Saturday, August 30, 2008
it's 9:20 in the morning. time for beer and chimichangas.
so, the last preseason game was last night, and i was hoping it would clear some things up. i feel somewhat prophetic, although guilty, as ben obomanu went down with a broken clavicle. this pretty much guarantees he'll go on the ir. this is both good and bad. good, because we get to keep him for another year. bad, because he broke his collarbone. logan payne has really been making his mark on special teams the past few weeks, so he had pretty much secured the last spot in my mind. with his speed, he might be our gunner this year on the coverage units, despite his lack of size.
last game, charlie frye had a great game, and showed that he can be a backup. seneca had a GREAT game last night, proving that if we can hold on to him he could be our qb of the future. this was the best i've ever seen him play. he was right on the money with all of his throws, and was making good decisions. in the past, he's had the tendency to miss receivers, or throw into traffic which caused incompletions and turnovers, but not last night. he was great. my charlie frye stunt was really just a dirty trick to avoid cutting someone. i knew it wasn't going to work, but oh well. on to the decisions.
baraka atkins or jason babin?
baraka had a solid, if not spectacular game. i don't think it was enough to leapfrog back over babin, who has had a sack in three consecutive games. babin jumped above atkins with an inspired training camp, and i think he gets the nod. it breaks my heart.
cj wallace or jamar adams?
i was hoping jamar adams would take another leap forward in these last two games, but he didn't. he got flagged for a pass interference penalty that lost us the game against san diego, and really didn't stand out this week. cj wallace was doing his thing, managing to be right in the thick of things, if not making the play. i think wallace makes the team due to his special team contributions, and adams goes to the practice squad.
olindo mare or brandon coutu?
this thing is dead even. it has been all through camp. the only thing that really seperates them right now is mare's booming kickoffs. i think this is going to give mare the nod, especially after seeing how abysmal our kickoff coverage was last night. the more touchbacks we get, the less 55 yard returns we give up. can we stash coutu on the practice squad? does it really matter? we can always draft another kicker in the 7th round again in two years after mare's contract is done, or next year if mare bombs. or sign any of a million college kickers who are now free agents, because there are only 32 jobs total in the world.
one more shitty thing, tyler schmitt, the long snapper we drafted in the 6th round to cement that position is out for the season with a possibly career-ending chronic back condition. it didn't show up in the combine physicals, so it might be some flukeish thing that can be treated with rest and therapy, but i am not optimistic. so we are stuck with whatshisface robinson, the 38 year old that we pulled out of deep retirement midseason to be the third longsnapper to hurl wayward balls at poor ryan plackenmeier last season. luckily, fudge has turned into a great holder by necessity. you probably noticed him last night snatching ball after ball out from behind his head on field goals and extra points last night. it could be worse. the old guy is pretty big, and was the best out of the three losers we tried out last season. this year he gets an extra two weeks of practice. i think he started on like 3 days notice last season.
everything else is pretty set. i don't see too many surprises. which leads us to something more fun and speculative, the practice squad. this year we get 9 players on the practice squad, due to our international allowance player, Sam Gutekunst (yes, i had to go look that up). so that is kind of cool, it lets us stash an extra lineman. in case you are wondering, the practice squad rules are as follows:
each team is allowed 8 practice squad members (and new this year, 1 international allowance to replace the defunct nfl europe player allowances). practice squad members are only eligible a) after they clear waivers, b) if they have not served more than 2 years on any team's practice squad, and c) if they have not been active for more than 9 nfl games. any team can sign players off any team's practice squad, as long as they put them directly on the 53 man roster, and the player wants to go. some smart teams (like the seahawks) have started paying some of their bigger name practice squad members the full rookie minimum to stay with the team. a prime example is logan payne, who reportedly had several chances to sign with other teams last season and declined. good for us :) so here's the list. honestly, i haven't really been paying as much attention to the deep stringers on either line, because they didn't have a chance, but i'll throw some people down anyways.
wr- michael bumpus. in a different year, he would have made the team. he had a great camp, and a better preseason. we just have too many young receivers. there is a chance he makes the opening season roster due to the injuries to engram, branch, and now obomanu, and gets stashed on the practice squad later.
s- jamar adams. we've covered this guy, perhaps more than he deserves. it is possible he will be snatched up on the waiver wire.
k- brandon coutu. ditto
te- joe newton. this guy has potential, if he can learn how to run routes. great hands and big body, just seems lost in this offense, even after a full year on the practice squad.
ol- kyle williams. i would have put pat murray in this spot, but he racked up like 4 penalties last night, so i think he lost his spot.
dl- nu'u tafisi. big samoan de who spent last season on the practice squad. i put him on here because my ex-coworkers know him, not because i think he'll ever contribute :P lets get their family paid.
lb- dallas sartz. he makes the practice squad as the last man standing. we need bodies at linebacker in practice, and he is the only one who didn't hurt himself.
s- kelin johnson. should probably be mentioned in the jamar adams/cj wallace discussion, but not really because he isn't as good as either of them.
wr- trent shelton. more wr depth. i admit, i don't know much about this guy, beyond the fact that he was a rookie undrafted free agent this year, and he is still on the roster :P
ol- Sam Gutekunst. big german says NEIN!!! to getting cut.
alright, so, it is an imperfect thing. in an ideal world, i would know the name of another defensive tackle to put on the list, but i don't, so fuck it. johnson and shelton could be replaced by any number of roster-fodder types who probably will never see the active roster in the nfl, but provide us with bodies for the team to practice against.
today is the day, though. final cuts need to be made, so i expect we'll see reports start to trickle in this afternoon on the blogs, and a write up in the papers tomorrow morning if we are lucky. season starts next weekend woooo!!!
so, the last preseason game was last night, and i was hoping it would clear some things up. i feel somewhat prophetic, although guilty, as ben obomanu went down with a broken clavicle. this pretty much guarantees he'll go on the ir. this is both good and bad. good, because we get to keep him for another year. bad, because he broke his collarbone. logan payne has really been making his mark on special teams the past few weeks, so he had pretty much secured the last spot in my mind. with his speed, he might be our gunner this year on the coverage units, despite his lack of size.
last game, charlie frye had a great game, and showed that he can be a backup. seneca had a GREAT game last night, proving that if we can hold on to him he could be our qb of the future. this was the best i've ever seen him play. he was right on the money with all of his throws, and was making good decisions. in the past, he's had the tendency to miss receivers, or throw into traffic which caused incompletions and turnovers, but not last night. he was great. my charlie frye stunt was really just a dirty trick to avoid cutting someone. i knew it wasn't going to work, but oh well. on to the decisions.
baraka atkins or jason babin?
baraka had a solid, if not spectacular game. i don't think it was enough to leapfrog back over babin, who has had a sack in three consecutive games. babin jumped above atkins with an inspired training camp, and i think he gets the nod. it breaks my heart.
cj wallace or jamar adams?
i was hoping jamar adams would take another leap forward in these last two games, but he didn't. he got flagged for a pass interference penalty that lost us the game against san diego, and really didn't stand out this week. cj wallace was doing his thing, managing to be right in the thick of things, if not making the play. i think wallace makes the team due to his special team contributions, and adams goes to the practice squad.
olindo mare or brandon coutu?
this thing is dead even. it has been all through camp. the only thing that really seperates them right now is mare's booming kickoffs. i think this is going to give mare the nod, especially after seeing how abysmal our kickoff coverage was last night. the more touchbacks we get, the less 55 yard returns we give up. can we stash coutu on the practice squad? does it really matter? we can always draft another kicker in the 7th round again in two years after mare's contract is done, or next year if mare bombs. or sign any of a million college kickers who are now free agents, because there are only 32 jobs total in the world.
one more shitty thing, tyler schmitt, the long snapper we drafted in the 6th round to cement that position is out for the season with a possibly career-ending chronic back condition. it didn't show up in the combine physicals, so it might be some flukeish thing that can be treated with rest and therapy, but i am not optimistic. so we are stuck with whatshisface robinson, the 38 year old that we pulled out of deep retirement midseason to be the third longsnapper to hurl wayward balls at poor ryan plackenmeier last season. luckily, fudge has turned into a great holder by necessity. you probably noticed him last night snatching ball after ball out from behind his head on field goals and extra points last night. it could be worse. the old guy is pretty big, and was the best out of the three losers we tried out last season. this year he gets an extra two weeks of practice. i think he started on like 3 days notice last season.
everything else is pretty set. i don't see too many surprises. which leads us to something more fun and speculative, the practice squad. this year we get 9 players on the practice squad, due to our international allowance player, Sam Gutekunst (yes, i had to go look that up). so that is kind of cool, it lets us stash an extra lineman. in case you are wondering, the practice squad rules are as follows:
each team is allowed 8 practice squad members (and new this year, 1 international allowance to replace the defunct nfl europe player allowances). practice squad members are only eligible a) after they clear waivers, b) if they have not served more than 2 years on any team's practice squad, and c) if they have not been active for more than 9 nfl games. any team can sign players off any team's practice squad, as long as they put them directly on the 53 man roster, and the player wants to go. some smart teams (like the seahawks) have started paying some of their bigger name practice squad members the full rookie minimum to stay with the team. a prime example is logan payne, who reportedly had several chances to sign with other teams last season and declined. good for us :) so here's the list. honestly, i haven't really been paying as much attention to the deep stringers on either line, because they didn't have a chance, but i'll throw some people down anyways.
wr- michael bumpus. in a different year, he would have made the team. he had a great camp, and a better preseason. we just have too many young receivers. there is a chance he makes the opening season roster due to the injuries to engram, branch, and now obomanu, and gets stashed on the practice squad later.
s- jamar adams. we've covered this guy, perhaps more than he deserves. it is possible he will be snatched up on the waiver wire.
k- brandon coutu. ditto
te- joe newton. this guy has potential, if he can learn how to run routes. great hands and big body, just seems lost in this offense, even after a full year on the practice squad.
ol- kyle williams. i would have put pat murray in this spot, but he racked up like 4 penalties last night, so i think he lost his spot.
dl- nu'u tafisi. big samoan de who spent last season on the practice squad. i put him on here because my ex-coworkers know him, not because i think he'll ever contribute :P lets get their family paid.
lb- dallas sartz. he makes the practice squad as the last man standing. we need bodies at linebacker in practice, and he is the only one who didn't hurt himself.
s- kelin johnson. should probably be mentioned in the jamar adams/cj wallace discussion, but not really because he isn't as good as either of them.
wr- trent shelton. more wr depth. i admit, i don't know much about this guy, beyond the fact that he was a rookie undrafted free agent this year, and he is still on the roster :P
ol- Sam Gutekunst. big german says NEIN!!! to getting cut.
alright, so, it is an imperfect thing. in an ideal world, i would know the name of another defensive tackle to put on the list, but i don't, so fuck it. johnson and shelton could be replaced by any number of roster-fodder types who probably will never see the active roster in the nfl, but provide us with bodies for the team to practice against.
today is the day, though. final cuts need to be made, so i expect we'll see reports start to trickle in this afternoon on the blogs, and a write up in the papers tomorrow morning if we are lucky. season starts next weekend woooo!!!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
alright, it is time. after 2 preseason games, a few mini camps, part of a training camp, and a whole lot of information absorption through daily reading osmosis, i am bringing back the roster. oh roster building, why do i love you. i am going to try and give a position by position breakdown while i am doing them, instead of lumping everything together at the end.
mid-camp 53
offense.
qb
1. Matt Hasselbeck- he's missed 2 practices now after getting his back dinged up, but i am not so worried. he's not going to play much in the preseason anyways.
2. Seneca Wallace- strike that whole bit i wrote about legitimate number 3's. seneca is not going to see the field at all this year, because charlie frye sucks. thanks for squashing my dreams.
3. Charlie Frye- screw this guy, he still sucks. i want the team to start the season with 2 qb's, because we need his roster space for talent we can actually use.
the obvious change is the removal of our third qb. this is mostly for roster purposes, so i can squeeze another player in at one of the other skill positions. it is all wishful thinking though. holmgren will be extremely adverse to the idea, just like he was last year when they traded for frye. who knows, maybe he will gamble in his last season. we could always send russell out there in a pinch. that would be comic gold, actually.
rb
3. Julius Jones- has shown me a lot, if not in the statistics. what you hear about him from practice is his willingness to take a hit. in fact, it sounds like most of the time he is the one initiating the contact. this fact instantly makes our running game better than last year. don't believe homlgren's dual starter posturing. even if they start the season splitting carries, jj is going to earn the bulk of them with his hard play.
4. Mo Morris- he will be a threat in the passing game this year as the screen pass gets fully worked into the offense.
5. T.J. Duckett- i don't know if he makes the team, honestly. if you see him crossed out, he was my final cut. i want to keep him on the team.
6. Leonard Weaver- took over as starting fullback when mack strong hurt his neck. isn't a prototypical blocking fullback, his strengths are running the ball and catching outlets. i can see him turning into a T.J. Duckett type rb/fb hybrid down the line now that we have...
7. Owen Schmitt- he is on the team because i need him on the special teams. it is something i crave deeply. i wish for the sake of roster space i could slip him on to the practice squad, but he has to be there killing people.
8. Justin Forsett- holy crap did this guy come out of nowhere. mr. tiny has shown some huge talent in games, starting with the scrimmage at qwest field where he stood out as the top performer. last week he put up something like 135 yards on 16 carries. hopefully he gets some time against the number 1 defenses in the last two preseason games so we can see if he is for real. his skills as a return man helps his chances.
forsett has really forced his way onto the team. duckett is kind of on the edge looking in, but will get some goal line and 3rd down carries. too many backs, not enough rock!
wr
9. Deion Branch- damn, i was hoping i could cheat and use 8 weeks of PUP list status to squeeze someone else on the roster. nope, he should be back in the first few weeks, so he gets a roster space. the awesome news, he'll be back in the first few weeks of the season :)
10. Bobby Engram- should be back week 5 after the bye. he still gets his roster spot. stupid in between injuries.
11. Nate Burleson- it pretty much official. injuries to both branch and engram means he will be no where near the special teams squad. it isn't as bad as it sounds, as jordan kent, josh wilson, and justin forsett have all flashed some potential. with the young receiver competition taking up most of the wr page space, we haven't heard much about burleson. one great blurb i read was that burleson has been on the young receivers about the importance of correct and precise route-running. music to my ears nate! you'll get plenty of time improvise and flash your open field skills after you make the catch. i'm drafting him on all of my fantasy teams this year.
11. Ben Obomanu- this hurts. this really really hurts. he just hasn't shown me enough, and i like the other guys better.
12. Courtney Taylor- had a minor hamstring injury at the beginning of the camp, but seems to have come back fine. is on the bubble with obomanu for me, although the team probably has payne and kent on the bubble, which is like a knife through the heart. all i hear about taylor is how fluid he is in his routes, and making the catch. sounds like a natural receiving talent.
13. Logan Payne- oh man this guy wants on the team. he is going to take a freaking BEATING in the slot, and he doesn't care. as it stands right on the depth chart, he is our #3 and starting slot receiver.
14. Jordan Kent- the greatest development of this training camp for me is the progression of jordan kent. everyone has been raving about him. he is turning into a football player. he played basketball in college, and came to the team raw with little football experience. this was shown by some of the odd little things he did, like jumping for every catch he tried to make. but he put some serious work in over the last year and a half or so, and things are starting to click. he has had a huge camp, and in my opinion should be a lock to make this team, even if it means cutting an nfl ready player at another position. if this guy hits, he has the talent to be a superstar once he finishes learning how to be a football player. he has the talent to produce right now, without all of the know-how. it is kind of scary.
obomanu, why do you have to be cut. i liked you, but not enough apparently. i just can't see the team carrying 7 receivers, even with the injuries.
ol
15. Walter Jones- holmgren has him on his veteran plan, so jones is getting plenty of rest and is staying healthy. all indications show that his is enjoying himself immensely going up against rookie de lawrence jackson. and by going up against, i mean repeatedly destroying without breaking a sweat. that is in no way a knock on jackson, just a testament to how lucky we are to have big walt
16. Mike Wahle- we haven't heard much about wahle, but he has been healthy, so that is a plus.
17. Chris Spencer- the biggest news of the last few days is that spencer is back at practice after recovering from shoulder surgery. the line has been a mishmash this camp due to injuries, and having him back is a huge plus. hopefully 3 weeks of work will be enough to get him up to speed, and working in unison with his other linemates.
18. Rob Sims- like wahle, we haven't heard much about him, but that is probably a good thing. at least he hasn't been injured.
19. Sean Locklear- is out right now with some minor injury that i forget. should be back in the next few weeks..
20. Ray Willis- has been on the walter jones plan, missing regular practices while coming back from his own offseason surgery. i still love this guy. he is freaking huge, and athletic. someday he will be a starter on our line.
21. Chris Gray- like mack strong, an injury ended his career. good guy, but was old and losing his effectiveness. thanks for many seasons of awesome.
21. Mansfield Wrotto- he's been in there and not injured, which makes him a lock to make the team. has gotten snaps at center while injuries have taken their toll.
22. Steve Vallos- makes the team by default. before spencer came back from his injury, vallos got the majority of the snaps with the first string. it was rough at first, but it sounds like he has settled in nicely. nicely enough to be a backup, at least. kind of reminds me of robbie towbeck. slightly undersized, but makes up for it with guile and intensity.
23. Porkchop Womack- i left him off the first time because while he is our number one backup, i like all the other guys better than him. yeah, he makes the team. bah!
the line has been kind of in flux. having spencer back is a huge step towards having this line gel as a cohesive unit. apparently new line coach solari has made an immediate impression on all of the guys, and has earned their respect. i expect them to be decent but have some struggles in the first few games, but really come together and become a solid asset to the team as the season progresses.
te
24. John Carlson- there have been reversals. holmgren has been hard on him, and carlson has struggled learning the multifaceted nature of the te in the west coast offense. he hasn't folded yet, which is a good sign. he has just worked harder.
25. Jeb Putzier- he's doing what he's supposed to be doing, making catches. should see a good chunk of time on the field this season as carlson eases into the role as starter.
26. Will Heller- another candidate to be squeezed out by young talent, but i can't see it happening. he is the only te with experience in the system, and that goes a long way.
defense
dt
27. Rocky Bernard- plugging along and still the starter. apparently he was dealing with some groin and ankle injuries last season that slowed him down. his groin issues seem to be turning him into a chronic thing, but he can play through them due to the rotation system.
28. Brendan Mebane- he is giving mike wahle fits in practice due to his low center of gravity. definitely the starter along bernard.
29. Craig Terrill- i am going to get really fucking sick of hearing his songs if they keep playing them all the time as lead-ins during the broadcast.
30. Red Bryant- he's hurt, which sucks. he was all anyone could write about before he went down. he keeps his roster space, and there is a chance he will be back week 1
30. Larry Triplett- if terrill had been injured instead of bryant, he would have made the team. we signed him as a 3 tech back, but we need another anchor on the line to rotate with mebane while bryant gets back to full health.
31. Howard Green- with tubbs release and bryant's injury, he becomes the #2 runstuffer. its ok. he's pretty young, he's freaking huge, and he showed some talent at the end of last season.
so, we'll get bryant back, who is apparently a beast. green is a fine stopgap. our tackles are looking really good though. in fact the whole team is looking good. we are so deep at every position, it is kind of crazy.
de
32. Patrick Kerney- still hands down the best end we have. he's seen some bumps and bruises, and the talent behind him might take him off the field more than last year, which might be a good thing seeing the way he faded in the final few weeks.
33. Lawrence Jackson- i be this guy can't wait for games to start so he can go up against someone besides walter jones. i really like this guy. as much as i love darryl tapp, this guy is a more well-rounded talent. i expect him to win the battle for the starting position.
34. Darryl Tapp- he has taken his 'demotion' better than i expected. he knows he'll still see a lot of playing time, and will thrive now that he is freed up to put his pass rush as a first priority.
35. Baraka Atkins- oh baraka! i didn't have to cut you!
36. Jason Babin- he saw an opportunity, and he is hungry for it. the end of last season, he realized he was not a lock on this team as he was, so he put in some hard work over the offseason to address his weaknesses. he put on 15 pounds of muscle and worked on his strength and conditioning. he has really been coming on in the past few weeks, and i expect him to make the final cut. he is a former first round talent, so if he works out, our d line will be one of the deepest in the league.
i am so freaking stoked!! i had this whole lament about why baraka was cut, but he made it. he freaking made it. special teams will get to see your signature arm-waving maneuvers.
lb
37. Lofa Tatupu- seriously, what more do we need to say.
38. Julian Peterson- ditto. almost a lock for the pro bowl along with tatupu if he stays healthy.
39. Leroy Hill- he wants that contract. he wants it bad. our linebacker unit is so good, they are competing with each other. hill will have his best year as a hawk if he can avoid his usual minor injuries.
40. DD Lewis- he has been a solid presence and stepped up well as injuries have slaughtered an already depleted unit.
41. Lance Laury- still a lock to make the team, and is definitely in the running to start the year as special teams captain.
40. Will Herring- has missed the majority of camp with some weird join inflammation issue that has stunted his healing abilities. it is ok, it makes our decision easy for us. he was way undersized anyways.
42. David Hawthorne- oh my god this guy is awesome!!! yes, three exclamation marks awesome. this guy has huge hitting ability. i mean huge. like stop people in their tracks mid-stride and send them backwards awesome. lofa tatupu has dubbed him "the heater", which is instantly one of the coolest nicknames on the team. he was a undrafted rookie free agent, and should be a lock to make the team at this point. finding a gem like him has completely turned around my outlook on the depth at linebacker.
suddenly this unit is in good shape. it looked sketchy there for a while, with mallard and herring going down, with assorted other injuries, but hawthorne has shown that he can not only hit, but play a pretty decent instinctual linebacker. this guy may be the best pickup of the undrafted free agent class.
db
43. Marcus Trufant- he's doing his best to make things tough on the young receivers.
44. Kelly Jennings- it sounds like he has had some great battles with jordan kent, despite giving up around 7 inches..
45. Jordan Babineaux- injured right now, but still a lock to make the team. it sounds like he will be the nickel back, and see some more time at safety that corner this season.
46. Josh Wilson- he's still kind of a crappy corner, but he can still fly, which makes up for it. i am not sure if he's on the team after a few years, and he will make his bucks in this league as a special team only sort of dude.
47. Deon Grant- quietly working his magic back there. we haven't heard much about him.
48. Brian Russell- things have also been quiet on the russell front. its good, i guess, that we already just expect these two to be solid, so nothing needs to be said.
47. CJ Wallace- i am not sure if he makes the team yet. i may need to cut him in a few minutes her for his roster space. like baraka, i don't know if he is eligible for the practice squad. he may just have to go.
49. Jamar Adams- somehow i deleted him. whoops. sorry cj, this guy is better, i think.
49. Omare Lowe- who cares! i already knew this guy sucked. i just put him on there because he was a name i recognized and i wasn't fully sold on hobbs.
50. Mike Green- yeah, we cut this guy pretty quick. oh well, he never panned out after coming over from chicago, so i get a freebie roster space back.
50. Kevin Hobbs- spent most of last year on the practice squad before making it up to the big team in the last few weeks and the playoffs. he showed some good things then, but has had a huge offseason. from week one of camp, it has been a foregone conclusion that he would make the team, which says a lot about the strides he has made. has pretty much taken the dime position and #2/3 corner position away from wilson with his coverage skills and reactions on the ball. if he turns into a legitimate corner, it will be huge in terms of depth
kevin hobbs. kevin hobbs. that is what you need to know about the secondary. between him and babineaux, we may not need any other backups. we will carry some, obviously, but those guys are good enough to provide all the depth we need.
special teams
51. Fudge Plackemeier- he missed the first half of training camp after injuring his pec weightlifting (i know, wtf). he's back now, and needs to show something to hold off ronnie hodges, who has been pretty ok while plack was down.
52. Tyler Schmitt- yeah, so all that hype was just hype. he is still not an nfl player quite yet. he's also injured. we've got some dude name lindsey or something who might beat him out, but i expect him to be the starter. otherwise, what a freaking waste of a 6th round pick.
53. Brandon Coutu- coutu made all of his field goals in the last game, but then again mare made both of his in the game before. mare may have the edge right now because of his huge kickoffs, but i think coutu still gets the nod.
who cares about these guys. i am already disappointed, because i think coutu will get cut.
so, there we have it.
mid-camp 53
offense.
qb
1. Matt Hasselbeck- he's missed 2 practices now after getting his back dinged up, but i am not so worried. he's not going to play much in the preseason anyways.
2. Seneca Wallace- strike that whole bit i wrote about legitimate number 3's. seneca is not going to see the field at all this year, because charlie frye sucks. thanks for squashing my dreams.
the obvious change is the removal of our third qb. this is mostly for roster purposes, so i can squeeze another player in at one of the other skill positions. it is all wishful thinking though. holmgren will be extremely adverse to the idea, just like he was last year when they traded for frye. who knows, maybe he will gamble in his last season. we could always send russell out there in a pinch. that would be comic gold, actually.
rb
3. Julius Jones- has shown me a lot, if not in the statistics. what you hear about him from practice is his willingness to take a hit. in fact, it sounds like most of the time he is the one initiating the contact. this fact instantly makes our running game better than last year. don't believe homlgren's dual starter posturing. even if they start the season splitting carries, jj is going to earn the bulk of them with his hard play.
4. Mo Morris- he will be a threat in the passing game this year as the screen pass gets fully worked into the offense.
5. T.J. Duckett- i don't know if he makes the team, honestly. if you see him crossed out, he was my final cut. i want to keep him on the team.
6. Leonard Weaver- took over as starting fullback when mack strong hurt his neck. isn't a prototypical blocking fullback, his strengths are running the ball and catching outlets. i can see him turning into a T.J. Duckett type rb/fb hybrid down the line now that we have...
7. Owen Schmitt- he is on the team because i need him on the special teams. it is something i crave deeply. i wish for the sake of roster space i could slip him on to the practice squad, but he has to be there killing people.
8. Justin Forsett- holy crap did this guy come out of nowhere. mr. tiny has shown some huge talent in games, starting with the scrimmage at qwest field where he stood out as the top performer. last week he put up something like 135 yards on 16 carries. hopefully he gets some time against the number 1 defenses in the last two preseason games so we can see if he is for real. his skills as a return man helps his chances.
forsett has really forced his way onto the team. duckett is kind of on the edge looking in, but will get some goal line and 3rd down carries. too many backs, not enough rock!
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9. Deion Branch- damn, i was hoping i could cheat and use 8 weeks of PUP list status to squeeze someone else on the roster. nope, he should be back in the first few weeks, so he gets a roster space. the awesome news, he'll be back in the first few weeks of the season :)
10. Bobby Engram- should be back week 5 after the bye. he still gets his roster spot. stupid in between injuries.
11. Nate Burleson- it pretty much official. injuries to both branch and engram means he will be no where near the special teams squad. it isn't as bad as it sounds, as jordan kent, josh wilson, and justin forsett have all flashed some potential. with the young receiver competition taking up most of the wr page space, we haven't heard much about burleson. one great blurb i read was that burleson has been on the young receivers about the importance of correct and precise route-running. music to my ears nate! you'll get plenty of time improvise and flash your open field skills after you make the catch. i'm drafting him on all of my fantasy teams this year.
12. Courtney Taylor- had a minor hamstring injury at the beginning of the camp, but seems to have come back fine. is on the bubble with obomanu for me, although the team probably has payne and kent on the bubble, which is like a knife through the heart. all i hear about taylor is how fluid he is in his routes, and making the catch. sounds like a natural receiving talent.
13. Logan Payne- oh man this guy wants on the team. he is going to take a freaking BEATING in the slot, and he doesn't care. as it stands right on the depth chart, he is our #3 and starting slot receiver.
14. Jordan Kent- the greatest development of this training camp for me is the progression of jordan kent. everyone has been raving about him. he is turning into a football player. he played basketball in college, and came to the team raw with little football experience. this was shown by some of the odd little things he did, like jumping for every catch he tried to make. but he put some serious work in over the last year and a half or so, and things are starting to click. he has had a huge camp, and in my opinion should be a lock to make this team, even if it means cutting an nfl ready player at another position. if this guy hits, he has the talent to be a superstar once he finishes learning how to be a football player. he has the talent to produce right now, without all of the know-how. it is kind of scary.
obomanu, why do you have to be cut. i liked you, but not enough apparently. i just can't see the team carrying 7 receivers, even with the injuries.
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15. Walter Jones- holmgren has him on his veteran plan, so jones is getting plenty of rest and is staying healthy. all indications show that his is enjoying himself immensely going up against rookie de lawrence jackson. and by going up against, i mean repeatedly destroying without breaking a sweat. that is in no way a knock on jackson, just a testament to how lucky we are to have big walt
16. Mike Wahle- we haven't heard much about wahle, but he has been healthy, so that is a plus.
17. Chris Spencer- the biggest news of the last few days is that spencer is back at practice after recovering from shoulder surgery. the line has been a mishmash this camp due to injuries, and having him back is a huge plus. hopefully 3 weeks of work will be enough to get him up to speed, and working in unison with his other linemates.
18. Rob Sims- like wahle, we haven't heard much about him, but that is probably a good thing. at least he hasn't been injured.
19. Sean Locklear- is out right now with some minor injury that i forget. should be back in the next few weeks..
20. Ray Willis- has been on the walter jones plan, missing regular practices while coming back from his own offseason surgery. i still love this guy. he is freaking huge, and athletic. someday he will be a starter on our line.
21. Mansfield Wrotto- he's been in there and not injured, which makes him a lock to make the team. has gotten snaps at center while injuries have taken their toll.
22. Steve Vallos- makes the team by default. before spencer came back from his injury, vallos got the majority of the snaps with the first string. it was rough at first, but it sounds like he has settled in nicely. nicely enough to be a backup, at least. kind of reminds me of robbie towbeck. slightly undersized, but makes up for it with guile and intensity.
23. Porkchop Womack- i left him off the first time because while he is our number one backup, i like all the other guys better than him. yeah, he makes the team. bah!
the line has been kind of in flux. having spencer back is a huge step towards having this line gel as a cohesive unit. apparently new line coach solari has made an immediate impression on all of the guys, and has earned their respect. i expect them to be decent but have some struggles in the first few games, but really come together and become a solid asset to the team as the season progresses.
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24. John Carlson- there have been reversals. holmgren has been hard on him, and carlson has struggled learning the multifaceted nature of the te in the west coast offense. he hasn't folded yet, which is a good sign. he has just worked harder.
25. Jeb Putzier- he's doing what he's supposed to be doing, making catches. should see a good chunk of time on the field this season as carlson eases into the role as starter.
26. Will Heller- another candidate to be squeezed out by young talent, but i can't see it happening. he is the only te with experience in the system, and that goes a long way.
defense
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27. Rocky Bernard- plugging along and still the starter. apparently he was dealing with some groin and ankle injuries last season that slowed him down. his groin issues seem to be turning him into a chronic thing, but he can play through them due to the rotation system.
28. Brendan Mebane- he is giving mike wahle fits in practice due to his low center of gravity. definitely the starter along bernard.
29. Craig Terrill- i am going to get really fucking sick of hearing his songs if they keep playing them all the time as lead-ins during the broadcast.
30. Red Bryant- he's hurt, which sucks. he was all anyone could write about before he went down. he keeps his roster space, and there is a chance he will be back week 1
31. Howard Green- with tubbs release and bryant's injury, he becomes the #2 runstuffer. its ok. he's pretty young, he's freaking huge, and he showed some talent at the end of last season.
so, we'll get bryant back, who is apparently a beast. green is a fine stopgap. our tackles are looking really good though. in fact the whole team is looking good. we are so deep at every position, it is kind of crazy.
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32. Patrick Kerney- still hands down the best end we have. he's seen some bumps and bruises, and the talent behind him might take him off the field more than last year, which might be a good thing seeing the way he faded in the final few weeks.
33. Lawrence Jackson- i be this guy can't wait for games to start so he can go up against someone besides walter jones. i really like this guy. as much as i love darryl tapp, this guy is a more well-rounded talent. i expect him to win the battle for the starting position.
34. Darryl Tapp- he has taken his 'demotion' better than i expected. he knows he'll still see a lot of playing time, and will thrive now that he is freed up to put his pass rush as a first priority.
35. Baraka Atkins- oh baraka! i didn't have to cut you!
36. Jason Babin- he saw an opportunity, and he is hungry for it. the end of last season, he realized he was not a lock on this team as he was, so he put in some hard work over the offseason to address his weaknesses. he put on 15 pounds of muscle and worked on his strength and conditioning. he has really been coming on in the past few weeks, and i expect him to make the final cut. he is a former first round talent, so if he works out, our d line will be one of the deepest in the league.
i am so freaking stoked!! i had this whole lament about why baraka was cut, but he made it. he freaking made it. special teams will get to see your signature arm-waving maneuvers.
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37. Lofa Tatupu- seriously, what more do we need to say.
38. Julian Peterson- ditto. almost a lock for the pro bowl along with tatupu if he stays healthy.
39. Leroy Hill- he wants that contract. he wants it bad. our linebacker unit is so good, they are competing with each other. hill will have his best year as a hawk if he can avoid his usual minor injuries.
40. DD Lewis- he has been a solid presence and stepped up well as injuries have slaughtered an already depleted unit.
41. Lance Laury- still a lock to make the team, and is definitely in the running to start the year as special teams captain.
42. David Hawthorne- oh my god this guy is awesome!!! yes, three exclamation marks awesome. this guy has huge hitting ability. i mean huge. like stop people in their tracks mid-stride and send them backwards awesome. lofa tatupu has dubbed him "the heater", which is instantly one of the coolest nicknames on the team. he was a undrafted rookie free agent, and should be a lock to make the team at this point. finding a gem like him has completely turned around my outlook on the depth at linebacker.
suddenly this unit is in good shape. it looked sketchy there for a while, with mallard and herring going down, with assorted other injuries, but hawthorne has shown that he can not only hit, but play a pretty decent instinctual linebacker. this guy may be the best pickup of the undrafted free agent class.
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43. Marcus Trufant- he's doing his best to make things tough on the young receivers.
44. Kelly Jennings- it sounds like he has had some great battles with jordan kent, despite giving up around 7 inches..
45. Jordan Babineaux- injured right now, but still a lock to make the team. it sounds like he will be the nickel back, and see some more time at safety that corner this season.
46. Josh Wilson- he's still kind of a crappy corner, but he can still fly, which makes up for it. i am not sure if he's on the team after a few years, and he will make his bucks in this league as a special team only sort of dude.
47. Deon Grant- quietly working his magic back there. we haven't heard much about him.
48. Brian Russell- things have also been quiet on the russell front. its good, i guess, that we already just expect these two to be solid, so nothing needs to be said.
49. Jamar Adams- somehow i deleted him. whoops. sorry cj, this guy is better, i think.
50. Kevin Hobbs- spent most of last year on the practice squad before making it up to the big team in the last few weeks and the playoffs. he showed some good things then, but has had a huge offseason. from week one of camp, it has been a foregone conclusion that he would make the team, which says a lot about the strides he has made. has pretty much taken the dime position and #2/3 corner position away from wilson with his coverage skills and reactions on the ball. if he turns into a legitimate corner, it will be huge in terms of depth
kevin hobbs. kevin hobbs. that is what you need to know about the secondary. between him and babineaux, we may not need any other backups. we will carry some, obviously, but those guys are good enough to provide all the depth we need.
special teams
51. Fudge Plackemeier- he missed the first half of training camp after injuring his pec weightlifting (i know, wtf). he's back now, and needs to show something to hold off ronnie hodges, who has been pretty ok while plack was down.
52. Tyler Schmitt- yeah, so all that hype was just hype. he is still not an nfl player quite yet. he's also injured. we've got some dude name lindsey or something who might beat him out, but i expect him to be the starter. otherwise, what a freaking waste of a 6th round pick.
53. Brandon Coutu- coutu made all of his field goals in the last game, but then again mare made both of his in the game before. mare may have the edge right now because of his huge kickoffs, but i think coutu still gets the nod.
who cares about these guys. i am already disappointed, because i think coutu will get cut.
so, there we have it.
Friday, August 01, 2008
passive agressive manipulative. that is my current warfish strategy. i cringe at what that says about my personality, but there it is. as much as i wish it wasn't true, or could change it, i am passive agressive, and i am manipulative. so i guess it is playing to my strengths. i am in the midst of my greatest warfish stretch ever. actually, i think it is ending, or has ended, but it is still close enough in my mind to be going on. we'll see how the 10 or so games i am in end. if i win one of them, i'll consider my streak alive. (pause for warfish turn)
or 2 turns
anyways, where was i? who cares. i've got to get this recipe out of my head for my sister. i'll be back later (how many months this time, he asks?)
or 2 turns
anyways, where was i? who cares. i've got to get this recipe out of my head for my sister. i'll be back later (how many months this time, he asks?)
