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The Seahawks have claimed 23-year old safety Kevin Ellison off waivers from the Chargers. Ellison played in 13 games as a rookie for the Chargers last season and he had 52 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 1 sack and he defensed 3 passes. The Chargers released Ellison because of a drug related arrest over the off-season. But head coach Pete Carroll had Ellison at USC and he thinks he can get him back on the right track.
Julius Jones, Justin Forsett and Leon Washington will all likely get their share of work this season. Jones was thought to be on his way out when the Seahawks traded for LenDale White and Leon Washington on Draft Day, but, White’s release likely gives him another shot to be the lead back in 2010. The 28-year old Jones played in 14 games (all starts) for the Seahawks last season in which he had 177 carries for 663 yards (3.7 ypc) with 2 TD runs and he also caught 35 passes for 232 yards (6.6 avg) with 2 TD grabs. Jones has now played in 82 games (75 starts) in his six years in the NFL and he has carried the ball 1,220 times for 4,845 yards (4.0 ypc) with 22 TD runs. He has also caught 133 passes for 970 yards (7.3 avg) with 2 TD grabs in his career. The Seahawks will likely watch Jones’ workload because he’s not exactly the most durable RB in the league.
24-year old Justin Forsett really was a very effective player for the Seahawks last season. He played in 16 games (2 starts) for the Seahawks last season in which he carried the ball 114 times for 619 yards (5.4 ypc) with 4 TD carries and he also caught 41 passes for 350 yards (8.5 avg) with 1 TD grab last year. Forsett also returned 16 punts for 92 yards (5.8 avg) and 18 kickoffs for 432 yards (24.0 avg) last season. Forsett has now played in 30 games (2 starts) in his NFL career but until last season he never carried the ball or caught a pass. He has returned 43 punts for 355 yards (8.3 avg) and 36 kickoffs for 854 yards (23.7 avg) in his career. It will be interesting to see if Forsett plays a lot on special teams in 2010 as he will likely be needed more on offense than in 2009.
The Seahawks hope that 27-year old RB Leon Washington is ready to go soon as he continues to recover from a broken leg suffered last season when he was with the Jets. Washington played in 7 games (0 starts) for the Jets last season in which he carried the ball 72 times for 331 yards (4.6 ypc) and he also caught 15 passes for 131 yards (8.7 avg). Washington also helped out the Jets on special teams last season returning 2 punts for 16 yards (8.0 avg) and 16 kickoffs for 385 yards (24.1 avg). Washington has now played in 55 games (13 starts) in his four years in the NFL and he has carried the ball 370 times for 1,782 yards (4.8 ypc) with 13 TD runs. He has also caught 123 passes for 969 yards (7.9 avg) with 2 TD grabs in his career. Washington has returned 64 punts for 599 yards (9.4 avg) and 117 kickoffs for 2,986 yards (25.5 avg) with 4 TD returns in his career. I really doubt the Seahawks will have Washington returning kicks this season.
25-year old Quinton Ganther will also be around in 2010 for the Seahawks. He played in 8 games (4 starts) for the Redskins last season and he carried the ball 62 times for 201 yards (3.2 ypc) with 3 TD carries. Ganther also caught 9 passes for 99 yards (11.0 avg) last season. Ganther has now played in 25 games (4 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 71 times for 262 yards (3.7 ypc) with 3 TD runs. He has also caught 15 passes for 142 yards (9.5 avg) in his career to date. Ganther is a very solid player to have around deep on the depth chart.
25-year old Louis Rankin will be in training camp trying to win a job on the roster for 2010. Rankin played in 9 games (0 starts) in his rookie year in 2009 with the Seahawks & Raiders. He carried the ball 8 times for 36 yards (4.5 ypc) last season and he also caught 5 passes for 33 yards (6.6 avg). Rankin also returned 22 kickoffs for 466 yards (21.2 avg) last season. Helping out on special teams might give Rankin a decent shot at sticking with the Seahawks in 2010.
PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE SEAHAWKS RBs in 2010: C
The Seattle Seahawks were one of the most successful teams in the 2010 Draft; using their double first-round selections, the Seahawks will try to impose an advantage that also will help them to cover the NFL Point Spread this upcoming season.
During previous seasons, we have seen that the greatest needs of the Seahawks are the positions of offensive tackle, cornerback and safety positions.
However, for this season, OT Russell Okung can become a key for the Seahawks team, considering the retirement of Walter Jones.
Okung was considered to be one of the best offensives tackles available in the 2010 NFL Draft, and this is why he is expected to be an immediate starter.
Undoubtedly, I can see that choosing Okung was a good choice to rebuild the offensive line of the Seattle.
On the other hand, WR Golden Tate, who was drafted as the second-round pick, proved to be one of the best receivers in the 2009 NCAA and has been characterized by his great ball skills in the air. I think we can expect great performances from this player.
The Seahawks also reinforced their offense, trading two veteran runners Leon Washington and LenDale White; however, White was cut last May.
We must also remember that since the hiring of Shaun Alexander, the Seahawks haven’t found what it takes to become a threat to score touchdowns.
The lack of a dangerous offense and a weak defensive line are the main issues for a team that has filled their needs this off-season and that is creating a lot of expectations for all NFL fans.
Another remarkable pick is that of safety Earl Thomas, a player with great speed and with an aggressive style of play. He certainly has the ability to become a talented defensive playmaker for the Seahawks.
Finally, at least five starters capable of facing the competition in the NFC West are expected from the recent draft. In addition to the fact that the Seahawks have one of the easiest schedules next year, they should have a strong season.
It appears that 34-year old Matt Hasselbeck will open the season as the starting QB in 2010 if he can just hold off Charlie Whitehurst who has never thrown a pass in a regular season game. Hasselbeck played in 14 games for the Seahawks last season in which he completed 293 of 488 passes (60%) for 3,029 yards with 17 TD passes and 17 INTs (75.1 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 26 times for 119 yards (4.6 ypc) last year. He has now played in 156 games in his NFL career and he has completed 2,306 of 3,835 passes (60.1%) for 26,578 yards with 164 TD passes and 111 INTs (83.3 QB Rating). Hasselbeck has also carried the ball 283 times for 1,079 yards (3.8 ypc) with 5 TD runs. He has a career record of 63-54 (53.8%) in games that he has started in his NFL career.
The Seahawks traded for 27-year old Charlie Whitehurst over the off-season and then they signed him to a very generous contract which has me thinking that he could be starting for them at some point in 2010. He has never thrown a pass in a regular season game in his NFL career and he hasn’t stepped onto a field since 2006 with the Chargers. He has carried the football 2 times for 13 yards (6.5 ypc) with 1 TD run in his career. The Seahawks must have seen something that they really liked in Whitehurst as they invested heavily in draft picks and cold, hard cash in him.
29-year old J.P. Losman was signed after the draft to hold a clipboard this year for the Seahawks. He played in 1 game for the Raiders last season and he threw one incomplete pass. Losman has now played in 43 games in his NFL career in which he has completed 558 of 942 passes (59.2%) for 6,211 yards with 33 TD passes and 34 INTs (75.6 QB Rating). Losman has also carried the ball 103 times for 489 yards (4.7 ypc) with 3 TD runs. Losman has a career record of 10-23 (30.3%) as a starting QB in his NFL career but in his defense all of those starts were with pretty bad Buffalo teams.
PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE SEAHAWKS QBs in 2010: C
The Seahawks have claimed 25-year old WR/QB Isaiah Stanback off waivers from the Patriots. Stanback played in 6 games for the Patriots last season and he caught 3 passes for 22 yards (7.3 avg) and he also returned 1 kickoff for 22 yards. He has now played in 14 games in his NFL career catching 5 passes for 46 yards (9.2 avg). He has also returned 14 kickoffs for 318 yards (22.7 avg) in his NFL career. The Seahawks are taking a small risk on gamble because of his athletic ability.
UPDATE: (8/8/2010) – Stanback has a torn Achilles Tendon which will cause him to miss the 2010 NFL season.