahawks seventh round draft choice, is the third leading rusher in Cal history with 3,220 yards - averaging 5.7 yards per carry - despite starting just one full season and 18 games. He's fourth in school history with 26 rushing touchdowns and tied for second with at least 100 yards in 15 games. It will be interesting to see how his role develops. Thanks for writing.
Yours in sport,
Mike
From: Tim
Mike,
This isn't a football-related comment, but being a Seahawks fan for over 30 years I have seen the fan support grow and grow, but with the football season being so short I have started to watch MLS soccer which you know that the Sounders FC will start in MLS next year. It's time to start another great tradition in Seattle! If you fans haven't watched soccer before, give it a chance and it will grow on you.
Tim,
The excitement that is already building for the Sounders FC at Qwest Field is palpable. The season ticket deposits continue to build and the anticipation level is following suit. For the team to already have a television contract for all games, a corporate sponsorship with Microsoft X-Box and the general commitment from the Seahawks business operations has given the team a jump-start like none other.
The expectations are there for Seattle to become the soccer capital of the U.S., and all the early signs are exceptional. Thanks for writing.
Yours in sport,
Mike
From: Sam
Mike,
I have been reading how Julian Peterson and Patrick Kerney are amazing pass-rushers, but I would like to see Leroy Hill blitzing more. Would you keep him on the field for third down and second-and-long?
Sam,
How the different defensive packages evolve this season remain to be seen. There is no doubt that Hill is exceptional at blitzing too. He was a surprise rookie in 2005 and a lot of people had no conception of how fast and what a sure tackler he is until that point - despite being the ACC Defensive Player of the Year his senior year at Clemson. The Seahawks were fortunate to get him in the third round.
But in his second year, Peterson was signed, so he became the coverage and stay at home linebacker. They mixed it up a little more last year and probably will again this season. As for keeping him on the field on second-and-long and third down, it depends on the offensive formations - sometimes necessitating six defensive backs. Suffice to say Hill is a crucial player on defense and has earned the right to be on the field as much as possible. Thanks for writing.
Yours in sport,
Mike
From: William
Mike,
I would like to know how you think the offensive line will play this year. We know Walter Jones and Sean Locklear are top-flight tackles. And Mike Wahle is a solid veteran, but what about the right guard spot? And how much has Chris Spencer improved at center?
William,
Rob Sims, in his third year, will have first shot at the right guard spot and all indications are he's the right guy for the job. He's very strong and runs very well from the line of scrimmage to pull and trap. Veterans Chris Gray and Floyd Womack are there to back him with an extraordinary amount of experience to help.
At center, this will be the third season for Spencer, and the hope is he will continue to improve and be more comfortable with his line calls. Like Sims he is very strong and fast, but consistency and recognition of defenses will be the key for Spencer. Gray, with his 16 years of experience, will back him up as well. With the addition of highly-regarded Mike Solari as the line coach and former assistant head coach at Michigan Mike DeBord as his assistant, the belief is the line has a chance to creep back into the upper echelon. Thanks for writing.
Yours in sport,
Mike
From: Gabriel
Mike,
My impression of David Kirtman the fullback that we drafted out of USC few years ago is that he is a good back up for Weaver, and a potential starter in the NFL at some point. If I'm accurate then that would probably put rookie Owen Schmitt on special teams or the practice squad. That leads me to my next question. I may be missing something but the likelihood that we keep Kirtman, Schmitt, Justin Forsett, T.J. Duckett, Leonard Weaver, Julius Jones and Mo Morris on the 53-man roster doesn't seem probable. What are your thoughts?
Gabriel,
You don't have to be Albert Einstein to know that the numbers, but special teams will come into play when figuring out the numbers. Often times it plays out with the numbers at wide receiver or linebacker in comparison. Nonetheless, you're right ... seven in the backfield is stretching it. But it's always good bookkeeping to go into training camp with a healthy number for the sake of competition and depth.
With Schmitt and Forsett, the option is special teams and the practice squad. Although the hope is that everybody goes through camp healthy, there are no guarantees, so to have three fullbacks, three halfbacks and Duckett who plays both, there is plenty of balance. In other words, the competition will be intense and fun to watch from the start of camp through the way they handle it in preseason games. Thanks for writing.
Yours in sport,
Mike
From: Karl
Mike,
Trading seems to happen so much less often in the NFL than in other pro sports. As we look ahead, what are the rules controlling player trades between teams from now until the beginning of the season and beyond? Are there deadlines or other restrictions on trading, aside from clauses perhaps in particular players' contracts? For example, assuming we have two place kickers under contract, could one of them be traded? What are the areas we might expect to see some movement, if any, for the Seahawks?
Karl,
A big reason why there are fewer trades in the NFL than other sports is simply because there aren't guaranteed contracts. Through the grapevine and doing their homework, pro scouts know which players are on the bubble and likely to be waived because teams don't want to pay out their contracts. Even if you want a player you may not like him at the price of his contract. So the target teams that have an excess at a particular position that of their need and wait for a player to be waived. The same can be said for teams watching how the Seahawks roster takes shape.
On the other hand, top drawer veterans who have fallen out of favor for some reason such as Jeremy Shockey going to the Saints, may be worthy of a couple of draft choices. It's tough to know whether the Seahawks could get a draft choice for one of their kickers if it comes down to it ... just not likely. The key dates to remember are Aug. 26 when the roster must be cut from 80-75 and then Aug. 30 when it goes from 75-53. Those are the dates when trades are mostly to occur. Thanks for writing.
Yours in sport,
Mike
From: George
Mike,
I am always astonished at the difference in Matt Hasselbeck's performance when he gets an extra second or two to scan the field. Will our new arsenal of running backs make a big impact on Hasselbeck's protection?
George,
The hope is that yes, they will give Hasselbeck better protection and that the new direction of the offensive line - with the addition of guard Mike Wahle plus coaches Mike Solari and Mike DeBord - will make an even bigger impact on the time he has to throw. Keep in mind, there was a virtual announcement after the first week in November that the Seahawks were going to rely much more on the pass. And yet Hasselbeck still threw for nearly 4,000 yards.
The hope is this season there will be a much more balanced offense and that, too will provide him with more time to throw the football and ease the pressure on everybody with much less predictability on down and distance. Thanks for writing.
Yours in sport,
Mike
From: David
Mike,
I was just wondering how you think the new rule changes this year will affect us? Mainly how there is no force out rule, and how middle linebackers can use headphones can receive plays from the sidelines. It seems like they both hurt us with Tatupu already being so smart and our receivers being smaller. What do you think?
David,
I don't like any technology involved in the game itself. I don't think quarterbacks should have headphones in their helmets either. Maybe it's too old school. But hand signals are just fine (presuming the robbery of said signals via videotape will rapidly become ancient history). Can you imagine baseball managers and coaches talking to batters instead of signals? And I don't think it will have any impact on the game, other than perhaps a coach in the press box seeing something and relaying it to the field.
As for the no force out rule, it will definitely shrink the field - the end zone in particular. I'm not sure that will have any more of an effect on the Seahawks than anybody else, though. What will be interesting could be an increase of interference penalties with players so intent on big hits to knock the ball loose that they may end up hitting receivers before the ball gets there. Thanks for writing.
Yours in sport,
Mike
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