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Old questions persist
as new season dawns |
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ANALYSIS:
The Seahawks hope to finally address their problems on defense, cut down on
dropped passes and get increased output from tight end Jerramy
Stevens. |
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[SOUTH
SOUND Edition] |
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The News
Tribune - |
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Author: |
MIKE SANDO |
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Date: |
Jul 29,
2005 |
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C.01 |
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Section: |
SPORTS |
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Text Word
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728 |
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Document
Text |
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Copyright
The McClatchy Company Jul 29, 2005 The NFL's 10th-ranked offense
returns almost intact for 2005. It's the league's 26th-ranked
defense that most concerns the Seattle Seahawks as they open training camp
this morning at For all the justifiable concerns on
that side of the football, the Seahawks are not much different from many
teams. They have issues across the board. New team president Tim Ruskell has
emphasized character and attitude in reshaping the roster. His work is
unfinished. Leading rusher Shaun Alexander and
leading receiver Darrell Jackson haven't been particularly happy, for various
reasons. Getting them fully onboard might be necessary if the defending NFC
West champions hope to finally win a playoff game. A year ago, there were seven issues
to watch heading into camp. Four of them persist today:
improving the pass rush, finding an effective middle linebacker, reducing
dropped passes and getting more from tight end Jerramy
Stevens. A quick look at those and other
issues heading into Mike Holmgren's seventh season
as coach: * Pass rush. Defensive end Grant
Wistrom is healthy again, so that should help. The team also added Bryce
Fisher, who had 8 1/2 sacks for * Middle linebacker. Rookie Lofa Tatupu and second-year pro
Niko Koutouvides are
leading candidates. They have potential, of course, but the short-term
outlook is a bit shaky. Free-agent addition Jamie Sharper has played the
strong side so far, but he has played effectively in the middle for years * Dropped passes. Koren Robinson finished last season with 31 catches and
10 drops. His release might tack a few percentage points onto Matt Hasselbeck's completion rate. Newcomers Jerome Pathon and Joe Jurevicius aren't known for their drops * Stevens. By all accounts, his
work ethic and professionalism have improved dramatically since * Shoulder problems. Projected
starters who underwent shoulder surgeries this offseason
included Steve Hutchinson, Rashad Moore, D.D.
Lewis, Ken Hamlin and Marcus Trufant. Their health
could be critical to the team's success * Defensive tackle.
Moore and Cedric Woodard were the starters last season. Watch to see if Chuck
Darby and/or Marcus Tubbs can unseat them * Quarterback depth. The Seahawks
feel great about Hasselbeck as their starter. But with former backup Trent Dilfer in * Special teams. New special teams
coach Bob Casullo has plenty of work ahead. The
punting situation remains unsettled, and the Seahawks failed to find a return
specialist in the draft. Receiver Alex Bannister is coming off two broken
right collarbones. While * Receiver. Robinson's departure
made Bobby Engram the favorite to start, Holmgren said. That could be a
problem because Engram has been so valuable working the middle of the field
as the third receiver. The best scenario might be for Pathon
to emerge as the No. 2 target opposite - - - Mike Sando: 425-822-9504 mike.sando@thenewstribune.com |
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