From: Fox Sports
Cornerback Ken Lucas was signed during the offseason by the Seahawks and immediately anointed the starter, which did not sit well with the guy he replaced, cornerback Josh Wilson. However, instead of sulking, Wilson has competed hard and had a good offseason. This position battle should be one to watch during training camp.
From: Pro Football Weekly
Widely considered to be the best defensive player available in the 2009 draft when the offseason began, Aaron Curry has done nothing whatsoever to alter that glowing perception.
At this year’s Scouting Combine, the Seahawks’ No. 1 pick emerged from workouts clearly looking like the nation’s No. 1 linebacker, earning the best marks at his position in the 40-yard dash (4.56 seconds), vertical leap (37 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 4 inches).
Curry also made an excellent impression at the Combine in interviews with the national media.
At the Seahawks’ OTAs and minicamps this offseason, the ’09 draft’s fourth overall selection has picked right up where he left off in Indy, displaying unexpectedly strong pass-rush skills that bode well for a defense that experienced a significant decline last season.
“At the last minicamp, it was the first time he stepped up as a down lineman in passing situations a la Julian Peterson, and he just blew everyone away,” a veteran source on the scene told PFW.
“He’s the only rookie who has been told flat-out that he was going to start from the get-go, and he never stops working. He’s always going 100 miles per hour. At Wake Forest, the focus was more on him dropping into coverage, and he just didn’t have to use his pass-rush skills as much. But they’re very evident.
“The coaches are really excited because, with Curry and Leroy Hill, who had 7½ sacks as a rookie, they have two outside linebackers who can both blitz and drop into coverage, which should make the defense a lot more versatile.”
We hear Curry is also drawing rave reviews off the field.
“They’ve been very impressed with him in the meeting rooms,” the source said. “The coaches are really stressing the need for the players to see the entire picture, to get a better understanding of what the other guys will be doing, and he’s doing that well. He’s also extremely articulate, a great kid who is fun to talk to. You ask him a question, and he always comes back with intelligent, thoughtful answers that just seem to flow very naturally.
“He’s the total package. He’s big and fast, and he’s got really quick hips. You keep looking for the slightest flaw, but there just haven’t been any. The only thing might be that he doesn’t know the entire defense — yet.”
The Seahawks official site reports that coach Mora thinks that someone will step up in the run game in 2009:
It’s a question that won’t go away, as some fans are wondering when the club finally will address the running back situation. Answer: The Seahawks already did. It was last year, when running backs Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett were signed in free agency and running back Justin Forsett and fullback Owen Schmitt were added in the draft. “I’m not going to say that there’s a marquee name in our backfield that the whole nation knows, because there’s not,” coach Jim Mora said. “But hopefully at the end of the year there is a marquee name, and it’s one of the three running backs we have on our roster right now.”
Seahawks fullback Owen Schmitt has come out with a statement after he was arrested on Saturday night southeast of Seattle. The fullback was arrested after he was observed by an officer weaving on the roadway and following too close.
Schmitt issued a statement Thursday apologizing “to the team, the NFL, the fans and my family and friends for my actions and poor judgment.” Schmitt’s blood-alcohol content was listed as .151 and .161. The legal limit in Washington is .08. His arraignment is scheduled for July 8.
After Schmitt’s car was stopped, the officer noticed several signs of intoxication, including the smell of alcohol. Black Diamond police said Schmitt’s blood alcohol level was above the legal limit in Washington of 0.08. Nothing has yet to come out from the league if Schmitt will be suspended.
The Hawks have inked 7th round pick TE Cameron Morrah according to Scout.com:
Seahawks have signed seventh-round draft pick TE Cameron Morrah, the team announced. According to a league source, it’s a four-year, $1.795 million deal which includes a signing bonus of around $40,500. Morrah was the third of three compensatory picks for Seattle (248th overall) in this April’s draft out of California.
Seahawks wide receiver Deion Branch was limited to individual drills in Wednesday’s minicamp, according to the News Tribune. He is recovering from offseason knee surgery and expects to be 100 percent by training camp. There’s a possibility that Branch will be among the top two receivers for Seattle this season, but he has battled a lot of injuries in recent seasons.
NorthwestFootball.net has confirmed that the Seahawks have agreed to terms with sixth round quarterback Mike Teel (Rutgers). Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the contract is for four years. A three-year starter at Rutgers, Teel finished his collegiate career as the Scarlet Knights all-time passing leader with 9,383 yards and 59 touchdowns.
Adam Caplan of Scout.com is reporting that the Seahawks have signed seventh-round safety Courtney Greene to a four-year contract. Greene (6-0, 205) was chosen with the 245th pick of the 2009 NFL Draft after being named All-Big East as a senior and starting 51 games during his career at Rutgers. He received a signing bonus of nearly $43,000 and has base salaries of $310,000 (2009), $395,000 (2010), $480,000 (2011), and $565,000 (2012)
Dear Friends:
It’s time once again to ask for support as we prepare for the 2nd Annual Celebrity Softball Game hosted by the Bobby Engram Foundation. Attached is a flyer with details on the event. Last year’s event drew more than 1,500 to Bucknell Park and this time we’re hoping to fill Cheney Stadium’s nearly 10,000 seats!
June 13th 12:00-6:00 PM – Cheney Stadium – Tacoma, WA
Expected Guests (and the list is growing daily):
Host: Bobby Engram
Seahawks: Nate Burleson, Deion Branch, Marcus Trufant, Deon Grant, Courtney Taylor, Seneca Wallace, Jordan Kent, Logan Payne and many more… Including, Rookies: Aaron Curry and Deon Butler.
Former Seahawks and Other NFL: Leonard Weaver, Gibran Hamdan, Devard Darling, Jim Sorgi, Andrew Walter and many more.
NBA: Nate Robinson, Jamal Crawford and Kevin Burleson.
Media and Special Guests: Double R (KISW), Chris Egan (King5), Glenn Hall (Hawg Quest Fishing), Sea Gals, Blitz, Blue Thunder and, of course, many more.
The proceeds will benefit the Bobby Engram Foundation and its fight to save Bobby’s daughter and the millions of others who suffer with Sickle Cell Disease.
Interest, Information or Tickets:
Lawrence Stott – 917.882.6004
Skyler Fulton – 360.790.1372
Or visit: www.bobbyengramfoundation.org
Sponsored by:
Bobby Engram Foundation
227 Bellevue Way #141
Bellevue, WA 98004
PFT.com has some good news on the Hawks, as it appears that QB Matt Hasselbeck is back to being close to 100%, something he was not most of if not all of 2008. Here’s the story:
One of the biggest questions facing the Seattle Seahawks in 2009 is whether quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will recover from back trouble that significantly limited his availability - and that significantly hampered his performance when he was available. During the Organized Team Activities in which the Seahawks have engaged this offseason, Hasselbeck’s back has been back to its pre-injury level. Per Dave Boling of the Tacoma News-Tribune, the veteran quarterback seems to be 100 percent.
