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

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

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-

The Shaun Alexander era is over in Seattle and it will be interesting to see if the Seahawks’ have an effective running game in 2008 or not.  Julius Jones will likely be the running back who gets the most work in Seattle in 2008.  He has been a decent player in Dallas in his career to date but he has never been an every down back.  He also has a history of being a tad injury prone which often got his ex-coach, Bill Parcells fired up.  Jones played in 16 games (all starts) with the Cowboys last season and he carried the ball 164 times for 588 yards (3.6 ypc) with 2 TD runs.  He also caught 23 passes for 203 yards (8.8 avg).  With Jones likely splitting carries with Maurice Morris it’s hard to see him exceeded the yards he got last season in Dallas.  Jones has now played in 53 games (51 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 885 times for 3,484 yards (3.9 ypc) with 18 TD runs.  He also has caught 84 passes for 672 yards (8.0 avg) but he has never caught a TD pass.

Maurice Morris will likely share the workload with Julius Jones in 2008 for the Seahawks.  He played well last season for the Seahawks.  Morris played in 14 games (6 starts) for the Seahawks last season and he carried the ball 140 times for 628 yards (4.5 ypc) with 4 TD runs.  He also caught 23 passes for 213 yards (9.3 avg) with 1 TD grab.  Morris has a little more speed than Jones and he’s a better receiver so he will likely get a lot of chances to have the ball in his hands in 2008.  Morris has now played in 88 games (17 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 472 times for 2,038 yards (4.3 ypc) with 5 TD runs.  Morris has also caught 55 passes for 417 yards (7.6 avg) with 2 TD grabs in his NFL career.

T.J. Duckett will likely handle the short yardage and goal line carries as he is by far the most powerful runner on the Seahawks’ roster.  Duckett played in 12 games (1 start) for the Lions last season and he carried the ball 65 times for 335 yards (5.2 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  He also caught 4 passes for 54 yards (13.5 avg) last year.  Duckett will give the Seahawks a nice change of pace as Morris and Jones don’t have near the power of Duckett.  He’s been lightly used lately so he likely has a lot of tread left on the tires.  Duckett has now played in 77 games (14 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 655 times for 2,642 yards (4.0 ypc) with 36 TD runs.  He has also caught 35 passes for 303 yards (8.7 avg) but he’s never caught a TD pass in his NFL career.

Rookie Justin Forsett of California will have to battle for a roster spot as a rookie.  His size (5’7″, 190 pounds) might hurt him in the pros but it’s hard to overlook how well he played last season.  Forsett played in 13 games (all starts) at California last season and he carried the ball 305 times for 1,546 yards (5.1 ypc) with 15 TD runs.  He also caught 22 passes for 202 yards (9.4 avg).  He will likely have to make his mark on special teams.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  C

Matt Hasselbeck should have another good season for the Seahawks in 2008.  He has a good arm, he’s smart and he has enough mobility to evade trouble in the pocket.  The hope is that the Seahawks will have a better running game in 2008 to support Hasselbeck’s passing.  He played in 16 games (all starts) for the Seahawks last season and he completed 352 of 562 passes (62.6%) for 3,966 yards with 28 TD passes and 12 interceptions (91.4 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 39 times for 89 yards (2.3 ypc).  Look for Hasselbeck to add to his impressive career totals in 2008.  Hasselbeck has now played in 135 games (96 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 1,904 of 3,318 passes (60.7%) for 22,333 yards with 142 TD passes and 84 interceptions (86.2 QB Rating).  He also has carried the ball 246 times for 891 yards (3.6 ypc) with 5 TD runs.

The Seattle Seahawks thought of moving Seneca Wallace into a WR slot before last season started but he continued to improve as a QB.  He will be the #2 QB for the Seahawks again in 2008.  He has a strong arm and he’s very mobile but he has some limitations as the Seahawks don’t trust him with the full playbook.  Wallace played in 10 games (0 starts) for the Seahawks last season and he completed 19 of 28 passes (67.9%) for 215 yards with 2 TD passes and 1 interception (99.6 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 4 times for 17 yards (4.3 ypc).  Matt Hasselbeck is pretty tough and durable so don’t look for Wallace to add to his career totals much in 2008.  Wallace has now played in 25 games (4 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 114 of 194 passes (58.8%) for 1,315 yards with 11 TD passes and 9 interceptions (78.9 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 22 times for 134 yards (6.1 ypc).

The Seattle Seahawks picked up QB Charlie Frye real cheap (6th round pick) early last season after the Cleveland Browns really had seen enough of him after 1 half of the first game last season.  Frye’s only real strength on the football field is his mobility as his arm is below average.  But, his mobility also gets him into trouble because he sometimes panics and throws the ball into coverage resulting in interceptions.  He also was sacked 5 times in the first half of his only game last year and he has now been sacked 71 times in only 21 career games in the NFL.  He will need to get rid of the ball sooner if he ever wants to be an effective QB in the NFL.  Frye played in 1 game (0 starts) with the Browns last season and he completed 4 of 10 passes (40%) for 34 yards with 0 TD passes and 1 interception (10.0 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 1 time for 1 yard.  Don’t look for Frye to add to his career totals this season unless Hasselbeck and Wallace both go down with injuries.  Frye has now played in 21 games (19 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 354 of 567 passes (62.4%) for 3,490 yards with 14 TD passes and 23 interceptions (71.1 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 66 times for 276 yards (4.2 ypc) with 4 TD runs.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE 2008 SEASON:  A-