Preseason Opener: What Matters

First of all let me just state that I hate the preseason. I am always happy when it comes around because I know the NFL regular season is just around the corner, but I always fear injury before the games start to count. The Seahawks are dealing with their own injuries, as are the 49ers and every other team in the league. Some teams, however, are feeling the effects more than others. The Green Bay Packers recently lost their starting left tackle, Bryan Bulaga, for the season after tearing his ACL during a team scrimmage. Bulaga is a good player, but the Packs' offensive line as a whole is not that good, and without Bulaga I could see them missing the playoffs. That is how significant the injury to Bulaga is. Additionally, Jordy Nelson will miss the rest of camp after undergoing surgery to his knee. It is possible that he will be back for the season-opener, but it is very likely that he is slowed by his knee for the entire season. The Packers still have Aaron Rodgers and other fantastic players on their roster, so I could also see them still contending for a wild card spot, but I would be shocked if they took the division. I may be a Seahawks fan, but I hate seeing injuries like this, especially during the preseason!

With that being said, the Seahawks kick off their preseason game schedule tomorrow in San Diego (lucky) versus the Chargers. I obviously do not expect a lot of starters to see much playing time on either side, but here are a few things I will be looking for from the Seahawks:

What the rookies can do

What can they do? We’ve seen Christine Michael’s explosiveness, and we have seen Chris Harper make some nice plays in practice, but what will they show when it (slightly) matters more? We shall get a glimpse.

Spoiler Alert: Christine Michael will be a beast!

Receivers 

This matters a lot to me because I was ultra-excited about Percy Harvin, and now that has to be put on hold until Thanksgiving, if we are lucky. If Percy is not back by Thanksgiving then I will be thankful for NOTHING! There is a lot of talk surrounding Jermaine Kearse right now, so that’s cool I guess. Whatever, I just want to see this group be awesome.

The Offensive Line

Right now J.R. Sweezy is listed as the starting right guard while John Moffit is listed as the backup. Paul McQuistan remains the starting left guard while big James Carpenter is listed as the backup, but these guys are still battling for the starting spot come opening day.

Defensive Tackle and Defensive End

That one guy / AP Photo/Stephen Brashear

Some guy named Brandon Mebane seems to be starting on the defensive line, whoever that guy is. Whatever, he better prove himself or we should probably just cut him. As for the others: Tony McDaniel, Jordan Hill, Jesse Williams, Mike Morgon, whoever else, just throw them in there and let’s see what they can do!

I am also intrigued by the Antoine Winfield and Walter Thurmond III battle, but I am not sure how much either of those two guys will be on the field tomorrow. It could be quite a bit, or it could be very little.

Here is what I will not be looking for:

Beast Mode, Cliff Avril, Red Bryant, or any other proven veteran to see significant playing time

Duh. We know what they are capable of. Did I mention how much I hate preseason injuries?

What absolutely should happen after the game

All players and staff meeting at Pizza Port, where the pizza is fantastic and the beer is cold. Go Hawks!

Seattle Should Consider Trading a Cornerback

Before scoffing at the idea, understand two things:

1. I am not referring to the obvious cornerbacks like Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner, or Antoine Winfield.
2. The 49ers defensive backfield is still questionable. Seattle should do what they can to keep it that way.

Right now the Seahawks have nine active CBs on their roster, plus drafted rookie Tharold Simon on the PUP list. They have all looked great early on during OTAs and at training camp, but should these guys prove themselves during the preseason then their value will rise before the official season kicks off. I will break down the list based on how I view our cornerbacks and their trade value as it stands right now.

The Untouchables:

Richard Sherman

Brandon Browner

Antoine Winfield

Obviously Sherman and Browner are our boys. Sherman is, in my biased opinion, the very best in the league. He is the very best in a lot of unbiased opinions as well. Browner is certainly one of the best in the league right now as well, and we love his physical presence. We just signed Antoine Winfield this off-season to help us reach our goal of winning the Super Bowl, and he is the very best at his position of stopping the run. Quite frankly, Winfield may be the best tackling corner in NFL history.

Improbable:

Walter Thurmond III

University of Oregon and Seattle Seahawk fans know about Thurmond, but it is likely that the average fan does not, and rightfully so because not only is Seattle the most isolated team in the NFL, but Thurmond has not been able to stay healthy since 2008 when he was still a Duck. He actually missed most of his final season with the Ducks in 2009, but was drafted by our Hawks anyways in the fourth round of the 2010 draft based on his skill level alone (first round talent), and hopes that he could return to good health. So far that hasn’t exactly panned out, but it turns out that Thurmond is an absolute stud when he is on the field. If you don't believe me then just ask Richard Sherman what he thinks about him. Thurmond is improbable because his injuries would more than likely scare other organizations away, but if he can overcome that obstacle then watch out!

Nope:

DeShawn Shead

Will Blackmon

Ron Parker

Will Blackmon is a kick returner as well, and we just signed him on February 13^th. John Schneider is familiar with Blackmon because he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2006. He made a name for himself as a returner before knee injuries got the best of him, prompting the Packers to release him in 2010, and then by the Giants a year later. He was out of the NFL last season, but he is back with a vengeance! DeShawn Shead was a rookie free agent that we added last season and Ron Parker was claimed off waivers. I really like all of these guys for depth, and maybe Blackmon can earn a spot returning kicks, but I don’t think these are the guys that could be traded.

The Touchables:

You know you want him / Seahawks.com

Byron Maxwell

Jeremy Lane

Byron Maxwell is entering year three, while Jeremy Lane is entering year two. Both were selected in the sixth round and now have a little experience without a horrific history of injuries. Also, both seem to have upped their game and I honestly think that either one of these guys could be starters elsewhere. Would Maxwell or Lane be starters for the 49ers? Maybe, maybe not. Would they add them some much needed value? Absolutely. I think our entire unit could. Jeremy Lane had a tough match-up versus Tony Gonzalez in the playoffs last season, but that would be tough for any rookie and to be honest I thought Lane was covering Gonzalez about as good as one possibly could, but Matt Ryan made fantastic throws while Gonzalez made equally fantastic snags.

The truth is that I really like all these guys, but Seattle is going to have to cut their roster down. The 49ers have a fantastic defense; as long as they have a pass rush their secondary will be just fine, even with the recent loss of Chris Culliver. However, there is always room for improvement and I would like to avoid the possibility of the Niners getting one of our cornerbacks (I think that would more likely be Shead or Parker at this point). The 49ers are not the only team in the league that could use help at CB, either. Both the Steelers and Ravens, for example, could use some help.

In my opinion if the Seahawks can trade one of their cornerbacks for a 5^th or, perhaps more likely, 6^th round draft pick then they should pull the trigger. I would much rather get something of value and reduce the number of cuts at the CB position. The added bonus, of course, is that we could avoid benefiting a division rival. Furthermore, if a trade is possible then I would prefer a trade to a team from the AFC, but at the very least it would have to be with a team in another division.

What do you 12s think?

Chris Harper is Making a Name for Himself

Chris Harper, the Seattle Seahawks fourth round pick in the NFL draft, is making a name for himself early on in training camp. Harper is a big bodied receiver (the biggest on our squad) who has shown the ability early on in training camp to get open deep down the field, which is especially fantastic considering who occupies Seattle’s defensive backfield. Harper has surprising speed for a guy his size, and he is extremely physical. His style of play is a recipe for wearing down and causing headaches to the defense. 

Seahawks.com

Like Russell Wilson, Chris Harper has been earning the respect of his teammates by showing up early and being one of the last to leave. Only day 7 of training camp has completed, but we have already been able to see the connection between Russell Wilson and Chris Harper grow, which is encouraging because Harper is likely to spend more time on the field sooner than expected with the injury to Percy Harvin. We won’t really know what Harper is capable of until he is in a real game situation, but we should be very pleased with what he has shown so far. I am very excited to see what he does with his opportunity!