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The "Hoch's" Nest: Matt’s Four-Part Seahawks Extravaganza -- Part One
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From: http://afraidofedhochuli.blogspot.com
I understand that the NFL season has yet to end – what with the Conference Championships and Superbowl still yet to be played – but for the Seattle Seahawks the season is over and the speculation has begun.
Questions swirl around the team regarding personnel and coaching decisions that will take place during the off-season. The main subjects tend to be based around who will be leaving.
Will Shaun Alexander return to the team? If so, will it be for less money? Will Mike Holmgren ride off into the sunset or will he sign an extension? Will the Seahawks cut players like D.J. Hackett and “Porkchop” Womack due to injury concerns?
I don’t know where to start on this, and in all honesty I don’t know where to go with it. But I will take into account over the next few days the four major things that I feel need to be addressed: Shaun Alexander, Mike Holmgren, Leavings and Signings.
Today: Shaun Alexander
The end of this season was one of he worst in recent memory, causing me to feel a lot of different things – and writing has not been one of them. The crushing failure that showed on the field on Saturday rivals that of the 2004 Wild Card game against the Rams.
So, pardon me if this is somewhat disjointed, but I am going to write it as I believe it can be best understood.
Changes need to be made. Not wholesale changes, but changes nonetheless. We have all watched as the run game has gone from MVP caliber (and winning) to bottom of the barrel. We have watched as inconsistency has plagued a Defense that (on paper) should be one of the most dominating in the league.
We saw as some things were fixed during the off-season (Secondary for example) and then slowly watched as the things we expected to be a certainty, imploded.
Where do we start? How ‘bout the most visible need?
Shaun Alexander is done. I don’t care what “The Big Show” Mike Holmgren said in his end-of-year press conference. He will never be as productive as he had been in the past. Sure, injuries slowed him down, but the broken wrist didn’t cause him to fall before the hit 85% of the time.
They have four options:
1) Cut him. This is one that a lot of people seem to think that this is the best option, but is it? According to John Clayton the “cap hit” is only different by about $100K.
2) Restructure his contract. This is a great thought, thinking he wants to end his career in the blue and green, but do you think that a guy who is making $3.4M ($5.7M against the cap) will want to lower that to take a smaller role?
3) Make him battle for the job. Isn’t this sort of what they did this season? Unless they are able to pull some magic this off-season and get a back that is worthy of starting but needs a little help, this isn’t feasible.
4) Do nothing and hope it gets better. Don’t get me started.
To me, it is cut-and-dry (pardon the pun)…cut him. The run game needs help and the only way to start that is to get rid of him. When Holmgren only activates TWO running backs a game then is there a reason to make one of those Shaun? His presence would be something that would damage the team.
I will discuss the draft in a future segment but for right now I will just say: Draft a Running Back.
Remember Ricky Watters? That’s right; the Ricky Watters who helped the 49ers win Superbowl XXIX (24) and then spent three years in Philly before coming to Seattle. The Ricky Watters that had three 1200 yard seasons for the Seahawks then got replaced by – you guessed it – Shaun Alexander.
That seems to be Holmgren’s M.O. He has always known when to wean a new player into the team at just the right pace. So where is Shaun’s back-up? Where is his replacement? You can’t seem to think that it is Maurice Morris.
Maybe it is Leonard Weaver? Holmgren had Edgar Bennett and Dorsey Levens when he won the Superbowl with the Packers. Why is this pertinent? They were two “bruising” backs; two big players that just happened to be running backs. Bennett ended the season with 899 yards and Levens with 566.
Is “The Big Show” looking at doing something like that again? Why not? The other option hasn’t worked.
Don’t send me messages saying that it is the Offensive Line, because that is only part of the problem. It is also a separate article. So, hold your horses.
Next: Mike Holmgren
