SB Nation - T.J. Duckett

Can Chauncey Washington Be the New T.J. Duckett?

John Morgan — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:56:11 -0000

Chauncey Washington and Asante Samuel compare childhoods of ridicule before violently smashing into each other.

Seattle is in a strong waiver spot and needs a short yardage back. Washington isn't a hot commodity, so the Seahawks could just as easily let him slip and sign him off the Cowboys practice squad. It could always re-sign T.J. Duckett, as well. I won't bore anyone with FG's brief love affair with Chauncey Washington, but he hasn't done much as a pro, but he hasn't had much of an opportunity either. Dallas and Jacksonville need running backs like Seattle needs linebackers.

Washington is a nice mix of size, speed, inside running ability, receiving ability and even some return ability. He can't match Louis Rankin's 4.0 forty, and maybe he sincerely can't run at the pro level, but I think he's worth a look. Washington offers Seattle something as a burly short yardage back no other member of its roster can match. A brief audit of his game logs informs he is 7/12 in short yardage situations. That's a hair better than the Seahawks. If signing Washington prevents Seattle from attempting reverses and bombs in short yardage, I would consider the signing worth it.

Giants do the roster shuffle

Ed Valentine — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:30:24 -0000

Since I know some of you guys are dying to get these, here are your New York Giants' roster moves today. Here is the scoop Ralph Vacchiano of the NY Daily News.

The Giants added a running back today, but it wasn’t the one that was expected.

Rather than promote Allen Patrick from the practice squad, the Giants claimed Gartrell Johnson off waivers from the San Diego Chargers. The 5-11, 218-pound Johnson was the Chargers’ fourth-round draft pick out of Miami. He is considered a powerful inside runner who was could be good in short yardage.

Patrick, meanwhile, didn’t even get to stick around at all. He was cut from the practice squad earlier today.

Johnson, who rushed for 176 yards on 43 preseason carries, clearly must have caught the Giants’ attention because they decided to go with him over a couple of promising players with more experience. The Giants had what one NFL source said was a "sizeable" workout of running backs today, that included Lorenzo Booker and may have included T.J. Duckett, too.

The Giants also cut CB DeAndre Wright and TE Kareem Brown from the practice squad. They replaced them with TE Bear Pascoe (Fresno State) and DB Michael Coe (Alabama State).

To make room for Johnson and linebacker Michael Boley on the active roster, the Giants cut veteran offensive lineman Tutan Reyes and defensive tackle Leger Douzable. Boley was added to the roster after spending opening week on the suspended list.

My take: Typical Jerry Reese to find a player like Johnson, who might have a future, instead of going to a player like Duckett, who has a past. Also, I am very surprised to see Reyes get released. During pre-season I thought of him as the first lineman off the bench. Guess I was wrong!

Seattle Seahawks Score with Eight Plays, Fourteen Players and a Plan

John Morgan — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:14:34 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

It takes a team to score a touchdown.

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Seattle started its drive with an overthrown pass. Matt Hasselbeck didn't intend to overthrow T.J. Houshmandzadeh, but within the framework of this drive, that play was essential even if unsuccessful. Greg Knapp had established the slot as a threat with the first play of the game. He had given the defense an unusual look by splitting the tight ends wide, and slotting the wide receivers on the inside. Had it succeeded, Houshmandzadeh could have curled his route back towards tight end John Owens and had a lead blocker to run after the catch.

Knapp then followed with a play action look that put John Carlson one-on-one against a linebacker. This time, the speed was on the outside and power on the inside. The play action featured first Owen Schmitt and then T.J. Duckett working as a sixth blocker. That would become a pattern, as would attacking the strong side.

On the next play, the receivers are stacked left and to the weak side. The run targets the strong side. Rob Sims and Sean Locklear miss their blocks, and Duckett doesn't get far enough fast enough, but the play ends in positive yardage and keeps the playbook open.

The Seahawks are now second and eight. They have dinked and dunked, but nothing seems remarkable about this drive as yet. Seattle again attacks the inside through the slot receiver and again doing so gets a favorable matchup. Andra Davis knows better than to get cute covering Houshmandzadeh, so he stays overtop and awaits the pass before closing. Housh is tough and he rarely drops passes. He takes the impact and receives for six. The inside is being exploited, Houshmandzadeh is becoming a primary target and Denver must adjust or be picked apart.

Seattle again breaks three wide, but Denver matches a safety against Houshmandzadeh instead of a linebacker. It's a subtle shift to protect a weakness. Deon Butler shifts inside, overloading the right interior and after a hop-hop the Seahawks are off. The beauty of this play is not just its boldness, but that Houshmandzadeh is not the only open receiver, only the best receiver open. Carlson gets open on the right. Butler drags into the left flat and is open. The Broncos are blitzing five, but the lineman that escapes is a sluggish nose tackle. Housh beats the safety and is free over the middle. Hasselbeck finds Housh for 13 and the first. Seattle has a drive going. Denver has a matchup problem.

Seattle runs an end around pass that doesn't work, but is built to empower end-around motion on handoffs. Marty Mornhinweg and the Eagles run it and I'm excited to see Seattle doing likewise. Eventually, the end-around motion must sell for the play to work, but if Seattle can buy even a split second of pause with misdirection, than that's an advantage it should take.

Seattle runs another stretch right that this time opens a hole on the left. Duckett gets a good release to the hole, but an arm tackle slows him and a missed block ends the run. This run is about keeping the run alive. Ideally, it breaks and Seattle has a new set of downs. If it falters a bit, Duckett picks up positive yardage and keeps Seattle out of a passing down. Third and six is pass-first, but with Seattle edging towards field goal range, Knapp known to attempt fourth downs and the inside passing attack alive, the run is possible and the run is still dangerous.

The drive doesn't end that way. The Seahawks break shotgun, but Schmitt and Justin Forsett are in. That allows a screen, a draw or a sweep right. On their right, the Seahawks stack Houshmanzadeh in the slot and Branch wide. Denver adjusts its safeties to compensate. The Broncos are in a 3-3 nickel. After the snap, we see the payoff. The backs are prepared to provide max protect. The Broncos don't blitz but rush four. The backs then release into opposing in patterns. Schmitt and Forsett are outlet receivers, and Denver is sitting on them like they are Chris Johnson and Steve Slaton. Each inside linebacker is assigned one, and neither inside linebacker impacts the play.

The action is first on the right and then, victoriously, on the left. Denver plays it wrong. Denver stacks right. Branch attacks deep and Houshmandzadeh attacks the intermediate middle. But the play is on the left. Seattle sends Butler streaking at and past Andre Goodman. Goodman has been around the league, has some ball skills but gets beat deep. Butler beats Goodman deep. With attention focused right, free safety Renaldo Hill can't hope to recover. Butler has a step and is clear to the end zone. Now the pass. Hasselbeck times it well and drops it just over Butler's shoulder. He makes a Jerry Rice reception and records his first professional touchdown. He doesn't score the touchdown though, that took eight plays, fourteen players and a plan.

Knapp's Playbook: When John Carlson Failed

John Morgan — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:44:47 -0000

The Seahawks ran a fake end around pass through Deion Branch and to Deon Butler. It didn't work and doesn't need to be broken down. The play functioned, but Branch's pass was poor.

2-10-DEN 38 (12:29) 44-T.Duckett up the middle to DEN 34 for 4 yards (92-E.Dumervil).

Elvis Dumervil is awarded the tackle for first contact, but T.J. Duckett was running through Dumervil's arm tackle. The real tackler was D.J. Williams. Williams was free because of a blown block by John Carlson.

Branch motions tight before the snap. Butler and Branch are blocking, but neither seriously block. Seattle's right offensive line, from Chris Spencer to Ray Willis, is pulling right and powering forward. Sean Locklear is alone on the left. Rob Sims pulls underneath and blocks the outside edge vacated by Carlson. He is joined by Owen Schmitt. Carlson pulls to the second level and attempts to block Williams. Duckett picks the proper hole, hits it with force, continues through Dumervil's arm tackle and collides with Williams after four.

Essential details: Duckett picks the right hole and hits it with power.

Locklear holds grounds and ties up the right defensive end and the right outside linebacker (Dumervil).

Sims executes a pull block.

Seattle again gets good movement out of its right offensive line.

Carlson hesitates to engage and does not block, tie up or even delay Williams.

Knapp's Offense: T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the #1 possession receiver

John Morgan — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:55:52 -0000

2-8-SEA 43 (13:54) (Shotgun) 8-M.Hasselbeck pass short middle to 84-T.Houshmandzadeh to SEA 49 for 6 yards (54-A.Davis).

Seattle again puts speed on the outside but the target receiver towards the middle. Deon Butler is right. Deion Branch is outside left and T.J. Houshmandzadeh is in the left slot. T.J. Duckett and Owen Schmitt are respectively left and right of Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck is in the shotgun.

Branch and Butler streak deep. Schmitt and Duckett curl into the flats. Houshmandzadeh challenges Davis and then curls opposite Sean Locklear. The line holds. Hasselbeck reads, double clutches and finds Houshmandzadeh on his inside shoulder for six.

Essential details: Speed on the outside possession on the inside.

Backs running routes that could convert to blocking in case of a blitz.

Hasselbeck is indecisive.

Tackler Davis hovers over Houshmandzadeh prior to the pass.

Hasselbeck passes to Housh's inside shoulder, away from Davis.

Knapp's Offense: Failure to Stretch Right

John Morgan — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:06:49 -0000

1-10-SEA 41 (14:25) 44-T.Duckett right tackle to SEA 43 for 2 yards (54-A.Davis).

Seattle adjusts its formation slightly but not its personnel type. T.J. Houshmandzadeh subs for Deion Branch, but the Seahawks are still 2 WR, TE, I formation.

Seattle is running a stretch right. The right side of its line is handling the simple chore of bulling Denver right. The left side handles the pull blocking. Sean Locklear ignores the left outside linebacker (Elvis Dumervil) and slides underneath towards the left "A" gap. Rob Sims knocks back the right defensive end off the snap and then sheds to engage the left inside linebacker (D.J. Williams). He fails to engage.

Owen Schmitt and T.J. Duckett run up and then horizontal towards the right flat. Both are aiming for the right edge, off tight end John Carlson. Locklear pulls through the left "A" gap but misses a block on the right inside linebacker (Davis). Duckett doesn't show sufficient speed to get to the edge and is tackled from behind by Davis. Williams hits him from the front preventing a more effective fall forward.

Essential Details: Seattle's right side works collectively to stretch the defense right.

Seattle's left side blocks in space.

Locklear does not block Davis.

Sims does not block Williams.

Duckett does not pass the line of scrimmage before Davis has tracked him down from behind.

Deconstructing Greg Knapp's Offense: Seattle drives 70 yards against Denver

John Morgan — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:49:34 -0000

This week begin the end of the preseason. I would like to go out in style. I've left a lot of loose ends. I want to preview Greg Knapp's offense and specifically his play calling. I want to explore how Seattle's first week starters work within that offense and where they are and where they are strong. I want to give the same treatment for Jim Mora, Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn's defense. Quinn's name will be thrown around a lot in the next four to five months, so remember him. He looks like a star in the making.

Without further prelude, let's explore Seattle's opening drive against Denver. Seattle moved seventy yards on eight offensive plays, scoring the touchdown with 34 yard pass to Deon Butler. The goal of the following exercise is to connect the first play, an incompletion, to the final play, a touchdown pass. I've replaced T.J. Duckett with Edgerrin James.

1-10-SEA 30 (14:54) (Shotgun) 8-M.Hasselbeck pass incomplete deep right to 84-T.Houshmandzadeh.

This play is designed to create matchup problems and promote yards after catch.

Tight ends John Carlson and John Owens are split wide. Wide receivers T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Deon Butler are playing the slot. It's a symmetrical formation. The left is on the line. The right is just off the line.

Matt Hasselbeck takes a three step drop and sails a pass over Houshmandzadeh's head. The defense, and specifically, Andre Davis' delay blitz do not factor. The pass is a mistake caused by inaccuracy or a confused route. Carlson and Owens draw deep cover. Butler and Housh attempt to attack the exposed middle. Houshmandzadeh's cut is flawless. Butler's has a little wind up that telegraphs a cut, but not a cut where. Housh is cutting while Butler is still stopping his momentum.

Essential Details: The featured receivers are in the slot.

It is symmetrical.

Matt takes a three step drop out of shotgun.

James is a designated blocker, creating a six-man pocket.

Broncos at Seahawks: The Defining Drive 1: Houshmandzadeh Loses Bailey

John Morgan — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 22:26:00 -0000

One thing I am working towards in a better integration of graphics. I can write 2WR (left) WR...or I can show you. The key is getting a portfolio of common formations.

This was the defining drive of the Seattle Seahawks game against Denver. I will now break it down, play by play, in loving detail*.

2-10-SEA 20 (2:31) 8-M.Hasselbeck pass short right to 84-T.Houshmandzadeh to SEA 27 for 7 yards (24-C.Bailey).

Denver is pressuring the outside gaps. This is the first sign it might be blitzing. Champ Bailey walks up to press T.J. Houshmandzadeh. That's the second sign Denver might be blitzing.

Snap.

Denver Blitzes five. Sean Locklear stays inside and it's up to T.J. Duckett to block Elvis Dumervil rushing from the outside left. He does. Owen Schmitt, playing half back, releases into the left flat. John Carlson runs a quick in. Jordan Kent runs a post.

On the right, Houshmandzadeh is baiting and weaving to avoid the press and confuse Bailey. He does. Housh cuts into a shallow slant. Bailey bites deep and loses cover. Matt Hasselbeck lightnings one into Houshmandzadeh, Housh receives and Bailey breaks on him. Houshmandzadeh's angle and separation allow him to catch, cut up field and drag Bailey for an additional two. He falls forward for seven.

*I am working towards improving the spacing, but the above is not perfectly accurate.

It's Official: Seattle Seahawks Sign Edgerrin James; Cut T.J. Duckett

John Morgan — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:28:15 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

Ever the gentleman, Edgerrin James head-pats Quintin Demps for his good effort trying to tackle him. Keep fighting young man and you could own your very own Krunk Grill.

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Readers occasionally tell me they get all their Seahawks coverage from Field Gulls. Why? Mike Sando is still rocking at ESPN and Doug Farrar and Brain McIntyre are doing excellent work at NorthwestFootball.net. But if you haven't read this elsewhere, Seattle has officially signed Edgerrin James and released T.J. Duckett, ending the most nail-biting imbroglio of my lifetime since the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Ok, so this was a foregone conclusion. More than even most transactions, there's a huge unknown component to this move. Broadly speaking, Seattle has traded long-term potential for short term security. Duckett is younger and can potentially be a much better rusher than the 31 year old James. James is more stable, better able to fill in as a feature back, more rounded in his abilities - i.e. receiving and pass blocking - and is less likely to bust. James, in all likelihood, is a league-average running back. Duckett with his youth, speed and power, his checkered history of great production but few attempts, is both a much less stable and more likely to be unproductive player, and a more distinct talent. He is a talent with upside.

Inch back from the edge of your seats. Cease beer-fueled daydreams about preposterous trades. Quiet nightmare scenarios about Julius Jones' health. Seattle has signed a remarkably bland player and cut another to make room.

Wednesday Notes: Lions Claim Orion Martin, Release Eric Fowler

Sean Yuille — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:18:20 -0000

Don't forget, individual tickets for Lions home games go on sale tomorrow morning.
The Lions claimed linebacker/defensive end Orion Martin on Tuesday. Martin was released by the Dolphins on Monday, and the Lions wasted little time in claiming him. With depth at linebacker getting a little thin thanks to Darnell Bing's injury, the Lions felt it was necessary to bring someone in to shore things up a bit. Martin is an undrafted rookie from Virginia Tech.
To make room on the roster for Martin, the Lions released Eric Fowler. With a trio of Lions receiver returning to practice earlier this week, it's not too surprising that Fowler was released. I would have rather seen Keary Colbert get released, but it's not like Fowler was doing anything special. I'm sure he will be back at some point anyways. It seems like he is always getting signed and released by the Lions.
Brandon Pettigrew was back in practice on Monday, though it was in a limited fashion. Regardless, it's good that he has returned. There is a chance he could play against Indianapolis, though I imagine things would have to go perfect for him the rest of this week for that to happen.
Anthony Henry missed the morning session of practice yesterday, and fellow cornerback Phillip Buchanon only participated in individual activities.
Aveion Cason missed practice again, as did Allen Ervin, who just stopped wearing his protective boot.
While the Lions did add a running back to the team earlier this week, they may not be done with that position just yet. If injuries continue to pile up, undrafted rookie Tyrell Fenroy, who visited the Lions on Monday, could join the team. Fenroy went to Louisiana-Lafayette and was briefly on the Bears following the draft.
Although receiver turned kicker Dane Looker didn't miss a single field goal during yesterday's practice, the Lions are going to host a few free agent kickers for a visit today. Everyone was impressed with what Looker did, but the Lions probably want him to stay focused on being a receiver. Plus, the Lions need to have a kicker ready to go just in case Jason Hanson isn't able to return when the regular season begins. Swayze Waters hasn't looked bad or anything, but Detroit has to make sure he isn't injured on a regular basis with Hanson's status in question. Considering that, a backup backup plan may be necessary.
Aaron Brown is spending time in practice working on his pass-blocking.
With T.J. Duckett becoming a free agent, there has been some talk about the Lions bringing him back. Duckett is a good player for short-yardage situations, but I'm happy with Jerome Felton.
As if Daniel Bullocks wasn't having a rough enough time as it is, news broke yesterday that he may have been a victim of a Ponzi scheme.
Former Lion Dick LeBeau is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2010 class.