SB Nation - Lance Laury

Controversial Penalty in Seahawks Favor

John Morgan — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:52:23 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

The Terrible Lime is heating up at Qwest.

Seahawks start their drive at the Bears 47 after holding and ineligible receiver down field penalties. The hold was on Lance Laury, but the punt was badly shanked, in no small part because of Ben Obomanu's edge pressure.

Seattle Seahawks Recover Fumble, Flip Odds Through Failure

John Morgan — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:56:42 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

Seattle flipped the odds in its favor by recovering a forced fumble off the opening kickoff. Three plays later, it would repay the turnover and flip the odds back to the Rams.

Browse more photos »

Lance Laury shoved David Roach aside and speared the football from Donnie Avery's grasp. The ball caromed to Will Herring and he fell on it for an easy recovery. It was all easy. Seahawks recover on the St. Louis 19. Without hardly an effort, their win probability shot up to 65%.

Ease cheapened the victory for many. The Rams were 2-14 in 2008 and nearly as bad per play as the winless Lions. Of course, Seattle was 4-12. Had it lost a slim victory against St. Louis in week 15, it would have been 3-13 and in a virtual tie with the 3-13 Rams. If Super Bowl contender is the beginning standard, a satisfying victory versus the Rams is unattainable. If 4-12 is the standard, yesterday was a hoot.

Seattle is not guaranteed to be a good team. It reinforced that doubt in the resulting offensive series.

John Carlson motioned out of tight end and Seattle aligned in a three wide receiver, "I" formation. The Seahawks attempted to stretch right, but Rob Sims and Max Unger struggled to sustain their blocks and the hole collapsed around Julius Jones.

Cameron Morrah motioned on the next play. He sprinted from right-tight to left wide out and turned an ultra-conservative, two tight end, single receiver, "I" formation into a moderately conservative two wide receiver-"I". The motion worked. Cornerback Jonathan Wade moved off wide receiver Nate Burleson and over to Morrah. Safety Oshiomogho Atogwe moved left to cover Burleson. Matt Hasselbeck ran a weak play action and gunned it to Burleson. The accuracy and timing were on. The pass targeted Burleson in the numbers, but between the ball and Burleson was Atogwe, the best player in St. Louis' secondary and likely the best defender on the Rams. If it were a decision, it was a bad decision, but the play was planned and Hasselbeck didn't read, he reacted. The motion moved the man and Burleson was functionally one-on-one.

A second before the snap, a shadow crosses the field. Seattle has turned a gimme turnover into third and ten. It splits three wide, tight end and matches Justin Forsett to Hasselbeck in the shotgun. Seattle sends out five to receive. The Rams drop seven. It's nickel-man defense with a two-deep zone. Underneath receivers Forsett and Carlson are open, but short of the first. Deon Butler is covered on the right. Burleson has separation out of his cut, but Hasselbeck's read is T.J. Houshmandzadeh running a seam route out of the slot. He takes a three step drop and fires high to Housh. He is double covered. Wade tips it and James Butler recovers.

Win probability, 52% -- Rams.

WCD: Patience and the Power of a Delayed Blitz

John Morgan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:21:38 -0000

Seattle's defense came alive in the second half. Not in any one particular game, but throughout the preseason. Seattle's defense came alive when the starters sat. The standout performances of Nick Reed, Michael Bennett, Derek Walker and Will Herring contributed to that. The drop in talent of opposing offenses contributed. The scheme made it happen.

The defense went from vanilla to spumoni. Any play Herring gets a sack has to be pistachio.

1-10-KC 40 (4:26) 4-T.Thigpen sacked at KC 37 for -3 yards (54-W.Herring).

How did it happen? It wasn't an accident, but Herring wasn't blitzing. He was reacting.

Seattle starts with eight in the box. It unabashedly stacks defenders over the center. Kansas City is two wide, tight end left with the backs in an "I" formation. Tyler Thigpen play-fakes and then sets in the pocket.

Seattle's two corners and free safety Jordan Babineaux drop into a cover 3. Seattle's front four rushes, but instead of John Marshall-esque cascading waves of stunting blitzers, only middle linebacker David Hawthorne (57) joins the pass rush. Safety Jamar Adams, linebacker Will Herring and linebacker Lance Laury are assigned the tight end, the running back and full back, respectively. That restraint pays huge dividends.

Craig Terrill is first off the snap and aided by Hawthorne the two knock back the Chiefs center and left guard. Nick Reed flies around the tight end and draws the support block of the running back. Lawrence Jackson forces back and then frees himself from the right tackle. His pressure forces Thigpen to step up into the pocket.

The fullback releases into the right flat, but Laury drops back and covers him. Had Seattle blitzed seven off the snap, the fullback would be an uncovered outlet receiver with room to convert the first. Had Seattle blitzed six, the Chiefs max protect would have swallowed it and Thigpen could step into the pocket and target Seattle's cover three or rush for good yardage. Instead, the fullback is covered, Kansas City is inadvertently triple teaming Reed and a scramble into the pocket is met by Herring reading, reacting and attacking. Sacking Thigpen for a loss of three, Herring proves patience and flexibility can make a defense deadly.

Essential details: Cover 3

Five defenders blitz off the snap.

Seven defenders blitz when Thigpen scrambles.

The pre-snap look and blitz pattern idles the left tackle and eventually forces a disadvantageous triple team.

Seattle assigns three defenders to cover KC's three primary outlet receivers.

Two adjust to max protect and sack Thigpen.

Tim Ruskell Designed the Seattle Seahawks Defense. Now It Will Decide Tim Ruskell's Future.

John Morgan — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:05:52 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

Tim Ruskell has invested his future into the future of Seattle's defense.

Browse more photos »

Yesterday was cathartic. It was a final stroke in a dramatic restructuring of the Seattle Seahawks defense. Seattle got younger and substantially more talented. While Mike Holmgren's vision is still recognizable in Seattle's offense, Seattle's defense is now wholly and truly new*. It's fitting that the one holdover from the Holmgren era is not a holdover at all. Ken Lucas was signed cheap and after he was cut by another team. He was a fringe benefit from a masterful negotiation with Leroy Hill.

Hill signed to a six-year, $36 million dollar contract. It's not backloaded and will never cripple Seattle. It is expensive. If Hill develops, Seattle will pay a lower-top tier salary for a top-tier linebacker. If he doesn't develop, but holds his current ability, a virtual guarantee, Seattle will pay a lower-top tier salary for a lower-top tier linebacker. Given the latter scenario, Seattle can opt out of Hill's contract after 2010. Hill is the second oldest linebacker on Seattle's roster; Hill is 26. Special teams ace Lance Laury is 27, Lofa Tatupu is 26, Will Herring turned 26 on August 28, David Hawthorne is 24 and Aaron Curry is 23.

Curry is a starter. Seattle is young at starter and in its depth. It's easy for a bad team to be young, and until the Seahawks shake off the stink of 4-12, that is what we must call them: a bad team. But a bad team can be young but clinging to its veterans for what life it has, or a bad team can be young and building a core of young talent for the future. The Seahawks defense falls into that latter, more hopeful category. Among major contributors this season, only Patrick Kerney is old: 32. Lucas, Cory Redding and Colin Cole are on the verge of old: 30, 28 and 29 respectively. Lucas and Cole are stopgaps, with Cole already less talented than his depth: Red Bryant. Lucas is probably less talented than Josh Wilson, but more skilled, and until Marcus Trufant returns, both are starters. Bryant and Wilson are 25 and 24, respectively.

If we use a player's age on week one of the NFL season, for Seattle September 13, 2009, the Seahawks starters, backups and depth break out like this.

Starters: 32, 30, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 26, 24, 24, 23

Backups: 35, 29, 26, 25, 24, 24, 24

Depth: 30, 27, 26, 24, 23, 22, 22

Trufant: 28

And if I use a subjective ranking of ability, and list just the top 11 defensive talents on Seattle's roster, it would look like this: Tatupu 26, Trufant 28, Brandon Mebane 24, Kerney 32, Hill 26, Curry 23, Deon Grant 30, Wilson 24, Redding 28, Darryl Tapp 25 and Bryant 25. If it runs those starters in 2010, only Patrick Kerney is past his prime. The other ten are starting-caliber and entering or within their prime. Only Grant is even pushing his decline.

But is it good? The parts have been good individually, but never great together. Until now the talent and the coaching staff were at odds. This year, they are united by the vision of one man. Seattle's defense is now Tim Ruskell's living resume. In one week, this ship sets out to sea. It will float or it will sink. It will take this season somewhere wonderful or drag us all to a watery grave. The hull, keel, masts, crew and captain were picked by Ruskell as was the sail. We are below deck, cargo. Now we await the wind.

*Two players remain from Bob Whitsitt's short time in Seattle: Jordan Babineaux and Craig Terrill. Terrill is surrounded by replacements and not long for the team. Babineaux, who joined the Seahawks as a non-drafted free agent in 2004, was adopted by Ruskell. He re-signed him in 2007 and, reading between the lines, made him a starter by announcing the safety competition and subsequently cutting Brian Russell.

Seattle Seahawks Announce 53 Man Roster, Marcus Trufant to PUP List

John Morgan — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:18:30 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

Goodbye and good luck.

Browse more photos »

Seattle has announced its 53-man roster. That roster does not include Marcus Trufant, who will start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list. That's bad news, but hopefully the right decision. Seattle rushed Deion Branch last season and effectively lost his roster spot.

The roster reflects a major youth movement with some fringe guys unseating former regulars. Could this be reflective of changing opinions on replacement value? A movement towards freeing cap space next year?

Courtesy Danny O'neil:


		Offense

Quarterback		Running backs		Fullback
Matt Hasselbeck	Seneca Wallace	Julius Jones	Edgerrin James	Justin Griffith
Mike Teel		Justin Forsett		Owen Schmitt
Offensive line		Wide receivers		Tight end
Sean Locklear	Walter Jones	Deion Branch	Nate Burleson	John Carlson
Max Unger	Rob Sims	T.J. Houshmandzadeh	Deon Butler	John Owens
Steve Vallos	Chris Spencer	Ben Obomanu		Cameron Morrah
Ray Willis	Mansfield Wrotto
Kyle Williams

		Defense

Defensive ends		Defensive tackles		Cornerbacks
Patrick Kerney	Cory Redding	Brandon Mebane	Colin Cole	Ken Lucas
Darryl Tapp	Lawrence Jackson	Red Bryant	Craig Terrill	Josh Wilson
Nick Reed	Derek Walker	Michael Bennett		Kelly Jennings
				Travis Fisher (!)

Linebackers		Safeties		Specialists
Lofa Tatupu	Aaron Curry	Deon Grant	Jordan Babineaux	Olindo Mare
Leroy Hill	Lance Laury	Lawyer Milloy	C.J. Walllace	Jon Ryan
Will Herring	David Hawthorne			Kevin Houser

CUTS: S Jamar Adams, DE Baraka Atkins, K Brandon Coutu, G Brian De La Puente, CB Marquis Floyd, T Na'Shan Goddard, S Courtney Greene, WR Mike Hass, CB Kevin Hobbs, FB David Kirtman, RB Devin Moore, CB Nate Ness, TE Joe Newton, WR Logan Payne, LB Dave Philistin, T Andre Ramsey, T William Robinson, QB Jeff Rowe, WR Courtney Taylor.

10 Quick Opinions:

Walter Jones is on the roster: This speaks for itself. Get well Franchise.
Seattle is super thin at Corner and Safety: This could foreshadow further moves.
Courtney Taylor Cut: It came down to the fourth preseason game and Ben Obomanu put the decision to rest.
Seattle deep at linebacker but no D.D. Lewis: I've never been a huge fan of Lewis. He is credited for being able to play any linebacker position, but he doesn't seem to play any of them well.
Special Teams: The lack of depth at wide receiver and safety means Seattle could struggle on cover units.
No Jordan Kent: Kent wasn't placed on IR. He was waived with a settlement. I think that ends his playing career. Other teams might ask, but will Kent answer?
Cameron Morrah: I didn't see much from Morrah, so Seattle must be convinced he is too good to cut. Interesting talent Seattle will let mature, but if a starting tight end goes down, I don't think Morrah is ready to contribute.
Derek Walker: Great size and showed up in the preseason. Walker could be the dark horse replacement for Cory Redding. Get your head up, today you are an NFL player.
Lots of depth on Offensive Line: With this many question marks and injuries, can you blame the Seahawks?
This is not over: One deadline met, but days to complete this roster. I doubt it will like it does today next Sunday.

Seattle Seahawks Starters and Reserves for Saturday's Game Against San Diego

John Morgan — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:22:09 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

William Robinson, center, hopes to be the next Kyle Williams, left. Williams hopes to be the next Donald Penn. Sean Locklear hopes an echo Sean Locklear hasn't seduced his mother and erased him from existence.

Browse more photos »

With much of training camp accounted for, it's time we turn our attention to the preseason. The preseason is as rich as the knowledge of the fan watching it. The first thing to watch is who starts and how long they start. Below is a projection. One-series does not mean literally one series, but only a reasonable minimum depending on the coach's preferences. I know that Mike Holmgren would sometimes pull vulnerable players if the team wasn't playing well. Other coaches might play them more.

One-series Starters

Matt Hasselbeck: Seattle wants Hasselbeck to orchestrate the offense in a game situation and then retire to Dick Cheney's private bomb shelter.
Chris Spencer: Seattle needs Spencer to get game experience in its new system, but however minor his ankle injury, expect him to be protected.
Deion Branch: Too valuable and too injury prone to risk too many snaps.
Patrick Kerney: Seattle might not start him at all, but I think it will risk a series to get him game action.
Lofa Tatupu: If training camp is any indication, Tatupu isn't just the quarterback of the defense, he's getting quarterback treatment, too.

Most of the starters will play for most of or all of the first half. There's not a lot to say about some, but a few involve interesting angles.

Aaron Curry: Curry should start and play through the half at strongside linebacker.
Kelly Jennings: Marcus Trufant's injury has been the best thing to happen to Jennings professionally since lucking onto the most talented secondary in Hurricanes' history. Jennings is frustrating, but the team is committed to Josh Wilson at nickelback and doesn't see Kevin Hobbs as a starter. So Jennings is primary depth at starting cornerback. He's still going to need to show something to stick.
Cory Redding: Redding is returning from what murmurs suggest is a very serious knee injury. He hasn't looked or been especially limited, and so a strong showing throughout the preseason could help put doubts behind him.
Owen Schmitt: If he starts. Quietly, Justin Griffith has reasserted himself. Or, maybe, Schmitt just hasn't gotten up to speed as quickly as Knapp would like.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh: Housh doesn't seem the type you protect, but he's very expensive and may not need the snaps.
Nate Burleson: Coming off injury, Seattle might err on the side of caution.
T.J. Duckett and Julius Jones: Should play through the first half, but how many snaps each player receives and in what situations should be interesting.

The second half is the more provocative. It's when players play for their jobs and draft fans see the guys they've read so much about. It's also a telling indication of a player's position on the depth chart. Watch for these players and positions in the second half.

Quarterback: Seneca Wallace will get most of the snaps, but see if Mike Teel or Jeff Rowe get a series. It would be nice to see Teel even if he struggles.
Strong safety: The team could just play C.J. Wallace and not shake things up, but with Courtney Greene practicing well and Jamar Adams being the best talent and entering his second season with the team, both deserve some snaps to show off their ability.
Kevin Hobbs: Kid might want to share his talents with the rest of us, because I've read his name for so long without actually seeing him, I wouldn't be surprised if he had eyestalks and tentacles.
Justin Forsett: Short story: Had a good game once. Was cut. Might have a good game again.
Max Unger: Unger has been quiet at practice, but it's in the game where his skills should show.
Red Bryant: It's time Bryant stops toying around with second-stringers and dominates.
Will Herring: Herring is moving up the pecking order. He offers a skill-set unlike any of Seattle's other linebackers. I am curious not just how much Herring is used, but how Herring is used.
Kyle Williams: Capable depth or liability yet to be actualized?
Right tackle: Ray Willis might be in for only a series at right tackle, and that means someone is going to get a lot of snaps in his place. Actually, two players are likely to play extensively. Watch Andre Ramsey and Na'Shan Goddard and have a list of available free agents handy.
Travis Fisher: Where he plays, how much he plays and how well he plays interest me. I want Seattle to retain this guy, but he's currently on the outside looking in.
Wide receiver second wave: This is what everyone else will be talking about. And, heck, it will make for an interesting and hotly contested battle.

The final list is players that I am interested in seeing if they play at all. This is the fringe.

*Fun fact. No one is quite sure if it's Tereshinski or Tereshinksi.

Notes from Seattle Seahawks Training Camp

John Morgan — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:38:45 -0000

More photos » by Kevin P. Casey - AP

Brandon Coutu and Olindo Mare discuss returning kicks in between hiding their hatred for each other. And who's that in the background?!

Browse more photos »

Before I head out to this afternoon's practice, here's a massive notes dump from yesterday's practice.

Seattle ran a lot of draw plays. I think this was both to practice the play on offense and to see how its attacking defense responded. The offense won.
Kent was one of the receiving stars, grabbing some nice catches. He was never well covered. I noticed first though that he still looks very deliberate in basic receiving drills. One might say he's farther along at actual receiving than training to be a receiver.
The Seahawks defensive linemen weaved between and swam ballasted heavy-bags during a pass rush drill. It began as a bit of a tame drill, but Craig Terrill set the tone with a hearty weaving, slapping and grunting display that fired everyone up. Cory Redding and Colin Cole put their body into their hits and the bags went down with a thud, but quickly righted themselves. Then came a man named Red. Bryant didn't look like he was working much at all, but damn when that bag went down you'd swear it miraculously evolved a survival instinct, because it stayed down. It stayed down for a spooky long time. Bryant is hard to ignore wherever he is. He clogs and holds ground laterally as well as any Seahawks tackle since Marcus Tubbs. Redding is long and thick, Cole is barrel-chested and stout, and Bryant is long, almost rangy and smooth muscled like a player still coming into his own.
Nick Reed is a skilled player and does stand out. He stands out for his skill, quickness and contributions, but he also stands out for his size. He's legitimately small for a professional football player. He's not short and oil-can shaped like Darryl Tapp, he's small framed and, well, just small looking. The transition to linebacker might be a necessity.
A major conversation on the far side of the field was the Montana Testicle Festival. Apparently, it involves hairy naked women eating fried bison testicles. You Seahawks fans, you.
Seattle ran a stretch right that looked well executed.
Jamar Adams caught a gimme interception, but did not impress. Logan Payne feasted on him. Payne is a great practice player and I see why he excites, but, y'know, it's practice.
From the guys you may have never heard of department: Kevin Brown continues to dignify his spot on the roster and, don't look now, but NFL Combine invite defensive end Derek Walker was very active and looked pro-ready and capable. Walker is good deep depth for Redding.
Nate Burleson might look better because Nate Burleson is no longer Seatte's only deep play threat. He ran a nice three step curl that evidenced he has untapped ability on short routes. Despite great progress after tearing his ACL, his lateral cuts still looked a little stiffer than normal.
Baraka Atkins is coming along, but still looks a little too slim.
Lawrence Jackson showed a lot of fight and came to facemasks with, I think, Sean Locklear. He also displayed a good inside move, a move he needs to master to complement his good quickness to the edge. My displeasure with Jackson extends from my firm belief that he is the athletic equal of almost any defensive end and just needs to commit himself to his craft. You won't find a player I'd rather be wrong about, because I was ecstatic when he was drafted.

Michael Bennett and Lance Laury are drifting dangerously close to the bubble. I am not sure the team knows where to use them or is invested in finding out.

I think their will be early growing pains for Mebane at under tackle. I hope those growing pains don't extend to out-of-position underperformance.

It's interesting to see the guys that are sore, the guys walking a bit slowly, the guys that are winded, and the guys that appear almost indefatigable. Wilson was locked in, limber (nearly doing side-splits during stretches) and high-motor on every play I saw him.

Deon Butler is indeed small.

I mentioned the drills the team runs as de facto breathers. The special teams drills involving Olindo Mare and Brandon Coutu running back "kicks" qualifies.

Watching Kelly Jennings cover, I began thinking of the fly on the wall. The intimate but absent observer. It's a shame, because Jennings' man cover abilities are sensational. He just doesn't show much for ball skills. He bounced off Aaron Curry. Like, bounced. Later he caught a stumbling, tumbling interception.

What separates Justin Forsett from the typical undersized rusher is his ability and willingness to run inside. Teammates often looked a little concerned after he was tackled, but Force never looked worse for wear. He showed good hands and improved redirect on runs after catch. Forsett is going to play a big part in this year's team. It underlines just how foolish it was to let him go last season.

John Owens can catch, but make no mistake. John Owens is a third tackle. He is huge and looks very powerful.

Darryl Tapp is just too good to waste.

T.J. Duckett might be Seattle's best pure rusher. He meshes with this system and has underrated feet. He excels at timing his approach to the hole and redirects efficiently. Then: Boom! 250 lbs of muscle sprinting in an instant. His rushing is consistently effective at gaining yards, he's legitimately fast and on a touchdown scoring run to end practice, he made a nice downfield move to lose a defender.

NFC West Roundtable: Outside Linebacker

John Morgan — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:33:36 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

Browse more photos »

The easy answer is "A". A sub-Pro Bowl starter in his prime, Leroy Hill, and a once in a generation talent at linebacker, Aaron Curry – that’s got to be an "A".

Leroy Hill struggles in zone coverage. He’s an after the fact tackler that is lucky to track down whatever receiver just blew by him. He hasn’t has been a consistent pass rusher since his rookie season, and though that might be because boneheadedness on John Marshall’s part, it might be that like Lofa Tatupu, he can’t find gaping inside rush lanes absent monstrous Marcus Tubbs. Hill has missed time every season since his rookie season with injuries.

Aaron Curry is a rookie. Even given the better than average success NFL GM’s enjoy drafting linebackers, first overall linebackers have less than a 60% chance of ever making a Pro Bowl. They have a less than 40% chance of ever making two Pro Bowls. Curry wasn’t highly recruited out of high school and wasn’t a standout throughout his college career. He was an amazing senior and his stock exploded after an amazing Combine. He was never a great pass rusher at Wake Forest. Curry is projected to be a good pass rusher, but projections that don’t accord with reality have a way of disappointing. He’s a little stiff in his swivel and though much younger, probably less agile than departed Seahawk Julian Peterson.

So, then…

Both are monster run stoppers. Not tackle – tackle – tackle run stoppers, but jam the fullback into his locker, atomic wedgie the tight end and rip through the ball for a loss of four…teeth, run stoppers.

Both shutdown the screen pass and make a fumble as likely as a completion.

Both have rare closing speed, good agility, sound and sometimes punishing tackling technique and good field awareness.

Curry has the skills and tools to be a Lance Briggs caliber pass defender.

Hill has the skills and tools to be a Chad Brown caliber pass rusher.

But there’s still too much locked into potential and not enough known about how they will be played and how they will develop, so though Hill and Curry comprise the most talented duo of outside linebackers in the entire NFL, they are not yet an "A", they are a "B" with crazy upside.

D.D. Lewis, David Hawthorne, Will Herring and Lance Laury make up the depth we know. I’ve spoken of Lewis and Hawthorne. Herring is a former safety that’s a linebacker electron. His speed and agility give him potential as a coverage specialist, but he needs to add bulk and strength to not be a liability against the run. I’m not sure Laury makes the team.

Turf Show Times
Blogger: VanRam

In a division trademarked for its linebackers, the St. Louis Rams were embarrassingly substandard last year, thanks to poor decision making that left Will Witherspoon in the middle and arrogantly allowed an emerging Brandon Chillar to flee for greener, more frozen pastures. Addressing the situation at linebacker has been a top offseason priority for the defensive-minded new regime led by head coach Steve Spagnuolo and defensive coordinator Ken Flajole.

The Rams made their first big move of the offseason when they announced that Will Witherspoon would be moved back to his natural position on the weakside. That move was deemed so important, it happened before the free agent free for all and well ahead of the draft. The move will free up the athletic Witherspoon from having to take on huskier linemen and lead blockers in the middle, where he was long miscast with the Rams. Besides giving the team a more effective LB in coverage and pursuit, Witherspoon's presence on the outside gives them another threat to rush the passer. He won't likely top his career high 7 sacks from 2007, but he'll get plenty of work in the attack-first system. He's also being reunited with Ken Flajole, his linebackers coach with the Panthers.

The Rams have desperately needed a true middle linebacker and snagged their man, James Laurinaitis, with their second round pick. He has the size and ability to read and react well to action in the gaps in front of him, and displayed real talent against the run and in coverage. Most importantly, Little Animal has the intelligence and football acumen to be the "field general" that Spagnuolo has traditionally asked his middle linebackers to play. Laurinaitis won't be known for bone crushing hits like Rey Maualuga, the other top MLB in this year's draft, but he's a solid tackler and a tough player. Lots of draft pundits felt like NFL success early on was a realistic expectation for Laurinaitis. He's currently working out with the second team, but no one expects him to stay there. Early reports have been very positive.

On the strongside, the picture gets muddled after the release of Pisa Tinoisamoa, deemed a less-than-perfect fit for the new defensive scheme. Though Pisa was a contributor, it's easy to forget that he battled consistency from week to week and often had trouble with blown gap assignments and bigger, more physical blockers. Right now, three players are vying for the SLB spot in the starting lineup. Veteran Chris Draft tops the list at the moment, but his ability to play all three positions likely keeps him in the all-important utility role. Larry Grant, a 49ers cast off picked up to bolster special teams last year, is another candidate for the job thanks to an impressive work ethic (a commodity valued immensely by the new coaching staff), a good spring and strong, yet unheralded performances with the team last year. Don't discount the something-to-prove factor at play here as Grant gets the chance to see the 49ers twice a year. He was also a teammate of Laurinaitis at Ohio State. The third entrant in the SLB sweepstakes is last year's Mr. Irrelevant, David Vobora. The former Idaho Vandal saw action on special teams last year and in the LB rotation for 8 games. He ended up starting a game down the stretch - partly for an audition, partly out of need - and racked up 5 tackles, 4 solo, in a tight game against the Dolphins.

Vobora and Grant should both make the roster, regardless of who gets the starting job. After those five, the depth chart is rounded out by Quinton Culberson and Chris Chamberlain. Culberson was tapped to start on the strongside at the beginning of last year, but was promptly replaced. He has talent that needs to be honed into a more consistent product. He'll have the chance to do that in camp this year, but if he can't put it together Culberson will be another casualty of regime change. Chamberlain is another seventh round pick from last year. He may get some work in the rotation given his play in coverage, but he'll be counted on to step up his strong special teams play from last year. There are a couple of other names in the mix from undrafted rookie pool, the most intriguing among them being Mississippi State's Dominic Douglas, who led the SEC in tackles last season.

The Rams are in a much better place with their linebackers than they have been in a long, long time, thanks mostly to the addition of Laurinaitis and Witherspoon's move back to his natural spot. There are still very real concerns about depth here, and it would surprise no one to see the team pluck a roster casualty when teams start making cuts this fall. Spagnuolo and Flajole have reputations for finding diamonds in the rough among defensive players and their success with linebackers is being counted upon here.

San Francisco 49ers
Blogger: Fooch

49ers Outside Linebackers

Whereas the 49ers have established, proven talent at inside linebacker, the outside linebackers bring a mix of production and question marks. I would argue the 49ers outside linebackers could end up just about anywhere on the spectrum from crap to great and it wouldn't surprise me at this point.

Parys Haralson was by far the most productive OLB for the 49ers last season, leading the team with 8 sacks. While Nolan was running things Haralson would get jerked on and off the field and was not getting consistent playing time until Singletary took over. The question surrounding Haralson is what kind of development the 49ers will see in 2009. Haralson is entering his 4th season and has shown continued improvement each year as a pass rusher. If he continues to improve the 49ers will move towards a more consistent overall pass rush. Part of that of course depends on the development of....

Manny Lawson. I would not categorize Manny Lawson as a bust or even a disappointment at this point. Drafted the same year as Haralson, only as a first round pick, Lawson has had a rather tumultuous first three seasons. He had a decent enough first year before getting knocked out for the season with a nasty knee injury in practice after week 2 of the 2007 campaign. He was back last season but lacked some of the burst and athleticism fans were expecting. And of course there was Mike Nolan's ridiculous use of the Big Sub defense that sometimes involved Manny Lawson spending most of a game on special teams. Up to this point Lawson has shown he can handle the coverage duties of a linebacker, usually ending up covering the opposing tight end. He has not been given nearly as much responsibility in the pass rush game. Mike Singletary has said that will change this season and Lawson get his chance to rush the passer. The ball is officially in Lawson's court to make something happen. I think no matter what Lawson's numbers will go up simply because of increased opportunities. The question is whether he will become the second pass rusher the 49ers need.

The 49ers depth at outside linebacker is a mix of production and potential. The three primary backups competing for roster spots are Marques Harris, Ahmad Brooks and Jay Moore. Harris played in San Diego under then linebackers coach Greg Manusky (now 49ers DC). He's a pass rush specialist who will get a long look given the fact that Manusky was comfortable bringing him up here. Brooks is a guy most agree is immensely talented, but also a head case of sorts. He can play some as an ILB, but will get his chance at legit playing time as an OLB. Moore is a guy the 49ers drafted in 2006 as a defensive end out of Nebraska that they intended to convert to a pass rushing OLB. Unfortunately he's gotten hurt in the preseason each of the last two seasons and spent the seasons on injured reserve. I have an affinity for Moore that really has no basis in reality, so I'm rooting for him. Due to practice squad eligibility, I wouldn't be surprised to see him end up there.

As I mentioned initially, the 49ers could run the spectrum of production this season at outside linebacker. They've had production from Haralson, but how this unit grades out at the end of the season will depend a lot on what Manny Lawson brings to the table in the pass rush. Accordingly, I'm splitting the difference for now and giving the unit a C, but expecting so much more.

Arizona Cardinals
Blogger: cgolden

Much like the Niners, the Arizona Cardinals boast above average starters at inside linebackers and meagerly mention their outside linebackers. The Cardinals OLB's certainly have experience on their side but that also means that the clock is ticking against these 30-something's.

The projected starters are 33 year old Chike Okeafor and 32 year Clark Haggans. Together they've appeared in 255 games in this league and recorded 82 sacks but Okeafor spent the entire 2007 season on the IR and Haggans finished the 2007 season on the IR. In the 2008 season the two combined for a grand total of 5.5 sacks which is not exactly what you're looking for in a pair of OLB's in a 3-4. The Cardinals hope is that a return to the aggressive, attacking style particularly with Okeafor will result in an uptick in his sack totals. If both Okeafor and Haggans can stay healthy, the hope is that they can approach 15 sacks combined with guys like Darnell Docket, Karlos Dansby, Adrian Wilson and the backups (conveniently listed below) picking up the slack.

The primary backup should be second round pick Cody Brown, formerly of the University of Connecticut. Few question Brown's ability to rush the passer, but it's pretty universally accepted that it takes a full year to grasp the responsibilities of the position as a whole. That should leave Brown in the same boat as veteran pass rusher Bertrand Berry. Both excel at rushing the passer but would appear to have a hard time playing a complete OLB this season. The result, at least right now, appears to be two players who are basically situational pass rushers, but in that role could rack up between four and six sacks. Further down the depth chart is sixth round selection Will Davis who has proven to be quite an interesting prospect. A former wide receiver turned defensive end turned defensive tackle (after injuries by others at Illinois), Davis has the physical ability to play almost anywhere on the field but he's raw and would most likely need a solid camp to make the roster.

Sadly that's the entirety of the depth at outside linebacker, Three veterans trying avoid the 'washed up' label and two rookies hoping that potential isn't the only thing in their bag of tricks. Maybe the Cardinals strike gold and their veterans stay healthy while Brown and Davis come along slowly or maybe the kids get thrust into the fire before they are ready. I could easily see the Cardinals out performing this grade by a mile but realistically, I can't go much higher than D.

NFC West Position-by-Position: Outside Linebackers

Hawkwind — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:17:46 -0000

Our division preview moves to the outside linebackers today and after seeing how strong the division was at inside linebacker with the likes of Lofa Tatupa, Patrick Willis and Karlos Dansby, we were expecting big things. The Cardinals outside linebackers are tough to analyze because this should be the first year in a true 3-4 defense, meaning that guys like Chike Okeafor, Bertrand Berry and a couple of rookies will be learning on the fly. Still though there is quite a bit of experience talent at the position but how do they measure up to their NFC West rivals?

Arizona Cardinals

Much like the Niners, the Arizona Cardinals boast above average starts at inside linebackers and meagerly mention their outside linebackers. The Cardinals OLB's certainly have experience on their side but that also means that the clock is ticking against these 30-something's.

The projected starters are 33 year old Chike Okeafor and 32 year Clark Haggans. Together they've appeared in 255 games in this league and recorded 82 sacks but Okeafor spent the entire 2007 season on the IR and Haggans finished the 2007 season on the IR. In the 2008 season the two combined for a grand total of 5.5 sacks which is not exactly what you're looking for in a pair of OLB's in a 3-4. The Cardinals hope is that a return the aggressive, attacking style particularly with Okeafor will result in an uptick in his sack totals. If both Okeafor and Haggans can stay healthy, the hope is that they can approach 15 sacks combined with guys like Darnell Docket, Karlos Dansby, Adrian Wilson and the backups (conveniently listed below) picking up the slack.

The primary backup should be second round pick Cody Brown, formerly of the University of Connecticut. Few question Brown's ability to rush the passer, but it's pretty universally accepted that it takes a full year to grasp the responsibilities of the position as a whole. That should leave Brown in the same boat as veteran pass rusher Bertrand Berry. Both excel at rushing the passer but would appear to have a hard time playing a complete OLB this season. The result, at least right now, appears to be two players who are basically situational pass rushers, but in that role could rack up between four and six sacks. Further down the depth chart is sixth round selection Will Davis who has proven to be quite an interesting prospect. A former wide receiver turned defensive end turned defensive tackle (after injuries by others at Illinois), Davis has the physical ability to play almost anywhere on the field but he's raw and would most likely need a solid camp to make the roster.

Sadly that's the entirety of the depth at outside linebacker, Three veterans trying avoid the 'washed up' label and two rookies hoping that potential isn't the only thing in their bag of tricks. Maybe the Cardinals strike gold and their veterans stay healthy while Brown and Davis come along slowly or maybe the kids get thrust into the fire before they are ready. I could easily see the Cardinals out preforming this grade by a mile but realistically, I can't go much higher than D.

San Francisco 49ers - Niners Nation

Whereas the 49ers have established, proven talent at inside linebacker, the outside linebackers bring a mix of production and question marks. I would argue the 49ers outside linebackers could end up just about anywhere on the spectrum from crap to great and it wouldn't surprise me at this point.

Parys Haralson was by far the most productive OLB for the 49ers last season, leading the team with 8 sacks. While Nolan was running things Haralson would get jerked on and off the field and was not getting consistent playing time until Singletary took over. The question surrounding Haralson is what kind of development the 49ers will see in 2009. Haralson is entering his 4th season and has shown continued improvement each year as a pass rusher. If he continues to improve the 49ers will move towards a more consistent overall pass rush. Part of that of course depends on the development of....

Manny Lawson. I would not categorize Manny Lawson as a bust or even a disappointment at this point. Drafted the same year as Haralson, only as a first round pick, Lawson has had a rather tumultuous first three seasons. He had a decent enough first year before getting knocked out for the season with a nasty knee injury in practice after week 2 of the 2007 campaign. He was back last season but lacked some of the burst and athleticism fans were expecting. And of course there was Mike Nolan's ridiculous use of the Big Sub defense that sometimes involved Manny Lawson spending most of a game on special teams. Up to this point Lawson has shown he can handle the coverage duties of a linebacker, usually ending up covering the opposing tight end. He has not been given nearly as much responsibility in the pass rush game. Mike Singletary has said that will change this season and Lawson get his chance to rush the passer. The ball is officially in Lawson's court to make something happen. I think no matter what Lawson's numbers will go up simply because of increased opportunities. The question is whether he will become the second pass rusher the 49ers need.

The 49ers depth at outside linebacker is a mix of production and potential. The three primary backups competing for roster spots are Marques Harris, Ahmad Brooks and Jay Moore. Harris played in San Diego under then linebackers coach Greg Manusky (now 49ers DC). He's a pass rush specialist who will get a long look given the fact that Manusky was comfortable bringing him up here. Brooks is a guy most agree is immensely talented, but also a head case of sorts. He can play some as an ILB, but will get his chance at legit playing time as an OLB. Moore is a guy the 49ers drafted in 2006 as a defensive end out of Nebraska that they intended to convert to a pass rushing OLB. Unfortunately he's gotten hurt in the preseason each of the last two seasons and spent the seasons on injured reserve. I have an affinity for Moore that really has no basis in reality, so I'm rooting for him. Due to practice squad eligibility, I wouldn't be surprised to see him end up there.

As I mentioned initially, the 49ers could run the spectrum of production this season at outside linebacker. They've had production from Haralson, but how this unit grades out at the end of the season will depend a lot on what Manny Lawson brings to the table in the pass rush. Accordingly, I'm splitting the difference for now and giving the unit a C, but expecting so much more.

St. Louis Rams - Turf Show Times

In a division trademarked for its linebackers, the St. Louis Rams were embarrassingly substandard last year, thanks to poor decision making that left Will Witherspoon in the middle and arrogantly allowed an emerging Brandon Chillar to flee for greener, more frozen pastures. Addressing the situation at linebacker has been a top off season priority for the defensive-minded new regime led by head coach Steve Spagnuolo and defensive coordinator Ken Flajole.

The Rams made their first big move of the off season when they announced that Will Witherspoon would be moved back to his natural position on the weak side. That move was deemed so important, it happened before the free agent free for all and well ahead of the draft. The move will free up the athletic Witherspoon from having to take on huskier linemen and lead blockers in the middle, where he was long miscast with the Rams. Besides giving the team a more effective LB in coverage and pursuit, Witherspoon's presence on the outside gives them another threat to rush the passer. He won't likely top his career high 7 sacks from 2007, but he'll get plenty of work in the attack-first system. He's also being reunited with Ken Flajole, his linebackers coach with the Panthers.

The Rams have desperately needed a true middle linebacker and snagged their man, James Laurinaitis, with their second round pick. He has the size and ability to read and react well to action in the gaps in front of him, and displayed real talent against the run and in coverage. Most importantly, Little Animal has the intelligence and football acumen to be the "field general" that Spagnuolo has traditionally asked his middle linebackers to play. Laurinaitis won't be known for bone crushing hits like Rey Maualuga, the other top MLB in this year's draft, but he's a solid tackler and a tough player. Lots of draft pundits felt like NFL success early on was a realistic expectation for Laurinaitis. He's currently working out with the second team, but no one expects him to stay there. Early reports have been very positive.

On the strong side, the picture gets muddled after the release of Pisa Tinoisamoa, deemed a less-than-perfect fit for the new defensive scheme. Though Pisa was a contributor, it's easy to forget that he battled consistency from week to week and often had trouble with blown gap assignments and bigger, more physical blockers. Right now, three players are vying for the SLB spot in the starting lineup. Veteran Chris Draft tops the list at the moment, but his ability to play all three positions likely keeps him in the all-important utility role. Larry Grant, a 49ers cast off picked up to bolster special teams last year, is another candidate for the job thanks to an impressive work ethic (a commodity valued immensely by the new coaching staff), a good spring and strong, yet unheralded performances with the team last year. Don't discount the something-to-prove factor at play here as Grant gets the chance to see the 49ers twice a year. He was also a teammate of Laurinaitis at Ohio State. The third entrant in the SLB sweepstakes is last year's Mr. Irrelevant, David Vobora. The former Idaho Vandal saw action on special teams last year and in the LB rotation for 8 games. He ended up starting a game down the stretch - partly for an audition, partly out of need - and racked up 5 tackles, 4 solo, in a tight game against the Dolphins.

Vobora and Grant should both make the roster, regardless of who gets the starting job. After those five, the depth chart is rounded out by Quinton Culberson and Chris Chamberlain. Culberson was tapped to start on the strongside at the beginning of last year, but was promptly replaced. He has talent that needs to be honed into a more consistent product. He'll have the chance to do that in camp this year, but if he can't put it together Culberson will be another casualty of regime change. Chamberlain is another seventh round pick from last year. He may get some work in the rotation given his play in coverage, but he'll be counted on to step up his strong special teams play from last year. There are a couple of other names in the mix from undrafted rookie pool, the most intriguing among them being Mississippi State's Dominic Douglas, who led the SEC in tackles last season.

The Rams are in a much better place with their linebackers than they have been in a long, long time, thanks mostly to the addition of Laurinaitis and Witherspoon's move back to his natural spot. There are still very real concerns about depth here, and it would surprise no one to see the team pluck a roster casualty when teams start making cuts this fall. Spagnuolo and Flajole have reputations for finding diamonds in the rough among defensive players and their success with linebackers is being counted upon here.

Seattle Seahawks - Field Gulls

The easy answer is "A". A sub-Pro Bowl starter in his prime, Leroy Hill, and a once in a generation talent at linebacker, Aaron Curry - that's got to be an "A".

Leroy Hill struggles in zone coverage. He's an after the fact tackler that is lucky to track down whatever receiver just blew by him. He hasn't has been a consistent pass rusher since his rookie season, and though that might be because boneheadedness on John Marshall's part, it might be that like Lofa Tatupu, he can't find gaping inside rush lanes absent monstrous Marcus Tubbs. Hill has missed time every season since his rookie season with injuries.

Aaron Curry is a rookie. Even given the better than average success NFL GM's enjoy drafting linebackers, first overall linebackers have less than a 60% chance of ever making a Pro Bowl (http://www.advancednflstats.com/2009/04/drafting-linebackers.html). They have a less than 40% chance of ever making two Pro Bowls. Curry wasn't highly recruited out of high school and wasn't a standout throughout his college career. He was an amazing senior and his stock exploded after an amazing Combine. He was never a great pass rusher at Wake Forest. Curry is projected to be a good pass rusher, but projections that don't accord with reality have a way of disappointing. He's a little stiff in his swivel and though much younger, probably less agile than departed Seahawk Julian Peterson.

So, then...

Both are monster run stoppers. Not tackle - tackle - tackle run stoppers, but jam the fullback into his locker, atomic wedgie the tight end and rip through the ball for a loss of four...teeth, run stoppers.

Both shutdown the screen pass and make a fumble as likely as a completion.

Both have rare closing speed, good agility, sound and sometimes punishing tackling technique and good field awareness.

Curry has the skills and tools to be Lance Briggs caliber pass defender.

Hill has the skills and tools to be a Chad Brown caliber pass rusher.

But there's still too much locked into potential and not enough known about how they will be played and how they will develop, so though Hill and Curry comprise the most talented duo of outside linebackers in the entire NFL, they are not yet an "A", they are a "B" with crazy upside.

D.D. Lewis, David Hawthorne, Will Herring and Lance Laury make up the depth we know. I've spoken of Lewis and Hawthorne. Herring is a former safety that's a linebacker electron. His speed and agility give him potential as a coverage specialist, but he needs to add bulk and strength to not be a liability against the run. I'm not sure Laury makes the team.

-------------------------------------------------------

After seeing how strong the division was at inside backer, it's surprising to see how many question marks each team has at outside linebacker. The Niners and Cardinals are making the 3-4 transition, the Hawks are counting on an awful lot from a rookie and the Rams are playing musical chairs. Where would you rank the Cardinals OLB's and how good do you think they can be?

NFC West Position-by-Position: Outside Linebacker

Fooch — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:00:12 -0000

Today we move to the outside linebackers. To date, we've addressed inside/middle linebacker, defensive end, defensive/nose tackle, quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, centers, offensive tackles, guards and total offense. While every team will usually roll out two OLBs, the 3-4/4-3 difference still has an effect on things. For the 49ers, the outside linebackers are a mix of production and potential. And yet, even that production comes with question marks. As my rundown shows, I think at the end of the 2009 season the results could end up anywhere on the spectrum from great to blah. For the rankings, the Rams description is the same from last week (combining all LBs), so without a grade I went with 3rd for now.

1. Seattle Seahawks
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. St. Louis Rams
4. Arizona Cardinals

Seattle Seahawks
Blogger: John Morgan
The easy answer is "A". A sub-Pro Bowl starter in his prime, Leroy Hill, and a once in a generation talent at linebacker, Aaron Curry – that’s got to be an "A".

Leroy Hill struggles in zone coverage. He’s an after the fact tackler that is lucky to track down whatever receiver just blew by him. He hasn’t has been a consistent pass rusher since his rookie season, and though that might be because boneheadedness on John Marshall’s part, it might be that like Lofa Tatupu, he can’t find gaping inside rush lanes absent monstrous Marcus Tubbs. Hill has missed time every season since his rookie season with injuries.

Aaron Curry is a rookie. Even given the better than average success NFL GM’s enjoy drafting linebackers, first overall linebackers have less than a 60% chance of ever making a Pro Bowl (http://www.advancednflstats.com/2009/04/drafting-linebackers.html). They have a less than 40% chance of ever making two Pro Bowls. Curry wasn’t highly recruited out of high school and wasn’t a standout throughout his college career. He was an amazing senior and his stock exploded after an amazing Combine. He was never a great pass rusher at Wake Forest. Curry is projected to be a good pass rusher, but projections that don’t accord with reality have a way of disappointing. He’s a little stiff in his swivel and though much younger, probably less agile than departed Seahawk Julian Peterson.

So, then…

Both are monster run stoppers. Not tackle – tackle – tackle run stoppers, but jam the fullback into his locker, atomic wedgie the tight end and rip through the ball for a loss of four…teeth, run stoppers.

Both shutdown the screen pass and make a fumble as likely as a completion.

Both have rare closing speed, good agility, sound and sometimes punishing tackling technique and good field awareness.

Curry has the skills and tools to be Lance Briggs caliber pass defender.

Hill has the skills and tools to be a Chad Brown caliber pass rusher.

But there’s still too much locked into potential and not enough known about how they will be played and how they will develop, so though Hill and Curry comprise the most talented duo of outside linebackers in the entire NFL, they are not yet an "A", they are a "B" with crazy upside.

D.D. Lewis, David Hawthorne, Will Herring and Lance Laury make up the depth we know. I’ve spoken of Lewis and Hawthorne. Herring is a former safety that’s a linebacker electron. His speed and agility give him potential as a coverage specialist, but he needs to add bulk and strength to not be a liability against the run. I’m not sure Laury makes the team.

San Francisco 49ers
Blogger: Fooch

St. Louis Rams

Blogger: VanRam
In a division trademarked for its linebackers, the St. Louis Rams were embarrassingly substandard last year, thanks to poor decision making that left Will Witherspoon in the middle and arrogantly allowed an emerging Brandon Chillar to flee for greener, more frozen pastures. Addressing the situation at linebacker has been a top offseason priority for the defensive-minded new regime led by head coach Steve Spagnuolo and defensive coordinator Ken Flajole.

Arizona Cardinals
Blogger: cgolden
Much like the Niners, the Arizona Cardinals boast above average starts at inside linebackers and meagerly mention their outside linebackers. The Cardinals OLB's certainly have experience on their side but that also means that the clock is ticking against these 30-something's.

The projected starters are 33 year old Chike Okeafor and 32 year Clark Haggans. Together they've appeared in 255 games in this league and recorded 82 sacks but Okeafor spent the entire 2007 season on the IR and Haggans finished the 2007 season on the IR. In the 2008 season the two combined for a grand total of 5.5 sacks which is not exactly what you're looking for in a pair of OLB's in a 3-4. The Cardinals hope is that a return the aggressive, attacking style particulary with Okeafor will result in an uptick in his sack totals. If both Okeafor and Haggans can stay healthy, the hope is that they can approach 15 sacks combined with guys like Darnell Docket, Karlos Dansby, Adrian Wilson and the backups (conviently listed below) picking up the slack.

The primary backup should be second round pick Cody Brown, formerly of the University of Connecticut. Few question Brown's abilty to rush the passer, but it's pretty universally accepted that it takes a full year to grasp the responsibilities of the position as a whole. That should leave Brown in the same boat as veteran pass rusher Bertrand Berry. Both excel at rushing the passer but would appear to have a hard time playing a complete OLB this season. The result, at least right now, appears to be two players who are basically situational pass rushers, but in that role could rack up between four and six sacks. Further down the depth chart is sixth round selection Will Davis who has proven to be quite an interesting prospect. A former wide receiver turned defensive end turned defensive tackle (after injuries by others at Illionos), Davis has the physical ability to play almost anywhere on the field but he's raw and would most likely need a solid camp to make the roster.

Sadly thats the entirety of the depth at outside linebacker, Three veterans trying avoid the 'washed up' label and two rookies hoping that potential isn't the only thing in their bag of tricks. Maybe the Cardinals strike gold and their veterans stay healthy while Brown and Davis come along slowly or maybe the kids get thrust into the fire before they are ready. I could easily see the Cardinals outpeforming this grade by a mile but realistically, I can't go much higher than D.

SB Nation - Lance Laury

Controversial Penalty in Seahawks Favor

Seattle Seahawks Recover Fumble, Flip Odds Through Failure

WCD: Patience and the Power of a Delayed Blitz

Tim Ruskell Designed the Seattle Seahawks Defense. Now It Will Decide Tim Ruskell's Future.

Seattle Seahawks Announce 53 Man Roster, Marcus Trufant to PUP List

Offense

Defense

Seattle Seahawks Starters and Reserves for Saturday's Game Against San Diego

One-series Starters

Notes from Seattle Seahawks Training Camp

NFC West Roundtable: Outside Linebacker

NFC West Position-by-Position: Outside Linebackers

NFC West Position-by-Position: Outside Linebacker