Matt Hasselbeck will be the starting QB again for the Seahawks this season.  Despite rumors of the Seahawks having interest in Mark Sanchez they decided to draft linebacker Aaron Curry with the 4th pick of the first round last April and that was a smart move.  If Hasselbeck is healthy this season (a big if) then the Seahawks will be in good shape heading into the 2009 season.  He still is very efficient on the short stuff which is what the Seahawks will probably be throwing a lot this season.  Seneca Wallace has really improved to the point that they no longer are considering using him at WR.  He is a great athlete who has picked up the nuances of the NFL game as a QB and he would do a solid job if forced into action.  6th round draft pick Mike Teel will duke it out with veteran Jeff Rowe for the #3 QB job this summer.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2009 SEASON:  C

35-year old Olindo Mare will be in a battle with rookie 23-year old Brandon Coutu to see who will replace Josh Brown in 2008.  Mare appears to have a slight edge right now based on his experience.  Mare played in 13 games with the Saints last season and he only made 10 of 17 field goals (58.8%).  He also converted all 34 of his extra points last season.  Mare has a good leg for distance but the Seahawks need him to be more accurate if the wants to win the starting job.  Mare has now played in 168 games in his NFL career and he has made 255 of 320 field goals (79.7%).  He has also converted 347 of 352 extra points (98.6%) in his career to date.

23-year old Brandon Coutu played in 43 games in his career at Georgia and he made 51 of 64 field goals (79.7%).  He also converted on all 109 of his extra points for the Bulldogs.  Coutu was 5 of 11 on field goals attempts over 50 yards and that’s pretty good.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  D

The Seattle Seahawks are really excited about rookie TE John Carlson and he should have a big role in the passing game for them this season.  Carlson played in 12 games (all starts) last season at Notre Dame and he caught 40 passes for 372 yards (9.3 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  Look for him to catch a lot more passes this season in Mike Holmgren’s offense.  Plus, the Seahawks need help in the passing game due to the injuries to Deion Branch and Bobby Engram.  Carlson finished up his NFL career playing in 47 games (31 starts) in which he caught 100 passes for 1,093 yards (10.9 avg) with 8 TD grabs.

29-year old Jeb Putzier was brought in as a free agent and he will likely play often on running downs.  Putzier played in 8 games for the Texans last season and he caught 6 passes for 39 yards (6.5 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Look for Putzier to catch more passes than that this season in Seattle.  Putzier has now played in 61 games in his NFL career and he has caught 96 passes for 1,251 yards (13.0 avg) with 3 TD grabs. 

27-year old Will Heller is the red zone TE for the Seahawks as he is 6′6″, 270 pounds.  Heller played in all 16 games for the Seahawks last season and he caught 13 passes for 82 yards (6.3 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  The Seahawks will only use Heller in short yardage situations in 2008.  Heller has now played in 58 games in his NFL career and he has caught 32 passes for 228 yards (7.1 avg) with 7 TD grabs.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  C

Injuries will cause the Seahawks to likely be without both Deion Branch and Bobby Engram for a good part of the 2008 season.  The 35-year old Engram will miss the next 6-8 weeks with a cracked bone in his shoulder.  Engram was the top receiver last season for the Seahawks and they will miss him big time.  Engram played in all 16 games last season for the Seahawks and he caught 94 passes for 1,147 yards (12.2 avg) with 6 TD grabs.  2007 was a career season for Engram and it would have been hard for him to duplicate it in 2008 even if he was healthy.  Engram has now played in 158 games in his NFL career and he has caught 598 passes for 7,201 yards (12.0 avg) with 35 TD grabs.

29-year old Deion Branch is the other standout receiver on the Seahawks but he will be missing part of the season too.  Branch played in 11 games for the Seahawks last season and he caught 49 passes for 661 yards (13.5 avg) with 4 TD grabs.  The Seahawks really need Branch to get healthy especially with Engram out.  Branch has now played in 78 games in his NFL career and he has caught 315 passes for 4,130 yards (13.1 avg) with 22 TD grabs.  He has also carried the football 7 times for 41 yards (5.9 ypc) in his career.

The Seahawks will need 26-year old Nate Burleson to really step up with the injuries they have at WR.  Burleson played in all 16 games for the Seahawks last season and he caught 50 passes for 694 yards (13.9 avg) with 9 TD grabs.  Look for Burleson to improve on his 2007 numbers as he will likely be the go-to man early in the season for the Seahawks.  Burleson has now played in 76 games in his NFL career and he has caught 195 passes for 2,675 yards (13.7 avg) with 23 TD grabs.  He has also carried the football 10 times for 47 yards (4.7 ypc) in his career.

Courtney Taylor and Ben Obomanu will likely battle in the rest of training camp and the preseason for the right to start opposite Burleson early in the season.  Taylor did not have a rookie season in the NFL last year.  He played in 8 games and he caught only 5 passes for 38 yards (7.6 avg).  He does however appear to be the favorite in this competition.

24-year old Ben Obomanu projects to be more of a #3 or #4 WR as his upside isn’t as big as Taylor’s.  Obomanu played in 13 games for the Seahawks last season and he caught 12 passes for 180 yards (15.0 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Look for him to improve on those numbers in 2008.

6′4″, 219 pound Jordan Kent is still around but he didn’t do anything as a rookie last season for the Seahawks.  They still like him and he will have the opportunity to play this season so we’ll see what he can do.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  C-

The Seahawks are loaded at fullback and that will be very important to reviving a running game that didn’t add much to the offense last season.  Leonard Weaver is a good all around football player as he does everything well for a fullback.  Weaver is also very fast for a fullback despite being 6′0″, 242 pounds.  Weaver played in 16 games (4 starts) for the Seahawks last season and he carried the ball 33 times for 146 yards (4.4 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He also caught 39 passes for 313 yards (8.0 avg) last year.  Weaver will likely have to share some playing time with rookie Owen Schmitt but that should keep them both fresh and effective.  Weaver has now played in 32 games (4 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 50 times for 226 yards (4.5 ypc) with 1 TD run.  He also has caught 40 passes for 325 yards (8.1 avg) in his career.

Owen Schmitt is a throwback player at fullback as he can do it all.  He’s a decent runner and receiver but his best skill is his blocking as he takes great pride in blowing up linebackers.  Schmitt has good size at 6′2″, 250 pounds and he has a non-stop motor when on the field.  He also is a good special teams player.

6′0″, 232 pound David Kirtman is #3 on the depth chart and he will likely have to make the Seahawks on special teams unless Weaver or Schmitt gets injured.  He played in 6 games (0 starts) for the Seahawks last season and he never touched the ball.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  A-