1.) Bounce-back time – Let’s just get the obvious out of the way, shall we? If the Seahawks are going to contend for the NFC West title, Matt Hasselbeck, Walter Jones and Patrick Kerney must return to form. In a 2008 season littered with countless injuries these names topped the list. Anything short of Pro-Bowl-type seasons from any of the three will probably result in Seattle missing the playoffs.
2.) What can we expect from Aaron Curry? How big of a learning curve is there from the ACC to the NFC West? I guess we’re about to find out. Even the best linebackers have needed time to find their game at the next level. DeMarcus Ware and Shawne Merriman both have 20-sack seasons to their credit, but only had eight and 10 respectively in year one. The first step for Curry’s ascent is simple: Win the starting outside linebacker job. Coach Mora and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley will give him every chance to earn that role, but don’t expect D.D. Lewis to head to the sidelines quietly.
3.) Burleson vs. Branch vs. Butler – This could be the most competitive and exciting battle of training camp. Burleson’s blistering speed and down-field playmaking ability make him the pre-camp favorite to start opposite the newly acquired T.J. Houshmanzadeh. But can he bounce back from a torn knee ligament that took his 2008 season? As for Deion Branch, the honeymoon in Seattle could be over as head-turning rookie Deon Butler looks ready to make an immediate impact. These three bring plenty of question marks with them to VMAC, but they also bring a boatload of talent. Who will be the odd man out?
4.) Will Unger start? When the Seahawks were on the clock with the 48th overall pick in April’s draft, there was no doubt what position needed to be addressed: The offensive line. Enter the 6’ 5’’, 310 pound Max Unger from Oregon. Unger’s addition immediately upgrades the depth of Seattle’s interior o-line, but the question remains: Will he start in 2009? Walter Jones (knees), Mike Wahle (shoulder), Chris Spencer (back) and Rob Sims (torn pectoral) all missed significant time in 2008 but are now healthy. Factor in that Wahle is in year two of a five-year deal, Spencer is in a contract year, and new offense coordinator Greg Knapp is implementing a new zone-blocking scheme and, well, Unger’s chances to crack the lineup right away seem slim. It’s just another awesome subplot to keep an eye on this August at VMAC.5.) Carlson…and then who? Think about this: How many tight ends are better than John Carlson in the NFC? Okay…you have Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez and maybe Chris Cooley. After that you’d be hard pressed to come up with a better option than the second-year budding star from Notre Dame. Carlson’s rookie campaign was simply amazing considering he caught 55 balls for 600+ yards, all without four starting offensive lineman, no Matt Hasselbeck and a depleted wide receiver corp. Now that the offense is returning their full compliment of parts, it’s not that far fetched to envision John Carlson making the Pro Bowl. However, after Carlson the depth chart takes a dramatic plunge. John Owens, Cameron Morrah, Joe Newton and John Tereshinski round out the remaining tight ends on their way to camp. Somebody from this nondescript bunch will need to emerge as a solid-blocking tight end. Stay tuned.
6.) Paging Lawrence Jackson! Okay Seahawk fans, this might hurt a little. Here’s the short list of guys that were taken soon after Seattle selected 28th overall in the 2008 draft: Kenny Phillips (31), Phillip Merling (32), Donnie Avery (33), Eddie Royal (42), Matt Forte (44) and DeSean Jackson (49), just to name a few. Hindsight is always 20/20, but it would be a major understatement to proclaim this a big year for Lawrence Jackson. Last season the Seahawk defense allowed 378 yards per game. Some of that was due to injuries, some to poor play. Jackson falls into the latter category. It’s too early to label him a bust, especially with the extra tutelage he’s sure to receive from Coach Mora and new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley during camp. Will the light bulb turn on? Only time will tell.
7.) Two kickers, one spot? It’s an age-old question of roster management: Can a team afford to carry two kickers? Some coaches are vehemently against the idea; some feel they have no choice. This is just another question facing Coach Mora’s staff as camp nears. Last season Coach Holmgren decided to keep 2008 7th round pick Brandon Coutu on the roster all year, keeping him inactive for every game. Olindo Mare handled the kicking duties and handled them well, converting at an 88.9% rate. Both are back in camp looking to become the number-one guy. In fact, Coutu actually spent time in the offseason working with NFL veteran Morten Andersen and has publicly stated that he plans on winning the starting job. As for Mare, he still has one year remaining on a two year deal. Can Seattle continue to waste a roster spot every week on an inactive kicker? Can they afford to cut a guy with a year left on his deal? The question training camp will attempt to answer is this: Is kicking depth worth two spots on Coach Mora’s 53-man roster?
8.) How much will Leonard Weaver be missed? “He’s as talented a fullback as I’ve ever had”. Those were the words of Mike Holmgren on the recently departed Leonard Weaver. Yes, Weaver did miss 18 games over the last three seasons, but when he was on the field he was very good. However, faced with salary cap decisions on Weaver and fellow backfield mate Maurice Morris, Hawks GM Tim Ruskell decided to let them part. Now a battle is sure to rage in camp for the starting fullback job between the recently acquired Justin Griffith and second-year man Owen Schmitt. With only 870 yards of 2008 rushing production returning to their 2009 backfield, the Hawks are light on legitimate ball carriers. They need fullback to be a strength, not a weakness, and feel either Griffith or Schmitt can get the job done. Ding, ding, ding…Friday marks the beginning of yet another camp battle.
9.) Sleeper Seahawk – If there was a stud running back at the top of this year’s draft, (aka: Darren McFadden or Adrian Peterson) Aaron Curry probably wouldn’t be a Seahawk right now. However, Seattle wasn’t going to pay the likes of Knowshon Moreno or Chris “Beanie” Wells fourth-overall money. That’s fair, but running back still remains a serious issue heading into 2009. Sure, T.J. Duckett scored eight touchdowns in 2008, but he did so with only 172 yards. Factor in that Julius Jones didn’t even break the 700 yard plateau, and there are questions abound in the Seahawk backfield. One answer could be second-year man Justin Forsett. There’s no doubt that Forsett will get every opportunity to show what he can do during camp. He was the first running back drafted by the Seahawks since Maurice Morris was picked in the 2002. With Morris now out of the picture the Seattle backfield has become slightly less crowded. Now it’s up to the former Cal Bear to become a pleasant 2009 surprise.10.) Chemistry – Look around the NFL. It’s no surprise that the good teams tend to have amazing chemistry, (see: Pittsburgh and New England) and the bad teams normally don’t (see: Oakland and Cincinnati). With a new coach, new defensive coordinator, new offensive coordinator, new playbook, new terminology, new players and a new training camp site; the Seahawks have a lot of moving parts that need to gel. If the most important thing facing this team is to stay healthy, the second will be developing team chemistry. Easier said than done, but then again isn’t that what training camp is for.
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