Three Burning Questions
How much will Steve Hutchinson's presence at LOG be missed?
Never before has an offensive-line position been so scrutinized -- especially the guard spot. When the offensive line does get any credit for a team's success, the praise is usually saved for the left tackle. Hutchinson is the best left guard in the game today, so his presence will be missed; the question is how much. Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack will get the first crack at replacing Hutchinson, but he isn't as polished or as mobile as Hutchinson. Seattle is one of the few teams that plays left-handed, meaning it considers the left side the strong side of the formation. A big key for the Seahawks' running game is being able to run to the left, which can cause confusion for opposing defenses in terms of how they need to align their front seven. The loss of Hutchinson will also put more pressure on veteran center Robbie Tobeck, who is near the end of his career.
Camp battle to watch
Kelly Herndon vs. Kelly Jennings
In talking with people around the NFL, the consensus is that Kelly Jennings has been one of the most impressive rookie players through minicamps and the organized team activities (or OTAs). Kelly Herndon was a restricted free agent who the Seahawks snatched away from Denver last season. He had an average season but was somewhat hampered by some lingering knee soreness. Herndon has to be healthy through training camp, or Jennings could seize the starting cornerback job alongside Marcus Trufant. Jennings has above-average height and long arms. Ideally, you would like him to be a little bigger, but he is an excellent athlete with very good quickness, and he can match up man-to-man when Seattle brings heat with its front seven. The loser of this battle will still see a lot of playing time with the subpackages.
Can FS Ken Hamlin return to form after his off-the-field injury?
All indications are that he is making very steady progress in his recovery. However, any time you are dealing with a head injury, it needs to be monitored. How will he react after his first hit on a 225-pound running back? How much rust will there be physically and mentally after missing the second half of last season? Marquand Manuel filled in admirably last year in his absence, but the Seahawks do not have a backup of that quality this season, so it is important for Hamlin to recover and play well.
Can the Seahawks break the curse of teams falling flat on their face after being the Super Bowl runner-up?
History will not be on their side. In recent history there are many teams (Philadelphia, Carolina, Oakland, St. Louis and the N.Y. Giants) that have not even made the playoffs a season after losing in the Super Bowl. I think a big reason for that was the losing team's decision to scrap its plan and make too many offseason changes. The core of Seattle's team will return, and the Seahawks were able to replace most of their departed players. One would think that, barring any key injuries, this team is far too talented and deep to fall into the same trap.
The player under the microscope
The eventual starting left guard. The candidates are Womack, rookie Rob Sims or current right tackle Sean Locklear. No matter who it is, right or wrong, he will be the culprit if Seattle has any trouble running the football. Hutchinson along with LOT Walter Jones formed the best left side in the NFL last season. To be as efficient as they want to be, the Seahawks need to remain left-handed, meaning the new left guard will definitely be under the microscope.
Breakout player
Rookie cornerback Kelly Jennings. My sources in the Seattle front office say that Jennings has been outstanding this offseason. In fact, he has been so good the team backed off in its pursuit of veteran DC Ty Law. Jennings will push Kelly Herndon for his starting spot in camp. If he doesn't win it, Jennings will still play a major role this season in the pass-happy NFC West that features three-WR sets on a pretty consistent basis.
Comeback player of the year
It would be tough to go with anyone other than Hamlin. He was on the verge of turning himself into one of the best young free safeties in the NFL before he was injured and missed the second half of last season. Hamlin is tall, rangy and has excellent overall athletic ability. He has all the tools to be a special player in the NFL. Now we just need to see how he comes back physically and if the long layoff affects his play. My theory is that he starts a little slow but then shows flashes of the player he was before his injury.
Offensive philosophy
The Seahawks are another team whose offensive principles are based on the West Coast offense. They run an original version of the offense that is based on rhythm and timing and has less of a vertical presence. Unlike most teams that use the run to set up the pass, they like to take the opposite approach. Seattle likes to come out throwing with quicker, shorter underneath routes to try to soften up the defense a little bit. They feel that getting a defense on its heels early will increase their ability to run the ball as the game wears on. They have one of the most balanced, efficient offenses in the NFL.
Defensive philosophy
The Seahawks play a bend-but-don't-break style of football. They give up a lot of yards between the 20s, but they are exceptional inside the red zone. Their defense is undersized and plays an attacking style. Their linebackers don't blitz a lot, but they read, react and attack. Starting linebackers Lofa Tatupu and LeRoy Hill combined for 11½ sacks last season. This season, Julian Peterson (previously with San Francisco) will be part of that mix, so the Seahawks have three players who can harass and get after the opposing QB. This is an extremely disciplined defense that made very few mental errors, with the young Tatupu manning the middle and getting everyone lined up. Up front, the Seahawks are deep inside at DT and use an excellent rotation system to keep guys fresh. Their defensive line likes to clog gaps and allows their athletic LBs to flow to the football. While this defense is small, it is also athletic, and it uses quickness to confuse opposing offenses. Seattle has an excellent chance to be a top-five defense this season.
How much will Steve Hutchinson's presence at LOG be missed?
Never before has an offensive-line position been so scrutinized -- especially the guard spot. When the offensive line does get any credit for a team's success, the praise is usually saved for the left tackle. Hutchinson is the best left guard in the game today, so his presence will be missed; the question is how much. Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack will get the first crack at replacing Hutchinson, but he isn't as polished or as mobile as Hutchinson. Seattle is one of the few teams that plays left-handed, meaning it considers the left side the strong side of the formation. A big key for the Seahawks' running game is being able to run to the left, which can cause confusion for opposing defenses in terms of how they need to align their front seven. The loss of Hutchinson will also put more pressure on veteran center Robbie Tobeck, who is near the end of his career.
Camp battle to watch
Kelly Herndon vs. Kelly Jennings
In talking with people around the NFL, the consensus is that Kelly Jennings has been one of the most impressive rookie players through minicamps and the organized team activities (or OTAs). Kelly Herndon was a restricted free agent who the Seahawks snatched away from Denver last season. He had an average season but was somewhat hampered by some lingering knee soreness. Herndon has to be healthy through training camp, or Jennings could seize the starting cornerback job alongside Marcus Trufant. Jennings has above-average height and long arms. Ideally, you would like him to be a little bigger, but he is an excellent athlete with very good quickness, and he can match up man-to-man when Seattle brings heat with its front seven. The loser of this battle will still see a lot of playing time with the subpackages.
Can FS Ken Hamlin return to form after his off-the-field injury?
All indications are that he is making very steady progress in his recovery. However, any time you are dealing with a head injury, it needs to be monitored. How will he react after his first hit on a 225-pound running back? How much rust will there be physically and mentally after missing the second half of last season? Marquand Manuel filled in admirably last year in his absence, but the Seahawks do not have a backup of that quality this season, so it is important for Hamlin to recover and play well.
Can the Seahawks break the curse of teams falling flat on their face after being the Super Bowl runner-up?
History will not be on their side. In recent history there are many teams (Philadelphia, Carolina, Oakland, St. Louis and the N.Y. Giants) that have not even made the playoffs a season after losing in the Super Bowl. I think a big reason for that was the losing team's decision to scrap its plan and make too many offseason changes. The core of Seattle's team will return, and the Seahawks were able to replace most of their departed players. One would think that, barring any key injuries, this team is far too talented and deep to fall into the same trap.
The player under the microscope
The eventual starting left guard. The candidates are Womack, rookie Rob Sims or current right tackle Sean Locklear. No matter who it is, right or wrong, he will be the culprit if Seattle has any trouble running the football. Hutchinson along with LOT Walter Jones formed the best left side in the NFL last season. To be as efficient as they want to be, the Seahawks need to remain left-handed, meaning the new left guard will definitely be under the microscope.
Breakout player
Rookie cornerback Kelly Jennings. My sources in the Seattle front office say that Jennings has been outstanding this offseason. In fact, he has been so good the team backed off in its pursuit of veteran DC Ty Law. Jennings will push Kelly Herndon for his starting spot in camp. If he doesn't win it, Jennings will still play a major role this season in the pass-happy NFC West that features three-WR sets on a pretty consistent basis.
Comeback player of the year
It would be tough to go with anyone other than Hamlin. He was on the verge of turning himself into one of the best young free safeties in the NFL before he was injured and missed the second half of last season. Hamlin is tall, rangy and has excellent overall athletic ability. He has all the tools to be a special player in the NFL. Now we just need to see how he comes back physically and if the long layoff affects his play. My theory is that he starts a little slow but then shows flashes of the player he was before his injury.
Offensive philosophy
The Seahawks are another team whose offensive principles are based on the West Coast offense. They run an original version of the offense that is based on rhythm and timing and has less of a vertical presence. Unlike most teams that use the run to set up the pass, they like to take the opposite approach. Seattle likes to come out throwing with quicker, shorter underneath routes to try to soften up the defense a little bit. They feel that getting a defense on its heels early will increase their ability to run the ball as the game wears on. They have one of the most balanced, efficient offenses in the NFL.
Defensive philosophy
The Seahawks play a bend-but-don't-break style of football. They give up a lot of yards between the 20s, but they are exceptional inside the red zone. Their defense is undersized and plays an attacking style. Their linebackers don't blitz a lot, but they read, react and attack. Starting linebackers Lofa Tatupu and LeRoy Hill combined for 11½ sacks last season. This season, Julian Peterson (previously with San Francisco) will be part of that mix, so the Seahawks have three players who can harass and get after the opposing QB. This is an extremely disciplined defense that made very few mental errors, with the young Tatupu manning the middle and getting everyone lined up. Up front, the Seahawks are deep inside at DT and use an excellent rotation system to keep guys fresh. Their defensive line likes to clog gaps and allows their athletic LBs to flow to the football. While this defense is small, it is also athletic, and it uses quickness to confuse opposing offenses. Seattle has an excellent chance to be a top-five defense this season.
