Kaspers Korner

With the Seattle Seahawks season already over the transition from former head coach Mike Holmgren to new head coac Jim Mora Jr. has already begun.  The question is can he get back to the playoffs.

The task will be tough for Mora for the Seahawks are an aging team that will need some tweaking for the 2009 season.  That already has begun in changes to the coaching staff.

Mora has already installed a new offensive coordinator in Greg Knapp.   Knapp was Mora’s offensive coordinator when he was the head coach of the Falcons.

The hiring of Knapp is good for the Seahawks current offense, since Knapp also employs a West Coast offense.  The West Coast offense was a staple of former head coach Mike Holmgren.

The next question will be what players is he going to keep around, and which players is he going to show the door.  The most leading candidate for the is quarterback Matt Hasselbeck who was horrible this season.

Hasselbeck started only seven games this season.  In those seven games he threw for 1,216 yards passing, with five touchdowns, and ten interceptions.

Back up quarerback Seneca Wallace clearly out played Hasselbeck.  Wallace threw for 1,532 yards passing, with 11 touchdowns, and only three interceptions.  His performance should prompt the trading of Hasselbeck, thus making him the starter for the 2009 season. 

Another likely candidate might be defensive end Patrick Kerney.  Kerney hurt the same shoulder that he had sugery on previously this year.

However, Kerney was a with the Atlanta Falcons when Mora was the Falcons head coach.  So, he might be more inclined to keep Kerney, since he knows all about him, and what he brings to the table.

After them it is anybody’s guess what Mora is going to do.  All anyone can do at this point is sit back, and wait for some news on players.

The Seattle Seahawks for the first time after many years will miss the playoffs.  To get back there the team will have to make decisions on some key players.

The Seahawks have stumbled their way to a 3-11 record.  The main reasong being that their have been so many injuries.

Age is part of the reason for so many injuries.  Also, the Seahawks have played a lot of post season games in recent years that is starting to take a toll on older players.

The main problem offensively is that starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has missed half of the season so far with injuries.  Also, in the time he has played he has not performed that well as he has  five touchdowns 10 interceptions wit 1,278 yards passing for a 57.8 passer rating.

It did not help Hasselbeck that his top two receivers were missing from the lineup from the earlier part of the season.

The defense had its own injuries with the biggest one being to defensive end Patrick Kerney as he was lost for the season after the seventh game when he hurt his surgically repaired shoulder again. 

Losing someone of the magnitude of Kerney has hurted the defense a lot.  The passing defense is now one of the worst in the league.  Last year they were allowing a little under 220 passing yards per a game, and this year it is 260.

Simply, the Seahawks are going to have to get younger.  They have a lot of players that are going to turn 30, or is above that, especially on offense.

The decisions are going to be hard, but it is those choices that can make a team much better when choose to face them.

The Seattle Seahawks came into training camp as a team that was already wounded with two of its starting wide receivers injured for an extended period of time.  You can now add defensive end Patrick Kerney to the list.

To make matters worst it is the left shoulder that Kerney had surgery on to repair a torn labrum in the offseason.

The injury being to the same shoulder, along with his age, has to leave Seahawks fans wondering if he will ever be the same.

Mobility of the shoulder is an important part to the play of a defensive end.  If Kerney does not have the same quickness, and mobility, as previously it could mean the end of his career.

There is a bright light though for people, and that being Dr. James Andrews.  According to Pro Football Talk.com, Kerney is flying this weekend to see Dr. Andrews, who did the previous shoulder surgery.

Andrews is one of the best in the game.  When something goes wrong it is him that you want to go see.  Even doctors go to him when something with an athlete goes wrong, which was the case with New England Patriots Tom Brady’s staph infection in his surgically repaired knee.

In any case if it is anything else than a torn labrum again, then it is most likely the end of Kerney’s season. 

The Seattle Seahawks are already weak on offense.  Now, news has come out that they will be weaker on defense as well.

The Seahawks learned that starting defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, and nickle back Jordan Babineaux will be suspened for their opener against the Buffalo Bills.  Also, starting middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu is suffering from a minor knee injury.

The offense is not faring well either as wide receivers Mark Engram and Dieon Branch are out.   Starting quarterback Matt Hasselback has a stiff back, and starting right tackle Sean Locklear has a bad knee.

On top of that they are playing in Buffalo, which is not an easy place to play.

However, there is a silver lining for them, as Buffalo Bills starting left tackle Jason Peters is going to be a hold out till week ten.   They can easily take advatage of that with defensive end Patrick Kearny.

As the saying goes that is why they play the games.

Preseason games usually is the start of when injuries can start piling up for a position.  For the Seattle Seahawks that has already started for their defensive line.

According to the Seattle times the defensive line for the Seahawks is decimated. Which, includes both starting defensive tackles.

Starting defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs is still on the mend from tearing his anterior cruciate ligament.  Tubbs injured his knee in the preseason finale last year.

Fellow starting defensive tackle Rocky Bernard is still recovering from surgery on a double hernia.

Now, defensive tackle Red Bryant is out four to five weeks, because of knee surgery.

There is good news for the Seahawks.  That is starting defensive end Patrick Kerney is a week away from full practive. 

Kerney is coming off offseason surgery to repair torn labrum cartillage in his left shoulder.  He suffered the injury in the playoffs agains the Washington Redskins.

Also, the team is very high on defensive tackle Brandon Mebane. 

Starting guard Mike Whale describes trying to block Mebane this way, according to the Seattle Times, “Remember when Fred Flintstone used to work at the quarry? There were all these gigantic rocks sitting around. That’s like Mebane when you run into him.”

Guard Rob Sims describes blocking him this way, “Pushing a Mack truck.”

Still you cannot just have one defensive tackle.  The reason being that all teams will do is double team him, and single his fellow defensive tackle.

Trent Dilfer is retiring after 13 years of football in the National Football League.  The retirement envoke a lot of sentiment for the former Seahawks quarterback.

Dilfer played for the Seahawks from 2001-2004.  He was a huge part of the development of current quarterback Matt Haselback.  Hasselback took control of the team, when Dilfer tore his achillies tendon in a game against the Dallas Cowboys.

Seahawk fans describe Dilfer in one word, and that is classy.  Dilfer was the consumate orprofessional, even after he was demoted to backup.

Also, there are some sad memories that are brought up by the news.  That being Dilfer’s son Trevin died in April of 2003, while he was with the Seahawks.

Dilfer may not have the most storied career.  However, his was definately the most talked about.

That being due in part to having an average season, while his teammates on defense lead the Baltimore Ravens to the Superbowl.

It will be interesting to watch his post football career, because he is very knowledgeable when it comes to the game of football.

Good luck Trent.

The wide receiver position is usually an experience bunch.  However that is not the case this offseason, as injuries have shelved some veterans

Wide receivers Deion Branch and Bobby Engram will be our for a long while.  Branch is out until the regular season, and Engram is out until training camp.

Eventhough, they are veterans that is a lot of time to miss.  Eventually, the timing will be off with not being able to practice. 

Fortunately, for the Seahawks they have Nate Burrleson, and Engram will be back for training camp.  After that the rest of the wide receiving core is inexperienced. 

That is not good for the team.  The problem is that eventually everyone gets hurt, and the team that often survives is the one with quality depth. 

The fact of the matter is that the team have quality options at starting positions.  However, if starters were to get hurt their season is down the tubes.

There was only one position that Seattle Seahawks fans wanted filled.  Well, they got that, and a little bit more out of the 2008 National Football League draft.

The fans have been tired of the team talking about improving the tight end position.  The Seahawks addressed the position in the second round taking tight end John Carlson.

Fans should be happy with the pick.  The only tight end that was not there was Dustin Keller, whom the New York Jets traded up to get.  Besides Keller the Seahawks had their pick of the litter.

They also addressed another need on the defensive line by taking defensive end Lawrence Jackson.  Unlike the offense at USC the defense has churned out studs like Seahawks own middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu.

Now, what remains to be seen is if these picks can pay immediated dividends, and help them get back to the Superbowl this upcoming season.  That will be a hard task considering the Dallas Cowboys, and New York Giants.

The Seattle Seahawks have spent a lot of money on signing their own defensive stars, and free agent running backs.  Now, fans want the Seahawks to do one thing, and that is take a tight end with their first round pick.

Seahawk fans are getting fustrated more ane more each year with the tight end position.  With that also comes the lip service from the team stating that they need more production year after year.  Now, fans want less talking, and more action.

It is starting to reach a point that Seattle Times writer Jerry Brewer said this about the Seahawks lip service, “It belongs right up there with “Read my lips: no new taxes” and “I did not knowingly take steroids.” Man talk about someone being ticked off, but holy crap.

Seahawk fans should easily get their wish as there is no tight end projected to go before them.  That means that the Seahawks can have the pick of the litter.

With that being said there is no reason that the Seahawks should not take a tight end, especially one that they like.  That being said if the Seahawks do not take a tightend in the first then there will be hell to pay from the fans.

It has become common place today in the National Football League for player to look for only the big payday.  So, when Seattle Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu took less money it put him in a class with only one other.

A player taking less money in the NFL has become just as rare as a Honus Wagner baseball card.  The only other superstar to take less money is New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, and Tatupu did it for the same reasons as Brady.  Those being to sign other teammates.

He took less money, so the team can sign linebacker Leroy Hill, and cornerback Marcus Trufant to long term deals.  Without Tatupu’s help signing Trufant would be almost impossible thanks to the DeAngelo Hall contract, aong with the contract of Asante Samuel.

Not only should Seahawk fans should be smiling over the news all NFL fans should be smiling about it.  To hear that there is guys like Tatupu out there gives hope to everyone that the league can one day change for the better.  After all with Spy Gate out there we all need a little hope.

Not only is the Seahawks better for resigning Tatupu, but everyone is better for having him in the league.  Cause now parents when they see him play can point out to their own children that there really are players that they can look up to out there besides the Pacman Jones of the world.

Thanks Lofa you made everyones day.