SEAHAWKS: THE MOST COMPLETE TEAM IN NFL?

2013 Seattle Seahawks Look Toward A Special Season

Prepare yourselves, Pacific Northwestern'ers… The Seattle Seahawks are the most talked about football teams in the NFL this off-season… and for good reason.

The two most significant dates during the NFL off-season are; 1) March 12-The opening day of free agency and 2) Draft Day which begins April 25 and will continue for three days.  2013 has been filled with all sorts of drama and activity as a veritable frenzy of player movement was expected and NFL team general managers didn't disappoint. The Seahawks have been gobbling up their share of notable personnel as much as any team, except for perhaps the Miami Dolphins, who have made the most free-agent acquisitions so far in free agency in terms of quantity and spending. In fact, the NFL GM's have been using their owners money like the "Honey Badger" (Tyrann Mathieu) uses his rent money on bags of weed. Several teams have done a veritable swan dive into the available free agent pool of players, drastically overspending on players that simply do not have the statistical resume to demand the money they're getting, but it's their coinage, sort of… well, it's actually their owner's money. Typically in the NFL, veteran free agents get overpaid as a rule, but this off-season it has risen to the ridiculous. Thankfully for Seattle Seahawks fans (and Paul Allen) John Schneider and Pete Carroll are very mindful of how they spend money, directly affecting the teams salary cap. Being frugal and paying the big dollars only to players with a high expectancy of earning every dollar of their contract has made the Seahawks roster perhaps the best and most complete in the game today. This 2013 off-season has been no exception, as the Seahawks snatched up three of the most highly sought after free agents available and on a smart budget that clearly favors the Seahawks team and their plans for the future. Obviously, Percy Harvin received a large pay raise, negotiating a 6-year contract for nearly $65 million, but his statistical resume commanded such money and he is still a young player (26) yet to have achieved his full potential, and as good as he is now… That's a somewhat frightening proposition for covering corners and safeties assigned to defend him this year. Harvin is listed as a wide receiver, but that doesn't even begin to describe the versatility he offers the Seahawks football team. He is an extremely dangerous kick and punt returner who has the breakaway speed and evasiveness to take it all the way for 6 every time he touches the football. There are few players in the NFL with this kind of talent and Harvin might be the only player of this kind in the game today, and the best since Deion Sanders tore up the turf when he played for the Falcons, 49ers and Cowboys. Defensive linemen, Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, were practically stolen by Schneider and Carroll (Avril 2 years, $13 million) and (Bennett 1 year, $5 million). Neither players are going to have to worry about paying the light bill or buying groceries, but both contracts were team friendly allowing the Seahawks the flexibility to do a lot more during the off-season and to afford their talent nucleus once their contracts come up for renewal. All-Pro caliber players like; Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor will all need contract renewals soon and the Seahawks front office is acutely aware of what is coming up and what it will take to preserve the existing nucleus of talent on the roster for years to come. This explains why Carroll, Schneider and the Seahawks are normally "conservatively quiet" during the free-agent frenzy each off-season. However, this year they were consciously determined to go after the players they believed fit into their system and more importantly, at the right price.

So, what makes the Seahawks front office methods unique?  Well, first off… John Schneider relies heavily on his many talent scouts, perhaps more heavily than any other GM in the NFL. The scouts are selected carefully and trusted implicitly after going through a comprehensive screening process and a complete understanding of what kind of players the Seahawks want for their football team. After a tedious screening process, these scouts survey not only Division IA colleges, but also Division II programs and Junior colleges throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, as well. In addition to scouting hundreds of colleges, Schneider and his talent agents surveil talent in the Canadian football league, and arena football. However, they don't stop there… they also consider special athlete in; track and field, rugby, Australian rules football, soccer and even basketball.  The duo of Schneider and Carroll have discovered talent and some of the most obscure places, and it has paid off very well for them so far. Pro bowl cornerback, Brandon Browner, was undrafted and discovered by the Seahawks in the Canadian football league. This off-season, 6'7" 285 pound, Darren Fells has been signed to compete at the tightend position for the Seahawks. Fells was discovered out of the University of California Irvine, playing power forward for the UCI Anteaters basketball team. Fells happens to have a brother in the NFL, Daniel, playing tightend currently for the New England Patriots. Pete Carroll and John Schneider simply believe that unique and versatile athletes for their football team can be found in rather unusual places. It seems to be working as many of the NFL franchises are currently following the Seahawks lead to find good football talent wherever possible. They say that the greatest form of flattery is to have your opponent copying you. The Seahawks have compiled a great number of versatile and athletic personnel over the last three years of Carroll's tenure with Seattle. In fact, the Seahawks are widely believed to be the most complete football team in the NFL. There are no glaring weaknesses on their entire roster, even considering the depth of their offense, defense and special teams.

During the opening of the free agent market, John Schneider and Pete Carroll were the first to make a big splash, but it wasn't actually a free agent move. Perhaps the most versatile offensive threat in the NFL today, Percy Harvin, was the subject of the trade between Seattle and the Minnesota Vikings. The Seahawks sent this year's 1st round draft choice (25th overall) and a 7th round pick, plus next year's 3rd round choice to the Vikings in exchange for Harvin, a wide receiver who can also line up at the running back or flanker position, and is one of the most dangerous kick and punt returners in the game. When Carroll and Schneider considered this trade, they evaluated this year's draft for dynamic and versatile wide receivers who could potentially help Seattle right away, and none of those options compared to the kind of player Percy Harvin has been since joining the Vikings as a rookie in 2009. In addition to bolstering Seattle's aerial threat with Harvin, two high profile defensive lineman were also snatched up by the up-and-coming team in the West. Schneider and Carroll pulled off the signing of the biggest defensive free-agent Cliff Avril from the Detroit Lions and Michael Bennett, another highly sought after defensive end that excels at rushing the quarterback. Both of these acquisitions were paramount for the Hawks defense particularly while Leo-End, Chris Clemons, recovers from surgery to a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered while playing the Washington Redskins in the NFC wild-card game on the horribly beaten gridiron of FedEx Field, a playing surface believed by many for injuries to Clemons as well as Robert Griffin III. Clemon's rehab progress has yet to be released, so it's important that Seattle get insurance at the position… and they did more than that, a lot more. Cliff Avril collected 9.5 sacks in Detroit in 2012 and Michael Bennett took down 9 of his own with the Falcons. If you actually add up the sack production of Seattle's best pass rushing D-lineman from 2012, Bruce Irvin, Chris Clemons, Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril, you've got 38.5 sacks just from those four players, and that exceeds the Seahawks total team sack production last year (36). What is more frightening is that by fortifying the defensive line with those pass rushing defensive lineman, that opens up the interior line for Brandon Mebane, Red Bryant, Clinton McDonald and newly signed defensive tackle, Tony McDonald, to pressure the quarterback up the middle, getting sacks of their own or forcing the QB out of the pocket into the waiting pressure from the right and left edge and Irvin, Avril, Clemons and Bennett. I would think this unit of defensive lineman should shatter last year's sack production and with the dominating defensive secondary, DC Dan Quinn should be able to send the Seahawks quick and athletic linebackers in on blitz packages whenever he decides to get super aggressive. The options for the Seahawks defensive sets are going to be absolutely chaos for offensive lineman and in particular, quarterbacks and running backs.  To make things worse for any teams unfortunate enough to find the Seahawks on their schedule (especially at the C'Link), Seattle hasn't even drafted a new linebacker, defensive tackle or safety yet… And there are loads of them in this years draft class. The Seahawks are toying around with the idea of trading up into the first round using some of their 11 selections in the next years draft to get the player they want most.

Bruce Irvin        Chris Clemons         Cliff Avril        Michael Bennett

Now, with the addition of Percy Harvin, and the emergence of rookie QB Russell Wilson, and the full complement of Marshawn Lynch, Golden Tate, Sidney Rice, Doug Baldwin, and Zach Miller and the rest, you might think that Seattle's strength is its offense, but you would be wrong… The Seahawks have a swarming, athletic, physically punishing, dominating defense and they are only getting better year-to-year… and they are young. The Seahawks defensive team was already the best scoring defense in the NFL and that was before adding 2 of the best defensive lineman in football. Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett were among the most productive free-agent defensive players available and both of them chose to play for Pete Carroll and Seahawks defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn. In fact, the state of the Seahawks franchise right now has created Seattle as a destination for players across the country to play for perhaps the best team in the NFL right now and an opportunity to compete for an NFC West title or perhaps even a Super Bowl bid.

When examining the Seahawks defensive depth chart (pre-draft), I challenge anyone to find a weakness on this football team. Every team in the NFL can improve, and the Seahawks are no exception to that rule. However, finding a weakness  on the Seahawks roster is a challenge of a different nature and on coach Carroll's roster, there simply are no obvious weaknesses at any position on the offensive or defense. That said, I believe the Seahawks will still fortify the defense in the upcoming draft, first. The linebacker position will likely be where Seattle targets players in the draft first, at their 56th pick in the second round. Linebackers, Malcolm Smith and Mike Morgan, are very capable replacements for veteran weak side linebacker, Leroy Hill.  Hill is a couple of years older (30) and a couple of steps slower after seven years with the Seahawks. … Hill has been a full-time, three down linebacker for most of his career and has taken a lot of hits to his body. He's also had his share of scrapes awith the law, being arrested twice for marijuana possession and most recently for alleged "domestic assault" and "illegal imprisonment" of what has been reported to be his girlfriend. Now, with his age and pending legal troubles (three strikes) it's likely Hill has played his last down in a Seahawks uniform and will probably not be offered a contract. Now, with the vacancy created by Hill, linebacker is likely on the top of the list for the Seahawks come April. This draft is so deep and defensive lineman and Schneider and Carroll will probably draft a young defensive lineman to develop behind some of the veterans already on the roster. Also, Earl Thomas is Seattle's only real big threat safety, so that would also be an area that the Seahawks would like to add depth. Here is the current depth chart for Seattle's 4-3 defensive set:

Seahawks Basic 4-3 (cover 2) Defensive Depth Chart

 Shock and Awe has been a term used to describe the magnitude of how this Seahawks defense attacks every opponent that walks onto a football field with them… and they haven't even drafted yet. The Seahawks former defensive coordinator, Gus Bradley, utilized a lot of stunts in the secondary changing from bump and run, man-to-man coverage to cover one - zone defense that frustrated many of the wide receivers they played against and punished pass receivers who dared to come across the middle of the field. Bradley stayed pretty close to a five technique on the defensive line, and because of personnel limitations, rarely used blitzing packages to put pressure on the quarterback. That should all change this season with the added talent on the defensive line. Now, the defense belongs to new DC Dan Quinn, but as usual, Pete Carroll will stay closely involved on how his team lines up each week against different opponents. The Seahawks can now introduce a variety of looks they can utilize to exploit nearly every offensive weakness. The Seahawks return 9 of their 11 defensive starters this year, but have added so much more talent that this already great defense should be even better. Led by a very talented young linebacker by the name of Bobby Wagner, who calls all of the defensive reads, the Seahawks don't only play tough, they play smart. Wagner was just a rookie last year, yet made Seattle's defense nearly impossible to outsmart. He was second in voting for the "defensive rookie of the year" award, with 140 tackles, and 3 interceptions. Wagner has the instincts and nose for the ball that is second to no one in the game. The Seahawks could use another young linebacker to play alongside Wagner on the weak side, though. Outside Linebackers; Cornelius Washington, from Georgia and Khaseem Green from Rutgers are rumored to be on Seattle's radar in the draft. Both Washington and Greene are freakishly versatile with blazing sidelined to sidelined speed and instincts similar to those that caught the attention of John Schneider and Pete Carroll when they scouted Bobby Wagner at Utah State and Bruce Irvin. Although the Seahawks traded their first round selection to the Vikings for Percy Harvin, it is still possible that Seattle may use some of their 11 selections in the draft to move up into the first round again, or perhaps just an earlier pick in the second round. If they do that, it's anyone's guess which player they will target, but he will be likely a defensive player. Imagine the Seahawks with an "physical, versatile freak" at right outside linebacker to go with KJ Wright and Wagner… The prospect is nothing short of frightening  and frustrating for offensive coordinators that play against the Seahawks. One thing is in little doubt… NFL quarterbacks are not going to look forward to playing the Seattle Seahawks… Especially those unfortunate enough to venture into Seattle and the noise rocking environment of Centurylink field.

The Seattle Seahawks defense has been the identity of the team over the last three years. However, with the undisputed leader, Russell Wilson, commanding this team now, the sky isn't the limit for this young offense… It's in outer space where the limits begin. Wilson took the NFL by storm after being selected 75th overall in the third round of the 2012 draft. There wasn't a single NFL draft analyst that could predict the success rate at which Wilson took on one of the most difficult challenges in organized sports. Wilson already had a history of greatness, but seldom did anyone take note that this 5'10" 5/8 diminutive quarterback was already staking his claim to greatness at NC State and Wisconsin. After rewriting most of the record books at North Carolina State, he quietly achieved his bachelors degree in communications in just three years, earning academic All-American honors in 2009 2010 after honorable mention in 2008. The kid is smart… and he then parlayed his success as he was granted his last year of eligibility to play for the University of Wisconsin . His achievements with the Badgers eclipsed his earlier success athletically and academically as he went on studying for his Masters degree. As a sort of "Senior Bon Voyage," he led the nation in quarterback passing efficiency and college football QBR (quarterback rating), throwing 35 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions, with only 2 tipped passes playing behind the biggest offensive line in football, (averaging 6'5" 333 lbs.) not just collegiate, but NFL as well. Still, after all of his success in college, the pro scouts at the Indianapolis combine, the Wisconsin Pro day, and the analysts at the NFL draft could talk about nothing but his height.  However, Russell Wilson's height, or lack thereof… Is all but forgotten and every franchise in Pro football without a dominant quarterback, is scrambling to find a player just like Wilson… But they probably won't find one… He's one-of-a-kind.

Russell Wilson is just the beginning of this offensive football team, and the rest of this unit is a smash mouth, run first and pass when the defense is beaten and discouraged. Marshawn Lynch leads a punishing running game that initiates contact at the point of attack, willingly. The offensive line is a nasty crew, led by Breno Giacomini who plays an intimidating style of blocking that often draws penalties, but also establishes an intensity that most opponents find a little more than unpleasant, to say the least and completely disruptive to see the most. The Seahawks offensive line is anchored by center, Max Unger, a first time Pro bowler. However, perhaps the most talented offensive lineman of the five starters is left tackle Russell Okung, also a Pro bowler. He is burdened each Sunday with the job of protecting QB Russell Wilson's blind side and usually matched up against the best defensive ends in the game. Okung had struggled with injury problems in the 2010 and 2011 season, but in the 2012 season he stayed healthy and was dominant on the left side, proving exactly why the Seahawks drafted him their first selection in the 2009 draft.

The wide receiver position has been a tough to fill problem for the Seahawks over the last seven or eight years, but it seems Seattle has assembled a very formidable group, especially after adding the versatility of Percy Harvin who can play all of the receiver positions as well as line up in the backfield occasionally in a pro-set or pistol formation. Harvin's success has been obvious and immediate, but Seattle has been trying to create an identity in their passing game for years and there hasn't been  a 1000 yard receiver since Bobby Engram (1,086) in 2007. Sidney Rice was brought in from Minnesota as a free agent in 2011, but suffered an injury filled season and didn't provide much help to the passing game playing in nine games for just 484 yards. In 2012, after double shoulder surgery, he rehabilitated himself back for the beginning of the season and played a larger role, starting all 16 games, catching 50 passes for 748 yards, but never became the kind of receiver Carroll and Schneider hoped he would. Rice is a good receiver, but he hasn't had a breakout season with the Seahawks yet, and with the addition of Harvin, it might make it easier for the long bodied, Rice, to find open areas of the field to give Wilson the big target that he needed more of last year. Golden Tate struggled for the first two years with the Seahawks, and self admittedly, underestimated how difficult it would be in pro-football to be successful like he was in college at Notre Dame. Tate mostly plays in the slot, where Seattle seems to be a little crowded at the position. Doug Baldwin, Rice and Harvin all playing the slot position, along with Tate in a part-time role. It will be difficult for Baldwin to make the final roster, but if he can perform the way he did in 2011, I'm confident he will still be around in September. It is likely that the Seahawks will draft for a fast, tall wide receiver to play the Z position with the kind of track speed necessary to take the top off the defensive and keep the secondary honest on rushing downs.  There aren't a lot of talented wide receivers in the draft, but hopefully Schneider will do some magic and find a talented receiver in the middle of the draft somewhere. Tightend is a position that Carroll would like to improve upon. The Seahawks have one of the better blocking and pass catching tightends in the NFL in Zach Miller, but with the receiver sets that offensive coordinator, Daryl Bevell, likes to use… It would be nice to have another player like Miller, on the other side when the offense goes into two tight end sets.

The Seahawks depth chart has very few weaknesses if any, but Pete Carroll would like to create depth at several positions including; offensive line, tightend and wide receiver.

Seahawks Basic Pro-Set Offensive Depth Chart

So, there you have it… The Seahawks roster has several other players on it, most of whom will be fighting for a roster spot. This team is loaded with talent and there will be any half talented players that don't consistently contribute that make the final 53. In fact, there are some major named players that must perform at a high level even though they are veterans, in order to crack into this football team's final 53. Pete Carroll's biggest worry about the upcoming NFL draft is that he doesn't believe many players will be able to make it onto the final roster.

Where are the weaknesses on this football team? I can't seem to find any… Again, there are places to improve, just like every team in NFL history… But can you find any glaring weaknesses on this football team? Keep in mind, Pete Carroll and John Schneider haven't even had a chance to spin straw into gold… And that's when this drafting duo really shines.

Go Hawks!

GREAT NEWS TURNS SOUR AS BENNETT INJURY LOOMS

 

SEAHAWKS' BENNETT REPORTEDLY HAS ROTATOR CUFF TEAR

When it seems too good to be true, it usually is and in the case of the Seattle Seahawks defensive juggernaut for 2013, part of it IS too good to be true.  ESPN Insider, Adam Shefter, reported on ESPN.com that newly signed free-agent defensive end Michael Bennett has been diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff.  The injury is relatively serious, however Bennett played all 16 games last year for the first time in his career with the injury and recorded nine sacks, also a career-high. Many believe this is the reason for the one-year contract for $5 million with the Seattle Seahawks, definitely a team friendly contract.

So what does this mean for the Seahawks?  That's undetermined for now, and the Seahawks didn't make this announcement.  Somehow, Adam Shefter learned of this injury and reported it Sunday afternoon. Bennett had a decent year with the Buccaneers despite the injury, so Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider must have felt okay about the terms of the contract to help them out during the up coming season.  Beyond that, remains to be seen for Bryant and the Seahawks.  No reports have been released but the Seahawks have voided the contract because of the injury, but even at a one-year contract of $5 million, it does take a chunk out of money that could have been used for perhaps John Abraham, Elvis Dumervil, Dwight Freeney or Osi Umenyiora, or even another free-agent position like; safeties Charles Woodson or Dashon Goldson, guards Brandon Moore or Andy Levitre, tackles Jake Long or Sebastian Vollmer, or maybe an outside linebacker like James Harrison, Justin Durrant or Paul Kruger.

Regardless, The Seahawks aren't wallowing in the same idea of defensive line elite-ness that they were yesterday, at least that's the way it seems now.  One of the big questions is how this will affect Bennett throughout the season.  Several players in the past have played with torn labrum injuries and played fairly well. The San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle elite, Alden Smith, played the 2012 season with a torn labrum and was forced to miss the last game of the season and his performance suffered greatly throughout the playoffs including the Super Bowl.  One thing in Seattle's favor, is that the 49ers play their defensive starters 95% of the time and in addition to wearing their careers short, Smith was never able to rest his shoulder all season long.  Seattle signed Michael Bennett to be a situational defensive lineman playing on passing downs primarily and rushing the quarterback.  One thing that will be critical is which shoulder is injured, the right or the left shoulder?  Bennett is a left defensive end primarily coming at the quarterback from left to right and if his right shoulder is injured, a could be significant.  However, if it's his right shoulder, that would certainly be in Seattle's favor and Bennett's.

On a personal level, I was very disappointed to hear of Shefter's report.  A lot of Seattle Seahawks fans, including myself, were practically giddy with excitement thinking of the kind of defensive rush and havoc that the Seahawks could create with; Bruce Irvin, Cliff Avril, Chris Clemons and Michael Bennett plus any gems that Schneider might find in the draft.  Not to mention the bull rush of pressure created up the middle created by; Brandon Mebane, Red Bryant, Clinton McDonald and Alan Branch (if he is re-signed). The thought of all those players coming after the quarterback, like heatseeking missiles, is nothing short of frightening "Shock and Awe" to any quarterback choosing to stay in the passing pocket for more than about 1 second.

The latest news is a bit disappointing, but I have to remind myself that Carroll and Schneider put Bennett through a field and physical skills tryout and an extensive medical examination by the team  physician.  They had to believe ($5 million worth) that Bennett could provide the Seahawks with a season of good production or I believe they would have passed on him.  John Abraham came to Seattle for the same tryout process and they passed on him, and he would have been had cheaper than Bennett and I don't think it is due to their ages.  Bennett is only 27 years old, but Seattle only signed him to a one-year deal.  I don't believe John Abraham would have had a multi-year deal, either… Not at 34, 35 years old.

For now, after I calmed myself down a little, I'm going to believe in Carroll and Schneider.  I would have been happier with Elvis Dumervil or Osi Umenyiora, but the Seahawks chose to go a different way and maybe there's more activity in free-agent see to come.  Personally, I'm pulling for Charles Woodson to join the best defensive secondary in football and make it even better.  Woodson's in Seattle would be decreased, but the Seahawks need a veteran presence in the nickel formation and Marcus Trufant was a glaring weakness in Seattle's pass defense last year and it was very obvious.  The best defensive backfield in football can have that… I think Woodson would be a great fit in Seattle and corner Richard Sherman already gave a shout out to Woodson that he would be welcomed in a Seahawks uniform.  Hopefully, that will count for something… One thing is for certain… We will keep watching.

RULE CHANGES : NFL NOT USING ITS HEAD

Left is Correct                                     Right is Incorrect

Over the last three days, the NFL's 32 franchises sent their coaching staffs and general manager's to an annual coaches meeting, this year conducted in Phoenix Arizona.  During this event, coaches and other NFL executives discussed the state of the league, financial future, continued league viability and rule interpretation and evaluation.

This year, several topics were discussed, not least of which was new proposed rules and rule changes.


The first rule that was discussed by the coaches dealt with what is referred to as the "Tuck Rule"
"Talk Rule" Defined: NFL Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2. When [an offensive] player is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body. Also, if the player has tucked the ball into his body and then loses possession, it is a fumble.
This rule was created without a lot of forethought and over the years, it has been discussed ad nauseam and now it is been abolished my almost every franchise except for; the New England Patriots (by proxy) and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The other rule hotly debated concerns player safety: in specific, "helmet to helmet" contact of the ball carrier and would be tackler.  Until now, defensive players have been called for unsportsmanlike conduct or unnecessary roughness penalties yielding 15 yards against the defense of a player or players who violate this very subjective called infraction.  It is by the discretion of a particular field official or officials as to the severity and location of the hit and whether or not the player hit was indeed deemed "defenseless" at the moment of impact.  

Obviously, this has become a very unpopular rule topic with linebackers and defensive backs, players most affected by this rule interpretation.  Defensive players have had a difficult go with the proposed and adopted rule changes during the last several years. Due to the the violent nature of Pro football itself and the numerous lawsuits levied against the NFL by former players, the league officials are continually trying to make the sport as safe as possible. Over 2000 former NFL players have become litigants in a huge lawsuit claiming the NFL did not take the subject of player concussions seriously enough and therefore left them with a variety of acute chronic symptoms that are synonymous with people who have sustained multiple concussions. Now, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell along with what is likely a regiment of lawyers are trying to accomplish their own mega version of "damage control".  In other words, the NFL as an entire entity must show a series of deliberate intent to make the sport of tackle football as safe as possible, in particular a sensitivity to the subject of concussions.  Already, defensive players have been warned and financially penalized for delivering illegal hits as defined by the league in their own legal terminology.  However now, the league is turning its attention to the offense.  A new rule has been voted on and passed by team owners and coaches that a ball carrier cannot use his helmet as a weapon when purposely colliding with a would be tackler use the crown of a helmet at the point of impact.  One caveat about this rule: The rule only applies to impact initiated outside the "Tackle Box", or in other words; outside the right and left offensive tackle on the offensive line.  A ball carrier can lower his body, including his helmet, inside the tackles when running against the defensive line.  The rule will be implemented on open field tackling anywhere on the field, also. 

This rule has created immediate opposition by offensive running backs, wide receivers and quarterbacks alike.  Many of those players recite the original coaching as they were taught to make their body as small as possible when about to be hit or tackled, wrapping around the ball to protect it as well as hopefully avoiding the tackle.  One of the most difficult parts of this adopted rule change is in the interpretation.  It is not certain exactly how officials well interpret exactly what is considered the helmet to helmet initiated hit and whether or not it was purposeful or just incidental contact.  This will be one of the most contested rules I think we'll see and it will be an experiment in futility as this is very much a subjective call deciphered differently by every official in the league.

But how do you feel about this new rule change and do you believe that it should be a rule affecting both the offense and the defense, just the defense, just the offense or neither?

SEAHAWKS TOP ESPN'S 2013 NFL POWER RANKINGS

Are the 2013 Seattle Seahawks the best football team in the NFL?  This is the question that many ESPN pundits and other him a JenniferNFL analysts are asking and the answers are surprising.  It's not consensus by any means, but a majority of the writers and television personalities are saying that Seattle has fortified their football team through free agency and the draft before that and have overtaken the Atlanta Falcons and 49ers as the team to beat.  Weigh-in with your opinion and why the so-called experts are crazy or just crazy for the Seahawks…

GO HAWKS!

ESPN 2013

NFL Pre-Draft Power Rankings

1	Seahawks 11-5	High-risk, high-reward move for Percy Harvin got voters' attention. (Sando)
2	49ers 11-4-1	Two-time defending NFC West champs can restock with 14 draft choices. (Sando)
3	Broncos 13-3	The Elvis Dumervil debacle aside, the Broncos are winning free agency and giving Peyton Manning all he needs to succeed. (Fox)him him him
4	Falcons 13-3	Steven Jackson joins Tony Gonzalez in quest to cap great career with a championship. (Sando)
5	Patriots 12-4	Danny Amendola for Wes Welker is an upgrade as long as the former Rams slot receiver can stay healthy. (Hensley).

2013 Seattle Seahawks Pre-Draft Outlook: Shock and Awe!

Brand-New Seahawks: Percy Harvin-Michael Bennett-Cliff Avril

Much to Be Excited about for Seahawks Nation

As the 2013 NFL seasons approaches, Seattle Seahawks fans have a lot to be excited about. Without a doubt, head coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider have manufactured the best Seahawks team from top to bottom in franchise history. Over the last 37 years since the Seattle franchise made its inception to the National Football League in 1976, there have been few reasons for enthusiasm.  However, the Pacific Northwest is an inherently football crazed part of the country and Western Washingtonians are practically married to their beloved U-Dub Husky football team, and of course, Seahawks fans bleed blue and green all over the Pacific Northwest region including; Alaskans, Idahoans, Oregonians and even British Colombians. Despite the fanatical climate surrounding the Seahawks football team, the organization has only managed one trip to the biggest game in football, making the trip to Detroit to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL.

Unfortunately, the Seahawks failed to overcome the Pittsburgh Steelers and some poor officiating and aside from the NFL officials "admitting publicly" that they made several bad calls hurting the Seahawks and killing their momentum, there wasn't much to remember about that game for Seahawks fans. As the NFL has seen so many times before, franchises that lose the Super Bowl have it far worse than any other team, because first; they obviously don't come home with a Lombardi trophy.  Secondly; teams that have the talent to simply make it to the Super Bowl often have players who want to be paid and paid well for this accomplishment. This often requires teams to release several of their best players because they are unable to fit them under the NFL salary cap. Thirdly, and another detriment to going to the Super Bowl without winning is that the team inherits a second-place schedule which is the second most difficult in the NFL. Now, if all that isn't enough to make it difficult on a Super Bowl loser, they have now tipped their hand to the rest of the NFL that they are Super Bowl contender and now the entire league is going to be gunning for them in each game, always getting up for the best teams.   Over the next few years after their Super Bowl appearance, the Seahawks made one more trip to the playoffs as a 7-9 wildcard team, the first sub 500 franchise to get a playoff berth in NFL history.  Not a record you want your team to be remembered for, but it seems that most of the NFL's fans seem to remember the Seahawks for negative reasons rather than their achievements, like; the Rick Mirer failure, the Brian Bosworth experiment, and the now infamous "immaculate deception" also known as "The Simultaneous Catch" giving the Seahawks a victory over the Green Bay Packers on Monday night football at Centurylink field in front of 70,000 Seahawks fans and the rest of the worldwide TV audience.  So what now? It's time for the 2013 Seattle Seahawks coaches and players to make their case for (NFL and worldwide respect) and they finally have a complete team that can accomplish that lofty goal.  However, it's time to stop talking and start showing the world that this is a team to be reckoned with… if not completely feared.

The Seattle Seahawks now have many new smart, driven and talented people involved in redefining what Seahawks football is all about. There is a new owner, new coaching staff, new uniforms and a completely new roster.  In the three years that Pete Carroll and John Schneider have been sculpting this football team into their own brand, over 300 transactions have been made and none of the players from the 2005 Super Bowl team remain on the roster.  The final two pieces that were part of Holmgren's Super Bowl team were corner Marcus Trufant and linebacker Leroy Hill.  Marcus has been a fan favorite, great leader and a very productive player for the Hawks, but he has lost a couple of steps and his body shows the wear of his 11 years as a professional corner. He will likely make his exit from the only  franchise he has ever played for.  Leroy Hill has also been a career Seahawks linebacker.  Drafted by the Seahawks, Hill has played 9 seasons in Seattle and has been a solid player on defense, though he has created multiple reasons why he will not return to the Seahawks roster, including; multiple scrapes with the law, including; twice violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, arrest for driving under the influence, in the most recent ordeal, his arrest for domestic assault and unlawful imprisonment which is still pending sentencing if any.  Hill also will be released for reasons he has no control over, namely the fact that he's not getting any younger (31) and no longer has the explosiveness he once had playing the weak side linebacker position.  Now it's time for the Seahawks to find a new nickel corner and right OLB.  It's unclear how Carroll and Schneider will address these two areas of need, but it very likely could come from the NFL draft on April 25.  The 2013 draft class is very deep in talent at defensive lineman, offensive lineman and linebackers, which just happens to be the very positions the Seahawks would like to fortify. Last year, the Seahawks had one of the best if not the best defensive teams in football, sharing the power rankings with fellow NFC West foe, the San Francisco 49ers, who also had an elite style defense.  The strength of the 2012 Seahawks     defense was its physical and athletic linebackers and huge defensive secondary.  In 2011, the Seahawks drafted a surprise standout linebacker, KJ Wright, who tore up the league as a rookie and in 2012 the Seahawks drafted another excellent linebacker, Bobby Wagner, out of Utah State.  Wagner was the runner-up for defensive rookie of the year honors racking up 140 tackles, 3 interceptions as the new Mike linebacker calling all the defensive sets, and as a rookie in the Seahawks defense.

The Hawks will not be drafting at their natural 25 spot in the 1st round, instead giving it (and some scraps) to the Minnesota Vikings in a blockbuster trade for WR/KR/PR Percy Harvin, thought by many to be the most versatile and complete football players in the NFL today  However, forfeiting the Seahawks' 1st round pick for Harvin isn't a huge sacrifice for such a great player.  Harvin is just 26 years old and a very dangerous offensive threat and far and away a better wide receiver than any players currently offered in the upcoming draft. Before sustaining a high ankle sprain last year, he was the leading candidate for the NFL MVP, the most prestigious honor for a professional football player. Giving up Seattle's number one just wasn't a difficult choice for Carroll and Schneider, besides… It has been in the middle rounds where John Schneider has shined most brightly at the NFL draft and he has proven it in his first three years as Seattle's general manager with great success finding talent in the rounds 2-7.  Seattle will be making their first selection at this annual event with a pick in the 2nd round (56th overall).  Because of the great depth of talent on defense, there will still be plenty of talent at the linebacker position as well as the offensive line, where Seattle could use some fortifying depth.  Offensive tackle will be some focus, particularly on the right side, where Breno Giacomini has struggled with some critical and untimely penalties hamstringing the offense after important scores, first down conversions and large gains of yardage.  There is a huge upside having Giacomini on the offensive line, though.  He is a big, nasty, aggressive and talented tackle that plays angry, with an edge that Pete Carroll and offensive line coach (Tom Cable) like. The penalties Breno has a propensity of drawing, are flaws that coach Cable and Pete Carroll feel they can remedy without too much trouble. Regardless, the Seahawks could still use depth at that position as well as a backup for Paul McQuiston at the right guard spot.

The Seahawks have eight selections in the draft, (after the trade with Minnesota) plus 2 compensatory draft picks that have not been determined yet by the league office.  They are expected to be two picks somewhere in the neighborhood of a (sixth round selection and seventh). him and him him him him a cellphone for a in their own or the charger other door the charger your it will were by the corner of other routers.  The kitchen to the charger at the extended scattered here and who is rain.  draft picks this year (8), it is still likely Carroll and Schneider could attempt to trade up in the draft to get a specific player they may want and fear maybe gone from their board before they picked at 56.  Don't expect them to move up to the first round this year, though.  In order to regain a first-round pick, Seattle would have to give up far too much and gain too little to make it worthwhile.  If Seattle did move up into the first round, it would likely be a late pick, somewhere between 28-32. It would cost the Seahawks valuable draft selections next year or beyond, plus perhaps veteran players and it is the opinion of many draft analysts that first round draft selections are overvalued by many.  In addition, John Schneider is not the kind of GM that tends to move up in draft selections, choosing rather to trade down collecting additional selections in the middle and later rounds using his expertise to find great talent were other GM's. After being as aggressive as they have been in the free-agent market, the Seahawks won't have to gamble on a defensive pass rushing defensive end and tackle because of Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett.  Avril and Bennett are proven players and have wreaked havoc throughout the NFL taking down quarterbacks and making tackles for loss.  Seattle will be very good this year with the additions of those two players and the return of Red Bryant, Brendan Mebane, Bruce Irvin and Chris Clemons once he recovers from ACL surgery.  The Seahawks very well might re-sign Alan Branch as well, depending on whether he gets any attention from other teams looking for an interior run stopper in free agency.  The Seahawks are waiting and will likely retain Branch with a cheap short-term contract, somewhere in the area of $1.5 million on a one-year deal.  It's uncertain whether or not Seattle will attempt to bring back Clinton McDonald, even though he had a solid 2012 season.  One thing that the Seahawks will definitely be in the market for and that is an outside linebacker to replace veteran Leroy Hill.  Malcolm Smith is still a capable backup, but Pete Carroll and Mike Quinn will be shopping for another gem in the draft to fill that right outside spot.  The way that the Seahawks draft, I won't even attempt to predict what player they are considering in the upcoming draft in April.

Now that Carroll and Schneider have gobbled up some of the best free agents available this year, now what are they going to do with those players and how will they use them?  This is one of the most delicious times to be a Seahawks fan because the possibilities are endless and Seattle hasn't even drafted a single player yet.  Just considering what the Seahawks have on the roster presently, you would consider perhaps a title of "shock and awe" as the season approaches.  Already one of the best defensive squads in football and an up-and-coming offense with rookie sensation quarterback Russell Wilson Leading the Way, Seattle is starting to look like a very scary team to line up against on both sides of the football.

Seattle fell short of what they hoped for in 2012 concerning sack production and defense against the run.  Their defensive line was exposed on a few occasions last year, most memorably the 49ers game in San Francisco and the NFC playoff game in Atlanta versus the Falcons.  It's important to mention that Red Bryant was suffering from a foot injury which hampered his production significantly and Chris Clemons was injured with an ACL tear he sustained against the Washington Redskins in the wild-card game before playing the Falcons.  But there were other times when, Seattle, a team with such talent on the interior defensive line didn't play up to expectations.  When Seattle lined up with; Alan Branch 325 lbs. , Brandon Mebane 311 lbs. , Clinton McDonald 297 lbs. , and big Red Bryant 323 lbs. stuffing up the middle and long bodies speedsters; Bruce Irvin 6'4" 248 Lbs. and Chris Clemons 6'3" 254 lbs. screaming fast coming from the edge, they were extremely hard to defend on passing plays.  However, with those big boys playing defensive tackles, one would expect an imposing presence on the interior keeping the run under control.  That wasn't always the case and it might mean exits from the Seattle roster for Branch and McDonald.

The Seahawks fell short of their goals for 2012 concerning sack production and run defense.  In 2011, the Seahawks defense logged just 36 sacks.  Signing sack specialist in the first round of the 2011 draft out of West Virginia, Bruce Irvin, and with Chris Clemons on the other end, Carroll and Schneider believed that the number of sacks by the defense would increase significantly.  Irvin led all rookies with eight sacks in 2012, but the defense as a whole only increased its number of quarterback sacks by its entire defense by three (36) and there were games when Bruce Irvin's name wasn't mentioned once in the broadcasting booth or the PA announcer.  Now, I think you can be assured that the Seahawks are going to shatter that number (36) with the significant additions to their defensive line.  Defensive coordinator Mike Quinn could literally line up five dominating defensive lineman with; Bruce Irvin, Red Bryant, Brandon  Mebane, and Cliff Avril.  Also, free-agent acquisition, Michael Bennett, is available to come in on passing downs to increase pressure up the middle.  This could be a very scary defensive line coming in to the 2013 NFL football season.  If Chris Clemons rehabilitates from his ACL tear, you can add one more elite pass rusher to the team's roster and that's assuming that Seattle doesn't develop last year's defensive line selections, Jaye Howard, Greg Scruggs or any of the defensive line help drafted in the upcoming draft.  Howard and Scruggs filled in nicely for rookies after Clemons' season was ended against the Washington Redskins in the wild-card game on a field that has led to controversial discussion of field maintenance and surface evaluations by the league.  The Seahawks offense will also be high-octane, and this will change the way the defense can play.  Mike Quinn will likely be sending a lot more linebacker blitzing packages as well as the big the Seahawks huge defensive secondary players.

Lastly, I'll discuss the Seahawks frightening new offensive team boasting some of the most high impact players in the NFL.  Seattle played much better offensively in the second half of the 2012 season with wide receiver Golden Tate emerging as a legitimate receiving threat as well as Sidney Rice who is finally healthy and creating height mismatches with some of the smaller cover corners used by many teams.  Marshawn Lynch will be coming back after one of his best years statistically and without missing a single game despite having chronic back spasms.  Another slot wide receiver, Doug Baldwin will be healthy and returning to form and tightend Zach Miller will likely be included in more passing formations than last year with the rookie quarterback Russell Wilson opening up the playbook and utilizing more complex and dangerous offensive formations.  Offensive for dinner Daryl Bevell and Pete Carroll wanted to bring along Wilson slowly and not put him in to many positions where he felt he had to win the games himself rather than relying on his teammates to contribute throughout some of the tougher games of the season.  Wilson responded like a veteran, throwing the ball intelligently and using his athleticism to extend plays until receivers were able to get open… When they weren't… He was able to pick up positive yardage carrying the ball.  His leadership qualities are perhaps his greatest attribute, with intangibles completely off the chart and a complete belief by his teammates that he is indeed the man to take this team to the playoffs and beyond.  Russell Wilson is simply one-of-a-kind.  Veteran players were following his lead after just minutes on the practice field when the Seahawks gathered for training camp last year.  Wilson has a unique ability to stay humble, yet understanding just exactly what his role is as a field general and locker room Sage keeping the team upbeat and confident when the team is leading or trailing at halftime.  Seattle already had several ways to beat their opponents, but with the most recent trade acquisition from Minnesota, the Seahawks are going to be terrifying to defend now that wide receiver/kick returner/punt returner and auxiliary extraordinaire Percy Harvin will be in Seattle's offensive sets.  Daryl Bevell is going to have to use a special charging system to keep track of all the varieties available in offensive sets with Harvin.  The man could literally play five positions on the offense and I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't line up in the shotgun formation to further red confusion to opponents defending the Hawks.  Harvin can line up in the backfield as a halfback or flanker or he could line up in a two-point stance in the pistol formation which is gaining popular with teams that have mobile quarterbacks.  Harvin can also line up outside the numbers on the left and right sides (Z) or on each side of the slot as the (X) receiver or even set up off the line of scrimmage as a scat back.  The Hawks are going to frustrate many defensive coordinators this season because of their versatility and lining up; (Z) Percy Harvin, (X) Sidney Rice, (Z) Golden Tate, (X) Doug Baldwin and (Y) Zach Miller and (HB) Marshawn Lynch, defensive players are not going to know what to do when Russell Wilson takes the snap. When this happens, it's going to create infinite problems for the middle linebacker tasked to make the defensive set calls throughout the game.  It's going to be a headache, you can count on it.

Pete Carroll is big on finding unusual athletes with unique skill sets and that he has done masterfully over the last three years with the Seahawks.  The Seahawks have the biggest, most physical corners in the game and a safety that has the body type of an outside linebacker.  The Seahawks linebackers are long and angular, with explosive small space speed and the ability to chase down players from sideline to sideline.  With these athletic players in the secondary, it frees up the defensive line to stop the run up the middle and create pressure from the perimeter edges.  Carroll utilizes the Leo defensive end (Irvin and Clemons) with players that are slightly undersized, but possess great "get off" speed and explosiveness from the outside edges and Irvin and Clemons fit that player profile perfectly.  In the interior defensive line, Pete Carroll and Gus Bradley focused on putting tremendous pressure up the middle to close off gaps and force ball runners to adjust the original play objective and find alternate gaps to exploit.  However, with the outside pressure, most ball runners are going to run out of room and then turn back inside where huge defensive tackles are waiting.  While all of this is happening, Seattle's linebackers are reading and reacting to the defensive push and the offensive lines immediate point of impact posture.  Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright are excellent, instinctive players with a nose for the ball and the ability to shed blockers with relative ease, allowing them the ability to make tackles closer to the line of scrimmage.  Both Wagner and Wright have enough speed to drop into coverage and shadow running backs and tight ends across the middle where they are usually running shallow or intermediate routes.  Both linebackers have extraordinary athleticism and can play all three downs never needing to substitute out in case a running play turns into some kind of passing formation.  Leroy Hill, the right outside (or weak side) linebacker will probably not be offered a contract for the upcoming season, so it will be important for the Seahawks to find a player that can shore up the linebacking corps in the Seahawks 4-3 defensive scheme.

Seattle's defensive ends and tackles are basically two gap players that take on offensive lineman, gaining leverage underneath the shoulder pads and shedding blockers to stop the run in the (A) or the (B) gap.  Red Bryant and Brandon Mebane are excellent bull rush type down lineman, but with the addition of Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, Seattle will gain a tremendous force at cutting down offensive tackles with a swim, rip or spin technique to get through the gaps and put pressure on the quarterback and forcing them to deliver the ball before the receivers patterns have matured.  This is exactly what defensive backs, like Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas, thrive on because of their tremendous closings speed and ability to erase the league's best wide receivers right out of plays.  It will be fascinating to see how loose Seattle's secondary will be able to play with an improved defensive line creating havoc in the offensive backfield.  With a generally mediocre pass rush, Brandon Browner, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas have been able to overwhelm receivers and tight ends with bump and run pressure at the line of scrimmage and punishing hits over the middle and perimeter as receivers reach for passes or pulled back (with alligator arms) readying themselves for another thundering hit to the solar-plexus or shoulder pads. Offensive players have just come to expect that after a couple of hours on a football field with the Seattle Seahawks defense, they're going to be spending more time with the team trainer, getting ice baths and whirlpool therapy.  If you don't believe that, just watch the Dallas Cowboys loss to Seattle at Centurylink field last season.  Jason Witten, one of the most tough, courageous and sure handed tight ends in football was short handing every pass thrown to him and dropping most of them… Dez Bryant and Miles Austin grew tiny arms and swivel heads as well after taking a beating every time they lined up and ran down the field for passes from Tony Romo.  Even Seattle wide receiver Golden Tate showed the Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee exactly what it means to be hit so hard that a snot bubble flies out your nose as he put a block on the big backer during a rushing play.  The Hawks have definitely earned a reputation for teams to heed; if you're going to walk onto a field playing tackle football, you'd better prepare to get hit and hit hard.  Tackling is not the primary goal for the Seattle Seahawks.  The goal is to hit the ball carrier so hard he is separated from the football… Permanently if possible.

This season will be no exception to the rule of extreme physical football from the Seattle Seahawks and you can bet that Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett and any other players coming on board with the Hawks are going to buy in to that philosophy of physics; SxM=TO+M (speed times mass equals turnovers and momentum )

There is no doubt that the Seahawks are feeling IT.  Where John Schneider came from the school of thought developed by his mentor in Green Bay (Ted Thompson) that you don't build a team through free agency and money, you do it through draft selections and finding talent at a decent price, he is now going all in and his owner is getting out the checkbook for what should be an exciting and thrilling season.  Nearly all the pieces of the puzzle are in place, now Seattle Seahawks fans can wait for the NFL draft and see what the architect and the magician have in store to fortify what is already believed to be the scariest football team in the NFL.

Go Hawks!

NFL PROCESS OF FINDING TALENT GETTING INTENSE… AND PERSONAL

Seattle: GM John Schneider and Pete Carroll using crystal ball and tarot cards to find draft talent.

NFL owners around the league are becoming increasingly comprehensive in their selection process concerning which athletes remain on their boards and whether or not they are worthy of higher draft selection positions.  The Wonderlic exam and 15 minute player interviews during the scouting combine are examples of just how much investors want to know about their product before they spend the billions of dollars they do to put together a roster of players that hopefully will bring them a playoff team and ultimately a Super Bowl contender.

This year, a new exam called the "Player Assessment Tool" or (PAT) is being introduced at the scouting combine in Indianapolis that will hopefully offer a broader determination on whether or not a particular player is suited for the professional game and the life of an NFL football player on and off the field.  Where the Wonderlic exam focused on the general IQ of a player, the new test will focus on other aspects of a player that the owners and coaching staff deem important regarding the character and reliability of a player to perform on the practice field, the film room, the lecture process and on the football field during gametime.  This PAT focuses more on; reliability, coachability, adaptability, gamesmanship, coping skills, passion, motivation, mental toughness and learning style success percentage .  Some players learn better on the practice field during drills etc. , while other players learn from chalkboard diagrams and film analysis.  Still specific to some players, they learn simply from playbook material and individual teaching tools given each player to help them prepare for future team and player opponents.  The new exam also analyzes players ability to choose appropriate behavior and how to avoid the pitfalls that often present themselves after players become professionals, offering more money, more privilege, more opportunity, but at the same time a lot more idle time that didn't exist since  perhaps before kindergarten, and definitely not during college or high school when they had the added challenge of academic curriculum to cope with as well.  All of these evaluation tools are designed to provide a clearer image of what exactly each player can bring to their respective football teams if they decide to choose each particular prospect in the NFL draft.  The investment commitment is quite substantial for franchise owners and investors, but it also aids the football players as well, offering information that may cause a program to choose specific player types to fit into a system that may be more suited for them to succeed, or may actually contribute to a drop off of player performance due to incompatibility with that system.

Where the Wonderlic exam included 12 minutes to answer as many questions as possible of the 50 multiple-choice questions offered and calculates each athlete's ability to answer the questions quickly, the new Player Assessment Tool is an exam allowing players 60 minutes to answer the questions, evaluating a completely different skill set unrelated to on-the-fly decisions necessary to be made on the playing field.  The number of questions on the PAT haven't been released, but it has been announced that the results of each player's test will not be released and unlike the Wonderlic, there are no test scores per se, only subjective evaluations made by each of the teams assessing the results of the tool. While many coaches and general managers consider the Wonderlic particularly useful in evaluating quarterbacks and offensive linemen, positions that are believed to demand the greatest intellect because of the need to decipher complex defenses, the hope is that the Player Assessment Tool, will give teams clearer insight into a broader range of players.

“I knew players who didn't score well on the Wonderlic but had great instincts,” said Ernie Accorsi, a former Giants general manager, who was consulted during the creation of the new test. “I had a player once, this guy played in a good league in college, but the psychological testing indicated he didn't handle pressure well. You know what? He didn't, as it turned out. The Wonderlic can’t tell you that.”

This new NFL Player Assessment Tool was created by Harold Goldstein, a professor of industrial and organizational psychology at Baruch College in New York.  He devised the test with Cyrus Mehri, a lawyer in Washington DC who chairs the Fritz Pollard alliance, which monitors the NFL's minority hiring practices along with the Rooney family who created the Rooney rule requiring NFL franchise general managers to interview at least one minority when going through the hiring practice for head coaches.  The creators of this test asked a group of general managers what qualities and attributes they wanted in potential prospects at the combine.  

They developed 16 aspects thought to be predictors of NFL players success, including learning agility and conscientiousness.  The test is very much like an exam given to firefighters because they, like football players, must be able to assess situations quickly and decide how to proceed while under extreme stress.

Recently, through the fog of rumor and controversy surrounding Notre Dame linebacker Manti T'eo, coaches and general managers and other player assessment officials have danced around the sensitive subject of sexual orientation with potential draftees at the various NFL scouting combines at various colleges around the nation as well as the largest combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Because of civil rights and political correctness, it has been a slippery slope to discuss personal aspects of selected prospects lives, especially sexual orientation topics. However, there seem to have been many gray areas utilized to enable team assessment representatives to determine exactly the mental preparedness that a player must have to function inside the various locker rooms of the NFL. National and local media journalists will certainly ask questions about the more hotly debated subjects with each particular player and Manti T'eo has been the poster boy for this complicated phase of player interviews at each of these combines and pro-days leading up to the NFL draft.  The question remains; Should player personnel officials be legally allowed to question the sexual orientation of NFL prospects, even if the question is not asked outright in specific words, is it fair (to the players) to ask personal questions that don't seem directly related to playing the game of football?  On the other hand, what makes football different from many of the other industries using similar evaluation processes, in terms of finding employment throughout the business world, is that not all employees share a locker room with those of a different sexual orientation than their own.  Still, this is a complicated subject that will likely not be resolved anytime soon.  Several players at the recent Indianapolis scouting combine reported being asked questions that related to sexual orientation without actually asking the question "are you gay?"  Questions like; "Do you date girls?"  Or "Do you have any children?"  Or "Are you married or have you been married to a woman?"  Players reported feeling uncomfortable about some of the personal questions asked at the combine which has now blown into a full-fledged controversy and it all surrounds the Notre Dame linebacker T'eo whether or not he's connected to any of it or not.  All of this, was of course, brought on by the controversy after he was the victim of a prank where a person to which he is acquainted created a nonexistent woman who was allegedly dying of a form of leukemia.  Through conversations on the telephone and text messages and e-mails, he had a long-distance romantic affair with her though he never met her personally.  What made the situation become more infamous was that the linebacker used the story to motivate him and quickly the story became a national phenomenon.  Then, through a leak somewhere within this complicated story, it was discovered that there was no woman and was no imminent death from cancer and the whole thing had been concocted by a friend of T'eo as a prank that went too far.  After this information hit the media, it took off like a blazing wildfire and at the center of the flames was Manti T'eo.  

The question was Now; "Did the Notre Dame football star know about the hoax and more specifically, When was he aware that there was no cancer, no imminent death from leukemia or even a woman at all? Ultimately, there was no way that Manti T'eo was going to avoid the questions that the media would certainly ask and even more importantly, how is he going to answer the questions posed to him by NFL team officials at the scouting combine or his Notre Dame pro day?  T'eo agreed to go on a nationally televised program hosted by Katie Couric where he was asked several very poignant questions including; "Why did you ever make an attempt to see this dying woman whom you reportedly cared for romantically?"  "When did you know about the hoax?"  And "Why didn't you come clean about this prank played on you immediately when you knew that it indeed was a prank?"  And perhaps the most commonly asked question; "Are you gay?" T'eo's answer is to all of these questions were convoluted and unclear, except for the last question.  Couric asked him frankly, "Are you gay?"  And his answer was, "No, far from it."

Now, comes the complicated process of deciding just exactly what Manti T'eo's value is in the upcoming NFL draft in April, and if his draft status changes, will it be because of his subpar performance at the Indianapolis scouting combine, or will it be because of the hypersensitivity of openly gay athletes in professional sports?  Many players have expressed on the record and off just exactly how uncomfortable they would be having a gay teammate in the locker room or on the field. Recently, 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver expressed that gays were not welcome by him to play in the NFL, a statement that he later recanted and apologized for online through Twitter messages.  However, many believe he is just a microcosm of what NFL players really feel about having gays in the locker room or on the football field with them, openly gay. 
There are several issues facing the NFL and college athletics alike.  Times are changing in America, albeit very slowly in some instances.  There have been a handful of former professional athletes who have come out and become open about their sexual orientation, but so far there haven't been any active players with the fortitude it takes to crack through the biases related with athletics in America.  I'm sure that will change someday, but like the military for so many years, it's done ask don't tell for the most part… Until it becomes more common, player evaluation officials are going to have to skirt around the issue with sensitive, quite delicate questions that are already under scrutiny by players and civil liberty activists protesting what they believe to be an obvious barrier and discrimination.

It is both good news and bad news for players to anticipate the evaluation process during these interviews and tests processes during scouting combines and pro days.  On one hand, it gives each player an opportunity to show something to perspective coaches and owners that everything that makes a football player doesn't always happen during tangible skill assessments like; 40 yard dashes, L-jumps, V- jumps, benchpress and the agility exercises in field drills.  After all, some of the more dismal showings at the Indianapolis scouting combine belongs to QB Tom Brady who needed to be timed in the 40 with the sundial, Dan Marino who may have needed to be timed with the calendar and several other players who were unable to impress during the combine drills but went on to become great, even legendary football players.  The Wonderlic Exam and the Player Assessment Tool are designed to test players for non-tangible strengths or weaknesses, not to evaluate a player to become a football talent.

Now, with the scouting combine completed, it's time to look to the many "Pro Days" for each of the college prospects invited to these events.  Several players who have officially declared for the NFL draft have decided not to participate at any of the scouting combines, some by choice and some haven't been cleared physically to participate.  QB Matt Barkley USC, OLB Jarvis Jones Florida, RB Eddie Lacy Alabama among many other players not participating could hurt their draft stock but not necessarily.  Players already projected to go high in the first round may be concerned that a poor showing may lower them in the eyes of potential franchises.  On the other hand, those prospects graded poorly for one reason or another look to the combines and pro days to redeem themselves and show their speed, agility and strength.  Other players feel that they deserve better analysis and feel that the combine events can help hoist their trade stock.  Interested enough, whether or not most franchise general managers and coaches admit it, they do utilize the results of the Wonderlic and Player Assessment Tool to determine certain characteristics that make a player valuable or not valuable.

In closing: 

Regardless of what tests are used to determine player value, there will always be the intangibles of players that cannot be measured through on-field drills, speed, endurance or agility exercises.  Nor can various tests showing; intellect, drive, motivation, passion or assessment skills determine the infallibility of predicting how good a football player will be once he is drafted and called on to make plays on a football field.  These are only slightly sophisticated measuring tools designed to help form an educated guess (or hypotheses) on the viability of each individual player to succeed at the next level, the National Football League.  There are still going to be busts and players who are passed over in the draft, yet become superstars and even Hall of Fame players. So far, the Player Assessment Tool has been added to the long time Wonderlic exam,

Regardless of what benchmarks are created to determine specific player value, there will always be the player who possesses so many positive intangibles that GM's and coaches throughout the league must put aside the traditional measurement tools used to determine whether or not an athlete has what it takes to succeed at the highest level in America's most popular and most followed sport.  Nor can various tests showing intellect, drive, motivation, passion or assessment skills predict infallibility of players and how successful a player will be once he steps on to a professional football field.  Prospects invited to the NFL combine are measured for traditional values like; height, weight, arm length, and hand size.  Those are only guidelines that give a talented football player better chances at meeting an assumed potential based on those tangible statistics, not a predetermined guaranteed that a player will be successful or unsuccessful.

POKER FACES: Seattle Not Showing Their Hand

Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider holding their cards close to the vest as NFL draft approaches.

The Seattle Seahawks are one of the teams that have the roster, coaching staff and team owner that has placed itself in a position to compete, not only for an NFC West division title, but a berth in Super Bowl XLVIII. 

As the NFL draft approaches (April 25) each team analyzes their current roster and any weaknesses that need to be remedied either through free agent acquisitions or by drafting players specifically to fill a void.  This will be one of the deepest drafts in recent history loaded with defensive lineman, corners and in particular, some of the best offensive lineman ever. The first pick in the draft has been one of the most difficult to predict, primarily because there is no consensus standout in this draft.  Kansas City will select first unless they trade their pick, but no one knows just exactly what direction the Chiefs will go.  Quarterback was there most glaring weakness in 2012, but now Chiefs QB Matt Cassel will likely be released after the San Francisco 49ers traded their backup quarterback, Alex Smith, to Kansas City for what looks like a pair of 2nd round draft choices, one this year and another similar selection in 2014.  Now, new coach Andy Reid will have to reevaluate exactly what's best for the Chiefs organization. Star Lotulelei, University of Utah outstanding defensive end, looks to be worthy of the number one selection now that his health status has been stabilized by doctors. During the scouting combine in Indianapolis last month, Lotulelei had a preliminary diagnosis of a possible heart condition.  After meeting with physicians back in Utah, it was determined that he had a clean bill of health.  It will be interesting to see if the preliminary worries will scare some GM's away from using an early around selection on a player that might have other health concerns.  Recently, in a report broadcast on the NFL network, the Kansas City Chiefs could possibly draft for another area of need, corner, by selecting the best in the country, Dee Millerner from Alabama.  There is no clear-cut quarterback available in this draft, though some teams still covet USC QB Matt Barkley.  Barkley didn't throw or run at the Indianapolis combine, but plans to work out at the USC proday later this month.  That work out will likely determine just how high in the draft Barkley will be projected.  The Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals are all suffering from a lack of quarterback security, but reaching  for team need might be a foolish way to approach this draft.  There simply are no standout athletes in this draft at the QB position.  West Virginia's Genio Smith, USC's Matt Barkley, NC State's Mike Glennon, Oklahoma's Landry Jones and Arkansas's Tyler Wilson are all decent athletes, but there is general doubt that any of these quarterbacks are destined to become franchise quarterbacks in the NFL. It is possible that the Kansas City Chiefs made  deal their first selection to the highest bidder.  The depth of the draft favors teams rebuilding and needing to do so in the mid-and later round selections.

The Seahawks had 10 selections last year and several positions to fill on the roster.  Head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider had what was considered by many to be the most successful draft class in the league.  In fact, all 10 players from the 2012 draft are still on the roster in some capacity.  In this year's 7 round draft, the Seahawks have 12 selections and very few areas that are in need of filling.  Actually, the positions that Seattle will draft for are not areas of need, but more areas to improve.  Most draft analysts believe that the Seahawks will draft for; wide receiver, defensive end and linebacker.  I happen to agree and believe that they could draft any of those positions with their 25 pick in the first round and 56 pick overall in the 2nd round. This is a draft that would be difficult for the Seahawks to bungle up, although it's still difficult to predict exactly which player they covet to become a Seattle Seahawk.  Pete Carroll and John Schneider are keeping their poker-face, as per usual. I've tried to predict the players that Seattle would select in all 3 of Pete Carroll's draft classes with Seattle and have hit on exactly zero of them. However, I don't feel too badly… Mel Kiper Jr., Todd McShay, Charly Casserly, Mike Mayock and John Clayton missed completely on Seattle's first 3 rounds and every selection after that.

Aside from the draft, free agency is another direction Seattle can go to fill positions they want to with veteran leadership and the kind of physical presence that Seattle players are known for.  There are several names floating around the league of players that could contribute to Seattle's present roster, but usually those players come with a large price tag to go with their big name.  Since the NFL Players Association negotiated the new collective bargaining agreement with the NFL owners committee, there is now a control on rookie salaries for the first 3-4 years in the NFL. This now makes it advantageous to build a team through the draft rather than stockpiling a collection of high paid free agents in an attempt to build a dream team.  In the past, rookies selected higher in the draft would sign huge contracts with large signing bonuses and guaranteed money that would hamstring the losing teams with players that didn't pan out and adding too much money to the salary cap limitation.  The poor teams were just getting poorer, in talent as well as monetarily. The NFL prides itself on its ability to create parity among the 32 franchises giving each team a chance to succeed both financially as well as on the field.  This is exactly how John Schneider and Pete Carroll have put together the Seattle Seahawks.  

Coach Carroll has had 3 years to build the Seahawks into a contender and he has done just that and very little money has been wasted in the process.  The duo of Schneider and Carroll did attempt to bring in a few free agents, but they were unfortunately a disappointment more than anything.  T.J. Houshmandzadeh was a disappointing experiment that looked good at first, but he became a divisive force in the locker room and locked horns with the coaching staff as his statistics plummeted  as a Seahawk.  Next, Carroll and Schneider brought in free agent wide receiver Sidney Rice formerly with the Minnesota Vikings.  His first year was a disaster as rice sustained a variety of injuries including both shoulders, ankle, and concussions that kept him off the field for the majority of the 2011 season.  In the off-season, rice had a double surgical procedure done on both the right and left shoulders.  He entered training camp wearing the red jersey making him off-limits for contact throughout the preseason camp until the final week before the first preseason game. Rice redeemed himself having a decent 2012 season and helping rookie quarterback Russell Wilson to have one of the best rookie seasons in the history of the NFL. In addition to signing Sidney Rice as a free agent, other notable players brought in to help Seattle were; DE Jason Jones, DT Clinton McDonald, DT Alan Branch and most notably, DE Chris Clemons acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles in Carroll's first year with Seattle.  

However, Pete Carroll has built this football team by shrewd drafting, player development and finding players with unique skill sets that no one else seemingly wanted.  Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Brandon Browner and Doug Baldwin have all been players slighted by other GM's and recruiters who have thrived under the coaching of the Seattle Seahawks.  Attempting to predict which players Seattle will sign this season is almost futile unless you have some kind of inside information that is harder to get than a pair of Jordan sneakers under $300.  Carroll and Schneider have been extremely tightlipped about their plans in the upcoming draft and even the draft gurus haven't really attempting to predict what this drafting duo will do this year.  In the previous seasons draft, all of the so-called experts criticized the Seahawks draft class and even went so far as to say that the Seahawks' number one pick (DE Bruce Irvin) was a wasted selection and that their third-round selection (QB Russell Wilson) would never be a starter in the NFL because he was too short.  Bleacher Report gave the Seahawks a draft grade of a C- only sending them from a failing grade because of the 2nd round selection (Bobby Wagner) who some believed would be a decent linebacker someday.  Obviously, we now know that all of that gibberish and nonsense meant absolutely nothing to the Seahawks or the players they drafted.

One of the more interesting possibilities for the Seahawks is what they will do if an extremely talented player slides to the 25th pick and it turns out the Seahawks don't have a need for the player available?  Names that fall into that category could be; QB Matt Barkley, CB Desmond Trufant, ILB Manti T'eo, or S Kenny Vaccaro.  These are all outstanding players, but because of the depth in the draft these athletes could possibly slide to the backside of the first round.  Matt Flynn continues to be a QB name that floats around the media as a player that could be sought after by teams without a franchise quarterback.  The New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns are all teams said to be searching for a solution at the most important position in football.  Flynn doesn't have a long history to look back at and evaluate his value, but he does have the intangibles and the short pedigree that might pique the interest in some general managers around the NFL.
One of the more interesting possibilities for the Seahawks "War Room" is if one of the highly ranked prospects slips to the number 25 position in the draft but turns out to be a position player with the Seahawks don't necessarily need in the first round?  Players that fall into this category include; QB Matt Barkley, CB Desmond Trufant and ILB Manti T'eo.  One caveat that is worthy of consideration includes the possibility of the Seahawks moving Matt Flynn in one way or another.  Seattle's front office intimated that they are looking at options for Flynn in case offers come before or during the draft.  Several teams in the NFL are still struggling to find a franchise quarterback and could come calling for Seattle's backup.  This is a year with very few impact players in the first round of the draft, and even fewer impact signal callers.  If Seattle were to trade Flynn, they would be in a position to find a backup quarterback for starter Russell Wilson.  It will be necessary to find a backup first, before dealing with anyone considering Matt Flynn. There are only a few free-agent quarterbacks available and they're going quickly.  The top of the QB free-agent list is Matt Moore of the Miami Dolphins, with San Francisco, Kansas City, and Cleveland already considering signing him. The Seahawks could join that list if they are to trade Flynn before the draft.

Things for the Seahawks look exciting and everyone in Seattle is hopeful that the team can not only match the great season last year, but build on that and ultimately overtake the 49ers in the NFC West and play deep into the playoffs.  However, there is a lot of work to be done and the Seahawks need to identify the areas of improvement and draft appropriately.  I also believe that Seattle must be very aggressive in the free-agent market and go after the player or players that will help push the Seahawks over the hump making them the team to beat in 2013.  It is still 49 days until the NFL draft, but it's only 6 days away from the opening of free agency.  March 12 will hopefully come in like a lion and go out like a bigger lion for the Seahawks.

Players that are reportedly on the Seattle Seahawks radar:

• Dwight Freeney, DE, Indianapolis Colts
• Cliff Avril, DE, Detroit Lions
• Wes Welker, WR, New England Patriots
• Greg Jennings, WR, Green Bay Packers
• Mike Wallace, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
• Glenn Dorsey, DE, Kansas City Chiefs
• Percy Harvin, WR, Minnesota Vikings
• Jared Cook, TE, Tennessee Titans