Owen Schmitt

Just in case you haven’t seen the Seahawks newest fullback in action. Here’s why you will love him in about 30 seconds. Dude is INTENSE.

Seahawks 2008 NFL Draft Review

With the culmination of the 2008 NFL Draft, the Seahawks will welcome 7 eager rookies to Seattle. Rather than babbling about things you wont even read, I’ll get straight to the good stuff. Here are grades for each selection, as well as my thoughts on the Seattle draft as a whole.

Round 1: Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC
Before making this pick, the Seahawks traded down 3 spots with the Cowboys, gaining a 5th and 7th round pick in the process. I’ll say that Jackson was a bit of a surprise here. I was not expecting to draft a Defensive End in round one. But in retrospect, the way the draft played out didn’t really allow for many other options. With the 28th pick, LoJack was the best available player on the Seahawks draft board. At 6′4″, 271, Jackson can be a force against both the run and the pass. He is ferocious, intense, and is versatile enough to be used as a 3-technique defensive tackle in pass rushing situations, which he and Ruskell admit is part of his appeal. He is expected to immediately compete for the starting job with Darryl Tapp at LDE. Final grade: B+

Round 2: John Carlson, TE, Notre Dame
We got our man. When I found out about Carlson from some very excited posters on Seahawks and NFL forums, I knew immediately that he would be Ruskell’s top choice at the position. The Seahawks gave up their 3rd rounder in order to move up to pick 38 to take him, a la Lofa Tatupu. Carlson is a nice big target at 6′5″, runs solid routes, and has some of the most reliable hands of any receiver in this draft class. He is also incredibly smart (scored a 40 on the Wonderlic), a hard worker, and a leader. I’ll say it now, he is a typical Ruskell player. In fact, that will henceforth be abbreviated as TRP. He struggled statistically his senior year, but most of that can be attributed to the heinousness of the post-Brady Quinn Notre Dame offense. Carlson will almost definitely start as a rook, and should provide a solid, reliable target in the middle of the field for Matt Hasselbeck. Final grade: A+

Round 4: Red Bryant, DT, Texas A&M
A tremendous value pick in the 4th round. Big Red Bryant is a monster against the run, and projects as a perfect replacement for Marcus Tubbs, in the event that he is unable to make it back. He is 318 pounds of pure manliness. His primary role will be to occupy multiple blockers, allowing Seattle’s already elite linebacking crew to make even more plays. Bryant is a hard worker and a leader, and was elected as team captain by his teammates his junior and senior years. Gems like this don’t normally fall so far. If Red is everything we think he can be, he will have been an absolute steal. Final grade: A

Round 5: Owen Schmitt, FB, West Virginia
I’ll admit, at first I was rather upset about this pick. Why the crap were we taking a fullback when we already had Leonard Weaver and David Kirtman on the roster?! Then I watched his highlights, and heard what some Mountaineer fans had to say about him. I now believe this was an incredible pick. In an age where the true blocking fullback is nearly extinct, Schmitt is a throwback being compared to the likes of Larry Csonka. You want an intense, fiery competitor? Look no further. Schmitt is practically insane, which is sure to make him a fan favorite. Interesting statistics? Schmitt broke 11 opponent facemasks in his college career. If you haven’t seen the video of him bashing his own head with his helmet, look it up right now. Schmitt will bring a nasty, physical element to the running game that we’ve been missing since the departure of Hutch, in addition to being a terrific receiver out of the backfield. I don’t know what will become of Leonard Weaver, but Schmitt could turn out to be the next Mack Strong. Final grade: A

Round 6: Tyler Schmitt, LS, San Diego State
Apparently the front office still has not recovered from the disaster that was Boone Stutz. While most designated long snappers go undrafted, Ruskell opted to spend a 6th round pick on Schmitt. He served almost solely as a snapper in college, so I figure he must be pretty good at what he does. No, this isn’t the sexiest pick in the world, but if he does what he’s supposed to do, it will have been a solid 6th round venture. Final grade: C

Round 7: Justin Forsett, RB, California
Here’s a pretty interesting pick. Even with 6 backs already on the team (3 RBs and 3 FBs, including Schmitt), Forsett was the choice here in the 7th round. He is sometimes described as a slower version of Brian Westbrook. He is extremely elusive in the open field, and is surprisingly strong for his small stature (5′8″, 197). Still, he lacks Westbrook’s breakaway speed, causing him to fall all the way to the 7th round. Forsett is a hard worker and could catch on as a special teamer, but with Nate Burleson and Josh Wilson manning the return spots, I’m not optimistic about his chances. Final grade: D

Round 7: Brandon Coutu, K, Georgia
Finally, our kicker of the future awaits. Coutu was rated the top kicker in the draft by many experts, despite being selected after Taylor Mehlhaff. He has an extremely strong leg. His career long FG is 58 yards, and he recorded 40 touchbacks on kickoffs as a junior. His biggest problem has been injury, which seems strange to say about a kicker. As a former kicker myself, I can’t even begin to explain just how he managed to get hurt. Perhaps the Seahawks strength and conditioning coach can devise a way to rid him of his recurring hamstring problems. Good value pick here, hopefully snagging the next franchise kicker. Final grade: B

OVERALL GRADE: B+
The Seahawks did everything in their power to address the most glaring needs, a receiving TE and a run-stuffing DT. The lack of any offensive line support precludes me from giving them an A. The Tyler Schmitt and Justin Forsett picks are a bit perplexing to me. Still, even though this was not the flashiest draft, we still might harvest 4 rookie starters from this class, which is exceptional in any year. We now have another crop of high character, hard working rookies to add into the mix. Kudos to the staff for temporarily putting our minds at ease. With that, we now enter the dark period of the offseason. Fret not my friends, this season will be well worth the wait.

Seahawks NFL Draft Preview: Special Teams

The Seahawks have a lot of holes to fill on special teams, and it could be hard to address them all with only 6 draft picks. The losses of Kevin Bentley and Niko Koutovides, two special teams standouts last year, will certainly hurt a unit that was only average to begin with. Further compounding the problem was the abrupt, scathing, classless departure of the perennially clutch kicker Josh Brown. Lastly, the team’s issue at long snapper will resume once more, as last year’s mid-season replacement Jeff Robinson is not expected to return to the NFL. Day 2 could be very interesting to watch. While the need for special teamers is extremely evident, there is also a a tremendous need for quality depth, particularly along the offensive and defensive lines. Thankfully I’m not the one who has to make that decision.

Kicker:
There is not a consensus #1 kicker in this draft, like a Mike Nugent or Sebastian Janikowski. There is a collection of pretty decent options, though none of them look like they’ll be going before the 5th round. Brandon Coutu (Georgia) has a monster leg, and could be great on kickoffs, but he was also inconsistent and erratic at times in his college career. Steven Hauschka (NC State) put up solid numbers in his senior year, including a game winning kick in OT against Miami, but he has only one year of starting experience. In the end, I think Ruskell is most likely to fall for Art Carmody (Louisville). Carmody was extremely consistent in his 4 years as a starter. He does not have spectacular leg strength and could be a liability on kickoffs, but I think Ruskell will value his consistency and experience in pressure situations. Leg strength can be improved, but mental strength is for the most part permanent.

Punter:
As much as I hated Ryan Plackemeier last year, there is no need to waste a draft pick on a punter here. They will bring in a few undrafted rookies for competition per standard operating procedure, but don’t expect any shocking news regarding this position.

Long snapper:
I never even realized there were dedicated long snappers in the draft. Tim Bugg (Indiana) and Tyler Schmitt (San Diego St.) are the two names you’ll hear tossed around, if for some reason ESPN dedicates more than 1 second to talk about long snappers. The Seahawks may spend a 7th rounder on one of these guys, if only to ensure that they get one on the team. It is much more probable that they will wait and sign some undrafted rookies and journeyman veterans to compete for the starting spot. Anyone but Boone Stutz.

Returns:
The Seahawks are set on return men. Nate Burleson is one of the best punt returners in the NFL today, bested last year by only Devin Hester and Josh Cribbs. In the event that he becomes too involved with the offense to continue his return duties, Josh Wilson is also an experienced return man on both kickoffs and punts. A player with good return ability could be selected by coincidence, but there is little to no chance the Seahawks will draft a dedicated returner, such as Yamon Figurs in last year’s draft.

Coverage:
Suffice it to say that I know absolutely nothing about kickoff and punt coverage. The only thing you should really expect here is that the ability to play effectively on special teams will factor into the late round decision making process. LBs, DBs and WRs will be the most likely culprits.

Just over 48 hours until the draft begins, and I am definitely excited. There are a myriad ways this draft could play out. As long as you don’t get your heart set on one player and have faith in Ruskell and the coaching staff, this weekend will be awesome.

Seahawks NFL Draft Preview: Defense

Defensive end:
This is a pretty deep DE draft class, with a lot of first round talent. Chris Long (Virginia) and Vernon Gholston (Ohio St.) will almost certainly be long gone when the Seahawks pick. Derrick Harvey (Florida) and Phillip Merling (Clemson) are also elite prospects who could come off the board early. Calais Campbell (Miami) has a lot of potential, but was not as productive in college as the players Ruskell typically drafts. The Seahawks have very little depth behind Patrick Kerney and Darryl Tapp, who leaves a lot to be desired as a starter. Look for this position to be addressed in the middle rounds, unless a top prospect falls in the first round.

Defensive tackle:
The likelihood of drafting a DT depends almost entirely on the status of Marcus Tubbs. When healthy, he is an absolute force in the middle. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been healthy in about… ever. I doubt the front office will put a lot of faith in Tubbs at this point, and could take a big man as early as the first round to rotate with Rocky Bernard, Brandon Mebane, and Craig Terrill. Kentwan Balmer is the most likely to be on the board, but he has a questionable motor and durability issues (Tubbs v2.0?). Some analysts are picking Trevor Laws (Notre Dame) in the first round. He may be a bit of a reach at that point, but he has everything Ruskell looks for in terms of intangibles. Pat Sims (Auburn) and Red Bryant (Texas A&M) are a pair of run-stuffing monsters who could be taken in the 2nd or 3rd round.

Linebacker:
With the loss of Kevin Bentley and special teams standout Niko Koutovides, the Seahawks should be looking to take some depth here. D.D. Lewis and Will Herring are solid backups, but Lance Laury is probably not more than special teamer. A good fit in the middle could be Jonathan Goff (Vanderbilt). He was extremely productive against top college competition, is very intelligent, and has great instincts. He could be available early on day 2. Xavier Adibi (VaTech) and Tavares Gooden (Miami) are a pair of good OLBs who will be on the board in rounds 2 to 4. They both fit the Ruskell mold of undersized, hard working, productive players from big time competitive schools.

Cornerback:
Now that Marcus Trufant has been locked away with a long term deal, this is no longer an area of need. I highly doubt a CB will be selected with one of only 6 draft picks, particularly after having taken Kelly Jennings and Josh Wilson with their first pick in the last 2 drafts. Fan favorite and super utility man Jordan Babineaux will round out the CB corps nicely. I’d be absolutely shocked to see one taken.

Safety:
While this is not a direct area of need, it would not surprise me to see a safety called at some point in this draft. Brian Russell and Deon Grant are firmly entrenched as the starters, and would not be usurped even by a 1st round pick. Omare Lowe and C.J. Wallace are decent special teamers, but from what I’ve seen, they do not project as long term starters. Mike Green could become a cap casualty later in the offseason. A lot of Seahawks fans are high on Tom Zbikowski (Notre Dame) and Quintin Demps (UTEP), who should both be available in the mid to late rounds. I’m sorry for repeating it so damn often, but they are both Ruskell-type. Yep, you guessed it. They were both very productive against top competition, possess great intangibles and character, and may be overlooked because of concerns about size and/or athleticism.

Hopefully by this point you all know what kind of players Tim Ruskell likes. And with that un-funny dose of sarcasm, I’m out. Check back tomorrow for the very light edition known as special teams. If you really care. Which I’m sure you don’t. But hey, you can at least get excited about the prospect of replacing LOLindo Mare before he even attempts a kick, right?

Seahawks Draft Preview: Offense

With the 2008 NFL Draft mere days away, it’s time to start seriously thinking about how the ‘Hawks are going to approach it. Well I guess we’ve been doing that for months now, but it wasn’t in writing. At least not by me. ANYWAY. Here’s a look at how I think the offense will shake down.

Quarterback:
Despite looking and acting like the lovable man-child that he is, Matt Hasselbeck will be 33 before the start of the 2008 season. Time has flown by, hasn’t it? Still, Hass is clearly in his prime. For a QB who thrives on short, accurate passes rather than the deep ball, 33 is not that old. I’d expect Matt to have at least 2 or 3 more solid seasons before we start to see a modest decline.

That said, I don’t expect that Seahawks will select a QB in this draft, unless their scouts really fall in love with an under-the-radar guy who falls to them in the 5th round or later. Seneca Wallace is a capable backup, though speculation suggests he will see more time at WR this year. The oft-forgotten Charlie Frye should provide adequate insurance in the event that a slew of injuries hits Seattle signal callers.

Running back:
Running back is the position that could provide us with some very interesting outcomes. A variety of sources have suggested that Shaun Alexander will be cut as soon as his broken wrist is healed enough to pass a physical with another team, so, for the purposes of this preview, let’s assume that goes down. That would leave them with incumbent Mo Morris, and the 2 newbies T.J. Duckett and Julius Jones. Despite the number of backs on the roster right now, Tim Ruskell stated that he has not ruled out drafting another.

As it stands right now, I have to believe that the only RB Ruskell will draft is Jonathan Stewart (Oregon). He would be a perfect fit and he is a rare talent, and would provide the greatest long term benefit. Despite Stewart’s toe surgery, there is a very good chance he will be taken long before the Seahawks pick at 25. If that is the case, I don’t expect Ruskell to pick another back, unless he swings a draft day trade involving Morris. In that very plausible scenario, look for the ‘Hawks to look at guys like Chris Johnson (East Carolina), Ray Rice (Rutgers), and Matt Forte (Tulane) in the 2nd or 3rd round. I myself am a Forte fan, and I think he could be a great sleeper pick.

Fullback:
The Seahawks are definitely set here with Leonard Weaver and David Kirtman both expected to be on the active roster.

Wide receiver:
Wideout, like running back, is another position that could bring some surprises. With the loss of D.J. Hackett and the injury to Deion Branch (which could cost him half season or more), the Seahawks are left with very unproven options. Nate Burleson has shown flashes of brilliance, but has been largely inconsistent since putting up a 1000 yard season with the Vikings in 2004. Bobby Engram was a great story last year, overcoming a thyroid problem in 2006 to post career highs in receptions (94) and yards (1147). But at the age of 35, can he really be expected to repeat last year as the starting split end? The rest of the WR corps consists of unproven youngsters like Ben Obomanu, Logan Payne, Jordan Kent, and Courtney Taylor. While lauded by idealistic fans for their potential, they have yet to prove anything at the pro level.

If the Seahawks do select a WR, it will more than likely be in the first round. Limas Sweed (Texas) has been a popular pick amongst mock drafters, but there’s a strong chance he’ll be gone at 25. Devin Thomas (Michigan St.) has shot up draft boards recently, and he too will probably be gone. James Hardy (Indiana) has great size and potential, but he doesn’t seem to fit in the typical Ruskell mold. Whatever happens, don’t be surprised by the outcome.

Tight end:
Perhaps the greatest position of need on the roster, a receiving TE is vital to the West Coast Offense. With only Will Heller, Jeb Putzier, and Joe Newton on the roster, expect a TE to be taken in the first 2 rounds, with perhaps another being selected in a later round.

In my view, John Carlson (Notre Dame) is the best all around TE in this draft class. He has good size, decent speed, great hands, and is a serviceable blocker. His stock rose dramatically after his pro day. Still, it doesn’t appear that any TEs in this class are unquestioned first-rounders. Carlson might be seen as a reach at 25, but he definitely will be off the board by the time the Seahawks pick in the 2nd round. If the ‘Hawks trade down, maybe even out of the first round, Tight end would seem to be the most logical selection. Dustin Keller (Purdue) and Fred Davis (USC) are other highly rated options. Keller has great speed and athleticism, but is a poor blocker. Davis is well-rounded, but doesn’t really stand out in any one aspect of the game.

Offensive tackle:
With Big Walter Jones clearly having lost a step at age 34, OT could be a good value pick for the Seahawks in the early rounds. In the later rounds, another tackle or 2 could be taken for depth, of which there is very little. Of first round prospects, there is a lot of variation in grades. Branden Albert (Virginia) has seen his stock explode recently, and is now a consensus top-15 pick. The most likely of the group to fall to the Seahawks is Chris Williams (Vanderbilt), a tackle with good agility and technique. Since it is not an immediate need, I don’t think the Seahawks will select an OT unless a guy they love falls right into their laps.

Offensive guard:
I’m not going to say anything about Steve Hutchinson. Oh crap, I just did! The fact of the matter is that the offensive line has been an utter abomination since his untimely and un-classy departure. The signing of Mike Wahle should provide some stability at LG, but the right side is still sketchy. Rob Sims, inconsistent last year, is the most likely candidate to fill the spot, shifting over from the left. Chris Gray has managed to defy logic and remain with the team, and is still a possible starter. Chris Spencer has struggled at center, and may need to shift over in the long term. Mansfield Wrotto, a nasty road-grader, is believed to have a lot of potential, but he has yet to prove enough to be counted on. It is pretty clear that the Seahawks have a lot of depth, but perhaps not a lot of quality depth. Look for them to treat this like OT, and only select a guard in the first few rounds if a highly-rated player falls into their laps.

Center:
I’ll be honest here. I have absolutely no idea who the backup center is. Do they even have one? I believe Chris Gray can play there, but I’d rather not see that go down. There aren’t really any good center prospects in this draft, but don’t be surprised to see the Seahawks go for one in the middle rounds. Jeremy Zuttah (Rutgers) is a popular sleeper pick at the position. John Sullivan (Notre Dame) is not the best physical specimen, but he could very well fit into the Ruskell mold with his great character and high motor.

Check back in the next few days for the defensive analysis. The draft is upon us!

Free Agency in Review

I’d like to start by apologizing to my loyal readers (all 3 of you) for my extended hiatus. I’ve had a lot of commitments of late that have drained me of my time and energy. With the Rangers on a hot streak nearing the NHL playoffs, and with my Mets getting into spring training, I’ve also lacked the motivation to write about football. But alas, I have returned, and I shall do my best not to leave you hanging once again.

It seems like I picked a terrible time to stop writing, with the mass of recent activity. First up:

Like it or not, for better or worse, the front office has delivered on its promise to revamp the running game. Signing T.J. Duckett and Julius Jones to 5- and 4-year deals, respectively, has all but assured that the Seahawks will not be selecting a running back on draft day. The moves also call into serious doubt the futures of Shaun Alexander and Maurice Morris. Alexander was already on thin ice, and being part of a 4-way committee doesn’t exactly cement his position on the team. The prevailing argument is that if Alexander was going to be cut, he would have been out on his ass by now. After all, the NFL CBA now allows teams to designate 2 players as “post-June 1st cuts” — meaning that their cap hits are spread out over 2 seasons instead of 1 — regardless of when they are actually released. My analysis? The front office is likely waiting for draft day to make a move, if they are in fact going to make one. If last year’s Randy Moss trade is any indication, teams are very amiable to low risk, high reward trades on draft day. Perhaps more likely is a trade of Mo Morris to a team that missed out on a coveted prospect. He would net at least a 4th rounder, allowing the Seahawks to add more young depth, which is crucial to aging teams.

Next up is the whole Josh Brown fiasco. I was ambivalent on re-signing Brown to begin with. While he has been incredibly clutch over his young career, he has also been extremely average (albeit, consistently average). I couldn’t see justifying Vinatieri-type money to a guy who in my mind isn’t one of the best at his position. Apparently the brass felt differently, offering him exactly that kind of money. Welcome back, Browny! Wait. He rejected it? He spurned us to take the same amount of money with… the Rams!?!? I’m sorry Josh, I didn’t realize a 3-13 team could have a winning attitude. I hope you enjoy playing 8 games in a dome, where you flourish to the tune of 73%. You’re going to find out pretty soon what it’s like to have an entire city hate you.

On a brighter note, Lofa Tatupu signed a 6 year, $40 million contract extension over the weekend. The Seahawks could have traded for the entire AFC Pro Bowl roster, and this extension still would have been the best move they made. What’s more, Lord Lofa took less money to stay here, in the hopes that his benevolence would leave enough money for extensions to Marcus Trufant and, next year, Leroy Hill. As if Pro Bowl appearances in his first 3 seasons weren’t enough, here is yet another reason to love this guy. On a similar note, Patrick Kerney, Jordan Babineaux, Craig Terrill, and Deon Grant all restructured their contracts to free up some extra cap room. Hello? Shaun Alexander? Are you listening? Team called. It wants you to know there’s no I in it.

And with that lame joke, I must return to the shadows.

NFL Combine Update

Just a quick update on the players with whom Seahawks fans should be most concerned…

Jonathan Stewart and Rashard Mendenhall put themselves further out of reach of the Seahawks with their outstanding performances in the combine yesterday. Stewart clocked an unofficial 4.44 in the forty, while Mendenhall put up a 4.37. They completed 28 and 26 bench reps, respectively. Stewart also logged an impressive 36.5″ vertical. The two are more or less solidified as top 20 picks, so the Seahawks will likely have to move up to snag either of them.

Some other RBs also improved their draft stock, though probably not enough to warrant a first round selection. East Carolina RB Chris Johnson clocked the top time of the day with a blazing 4.24 forty. While he may not have the size to be an every down back in the NFL, his speed and receiving ability can definitely cause an impact. The Seahawks reportedly have strong interest in him. Ray Rice of Rutgers and Matt Forte of Tulane also ran well yesterday, which could warrant them consideration in the 2nd round.

On the receiving end, Limas Sweed logged a 4.47 in the forty, along with a 35 inch vert. At nearly 6′4, he could solidify himself as a first round pick. The Seahawks were interested in Sweed during the Senior Bowl, but I continue to doubt that they’ll gamble on a WR in the first round.

In terms of TEs, there may not be a real clear cut #1, or even a definite first rounder. Dustin Keller improved his stock with a 4.5 forty and a 38 inch vertical. John Carlson disappointed with a 4.88 forty, but the buzz is that he looked great in positional drills, catching every pass to come his way. Fred Davis did not run because of injury, but hurt himself even more by dropping several balls in the receiving drills.

That’s all for now. Check back in a few days for a review on the defensive players’ combine results.

Odds and ends, 2/22/08

Yesterday was another big news day for the surprisingly active Seahawks. Here’s a quick rundown on what you (or I) may have missed.

• The Seahawks agreed to terms with RT Sean Locklear on a 5 year, $32 million deal. He had been expected to hit the open market, where he likely would have landed bigger bucks. This more or less solidifies the line for 2008. Barring any unforeseen changes, the starting lineup will be Walter Jones, Mike Wahle, Chris Spencer, Rob Sims, and Sean Locklear.

• In other news on the o-line, Mike Wahle’s contract details were revealed. It is for 5 years and includes $16 million in base salary, though the signing bonus has not yet been announced. According to the Seattle Times blog, the bonus will likely bring the deal to around $20 million.

• The blog at the Times also reports that recently released TE Alge Crumpler will more than likely meet with the Seahawks in the coming week.

• Lastly, there are increased “rumblings” that Shaun Alexander could be released. The source of this story is ProFootballTalk.com, so take it with a grain of salt. While I understand that a lot of what they post consists of unsubstantiated rumors (in an attempt to be the first to break a story, I presume), many fans find themselves being dangerously misled by PFT’s rumor mill. Wait for a real news story before you get your hopes up, but realize that this story signals that cutting Alexander is still a very real possibility. My day just got a little bit better.

Trufant tagged, cap room increases

As I’m sure a lot of us expected, the Seahawks designated Marcus Trufant as their franchise player. For those not familiar with the term, the franchise tag allows a team to control a player when the two sides cannot work out a long term deal. If and when Trufant signs the tender, he will receive the average of the salaries of the top 5 highest paid cornerbacks in the league, which will be guaranteed. He also has the option of holding out for a long term contract. If he chooses not to sign the tender, which is highly unlikely, he will either be traded or sit out an entire season (a la Deion Branch). He received the non-exclusive version of the tag, which means other teams can negotiate with him and sign him to an offer sheet. The Seahawks could then either match the offer or receive two first-round draft picks as compensation.

In other news, the front office took advantage of the “likely-to-be-earned” incentive loophole in order to free up $7.4 million dollars in cap room. I’m going to be honest and admit that this confounds the crap out of me. For all intents and purposes, all you need to know is that we now have $7.4 million more in cap space. For a better explanation, check out this topic at the Seahawks.net forums. Hat tip to .NET user Gromit for the story.

Seahawks make first splash, sign Wahle

The Seahawks made the first major move of this young offseason today when they agreed to terms with former Panthers OG Mike Wahle. Wahle was released as a cap casualty earlier in the week, and visited Seattle yesterday. He will be reunited with Mike Holmgren, who coached him during his rookie season in Green Bay. Wahle, 30, is a former Pro Bowler.

…What a way to make a splash early! This is the big move every Seahawks fan has been dreaming of since last month’s debacle in Green Bay. He may not be Alan Faneca (or Steve Hutchinson, for that matter), but Wahle is a very good lineman in his own right. He will hopefully solidify the left side of an offensive line that struggled mightily last season. Still, their work on the line is far from complete. Chris Spencer has yet to prove he can handle the responsibilities of an NFL center. Rob Sims, who will likely shift over to start at RG, is also far from perfect. RT Sean Locklear is an unrestricted free agent.

But still, while much work is left to be done to shape this roster into a Super Bowl caliber team, this is a great first step, and eliminates the need to take an OG in the first few rounds of the draft. Hopefully new o-line coach Mike Solari can shape this line into a force to be feared…