Finals week for hopeful Hawks

Finals week for hopeful Hawks
Last preseason game is chance to show they belong
By CLARE FARNSWORTH
P-I REPORTER

RENTON -- Logan Payne stood in front of his locker, just as he had a year ago at this time, answering questions about what he needs to do in the Seahawks' preseason finale to secure a spot on the 53-man roster.

Even the opponent is the same in this déjà vu scenario: The Oakland Raiders, who play the Seahawks at Qwest Field on Friday night.

Last year, Payne, then a rookie free-agent wide receiver, did not catch a pass against the Raiders and had to settle for a spot on the practice squad.

This time, he wants more. First, receptions. Then, a roster spot.

The Seahawks' younger players, especially those battling for the final few berths on the 53-man roster, will be showcased Friday night.

One reason is that coach Mike Holmgren does not want to risk more injuries to his starters -- with quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, leading receiver Bobby Engram, right tackle Sean Locklear and Pro Bowl middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu already sitting this one out.

But Holmgren and club president Tim Ruskell also need to get one last look at the "bubble" players before making their roster cuts Saturday.

"This is their game," Holmgren said. "You can show us. Show us. So they're going to be very excited. There are a handful of spots that will be determined by how the game goes.

"They're playing for their dream, so it's very important."

They just can't perform like they're chasing that dream. Because a dream-or-be-damned mind-set could be counterproductive.

"I guess I don't think of it that way," Payne said when asked about the pressure connected to the situation. "As an athlete, I try to approach every game the same way. You go out there, do your best. You prepare mentally and physically and try to take advantage of those opportunities you do get.

"I haven't gotten too many, so hopefully I get a few more in this game."

Others in Payne's position include rookie running back Justin Forsett, rookie safety Jamar Adams and fellow receivers Michael Bumpus and Jordan Kent.

Unfortunately, it won't be just their performances that dictate the roster breakdown. With Engram definitely out, and Deion Branch likely out, for the regular-season opener against Buffalo, the team will have to carry an extra wide receiver or two. Those extra spots could be at the expense of a sixth running back or ninth defensive back.

That should be good news for Payne, but he doesn't want to leave his situation up to chance.

"It's not my first go-around, so they kind of know what I can do," he said. "But I've still got to go out and prove myself every time I'm out there."

Payne has five receptions in the preseason to tie for second on the team, despite sitting out the opener after cracking a rib in the scrimmage a week earlier. Kent leads the team with nine receptions and two touchdowns. Bumpus has caught five passes.

Forsett, meanwhile, had the most impressive performance of the preseason when he rolled up 261 all-purpose yards in the Week 2 overtime victory against the Chicago Bears. But Monday night, in a one-point loss to the Chargers in San Diego, Forsett had only 9 rushing yards on four carries.

"I'm going to take the level-headed approach," Forsett said. "You don't want to go out there and try to do too much and get outside of your game. You've got to let it come to you."

The fact that it's the Raiders coming to Seattle isn't lost on the running back from Cal.

"The Raiders staff coached us at the Senior Bowl and I know some Cal guys on the other side, so it will be fun to see them," he said. "But it's an opponent, and I've got to make this team. So I'm going to do whatever I can out there to show them I belong."

This is one last opportunity to do that for Forsett, and Adams, and all the receivers, and a couple of other young players.

"There are depth positions and guys that still ... I would say, it's too close to call," Holmgren said. "Because it's so close, if someone were to have a really good football game, it would probably weigh the decision in that person's favor."

The confident, yet still concerned, smile on Payne's face said, "Bring it on."

FOCUS ON: PRESEASON DEBUTS

The Seahawks play their preseason finale against the Oakland Raiders at Qwest Field on Friday night. But the game will mark the preseason debuts for center Chris Spencer and rookie defensive tackle Red Bryant.

Spencer started practicing last week after being sidelined with a sore back, while Bryant has been out since having arthroscopic knee surgery four weeks ago.

Each is scheduled to play against the Raiders, because each needs some game preparation to be ready for the Sept. 7 regular-season opener against the Bills in Buffalo.

"He's a big, strong guy, but he's a little behind," coach Mike Holmgren said of Bryant, a fourth-round draft choice. "We have try-hard guys in there (at defensive tackle), but Red has to come through."

Spencer also is behind, not a good situation since he is the starter and must make the pre-snap calls.

"There's two ways to look at it: One, he's feeling better, and I want him to feel good for the opener," Holmgren said of Spencer. "But then the other side of the coin is he hasn't really played a competitive down. He probably has to do that."




http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/376989_hawk29.html

Seahawks | It's the backups' big dance
Seventy-five becomes 53 after tonight. Don't think that won't be on the minds of plenty of Seahawks as they prepare to take the field against...
By José Miguel Romero
Seattle Times staff reporter


Seventy-five becomes 53 after tonight.

Don't think that won't be on the minds of plenty of Seahawks as they prepare to take the field against the Oakland Raiders in their exhibition finale at 7 p.m. at Qwest Field.

For roster hopefuls still clinging to NFL dreams, tonight is their night. No one figures to sit on the bench unless they are hurt, and with so many Seahawks regulars unable to play — not that they would play much anyway — the backups will have their time to show coaches they belong on the final roster to be set Saturday.

So many things will be resolved tonight. Has linebacker David Hawthorne, one of the surprises of August, made the team? Will Justin Forsett crack the running-back rotation? Will it be C.J. Wallace, Jamar Adams or Kelin Johnson as the fourth safety? Will the Seahawks go with rookie Brandon Coutu at kicker, or veteran Olindo Mare? Has Jason Babin made the team at defensive end? How many receivers will be kept?

Forget winning or losing. When jobs and futures are on the line, it's who stands out to the coaches that really counts tonight.

"First of all, you appreciate how hard they've worked — all of them," coach Mike Holmgren said. "You know how important it is to them, the dreams of the guys. So it's absolutely important that we are fair and honest with them and hope we make the right decision. It's very difficult. They're all good guys, and they've worked very hard for this. But we have to do this ... We have to get down to 53."

Ben Obomanu has been there before. The wide receiver has been a practice-squad player and worked his way into regular-season games in his two previous seasons. He figured to be a lock for a roster spot at the outset of training camp, but teammates Jordan Kent, Logan Payne, Courtney Taylor and Michael Bumpus each have at least two more catches then Obomanu, who has just one in exhibition play.

But Obomanu doesn't feel like tonight is a make-or-break game for him. He reasons that it isn't about statistics in games and feels his performance from exhibition and regular-season games in seasons past will aid his cause.

"Practices mean just as much, even more, than preseason games sometimes," Obomanu said. "I have confidence in myself. Catching passes in a preseason game doesn't always tell the story of whether you're doing a good job."

Forsett made a huge splash in the second exhibition game when he ran for 136 yards and had 117 return yards at Qwest Field. He followed that performance, though, with only 9 yards on four carries and a lost fumble at San Diego. The rookie seventh-round pick is trying to force his way onto the roster, though the Seahawks figure to have five running backs on the team already — Julius Jones, Maurice Morris, T.J. Duckett and fullbacks Leonard Weaver and Owen Schmitt.

"My coach used to tell me, 'Don't let your highs be too high and your lows be too low,' " Forsett said. "You're going to have some bad plays, you're going to have some bad days. You just got to go out there and try to learn from your mistakes."

Wallace, a former UW player, was an undrafted rookie safety who flew around to the ball so much last year that the Seahawks kept him on the team. Special teams is his main role. Payne also must contribute on special teams, and feels he has to make some plays both there and as a receiver.

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"Last game, just go out and play some football," Payne said. "That's the way you have to approach things. You can't worry about anything else."

Those who come to Qwest Field won't see the same team they will when the regular season starts. But they will see a lot of hungry, driven players playing like this is the game of their lives.

"This is their game," Holmgren said. "Show us."

Note

• Former Western Washington linebacker Shane Simmons signed with the Raiders on Wednesday and will be in uniform tonight. Simmons signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in May and was released in June. Simmons is a graduate of Kentlake High School.





http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/seahawks/2008145870_hawk29.html

Final audition tonight for Seahawks
FRANK HUGHES; frank.hughes@thenewstribune.com
Published: August 29th, 2008 01:00 AM
RENTON – With staying healthy for the season opener the focus of the Seattle Seahawks’ fourth and final exhibition game tonight against the Oakland Raiders, it should afford plenty of opportunities for those players still fighting for roster spots to make lasting impressions on the coaching staff.

Granted, there are not that many spots left to decide, but they are of paramount importance to the players involved.

“You see the disappointed looks at preseason games on young guys that haven’t had many opportunities to play. Now they get a chance to play. This is their game,” Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. “So they’re going to be very excited. They’re playing for their dream, so it’s very important.”

The two positions that need to be rounded out are the ones that everybody had questions about coming into training camp: running back and wide receiver.

Holmgren is fond of saying that every year there are one or two players who nobody could have predicted would have made the team but did. Last season it was safety C.J. Wallace. This season it is running back Justin Forsett.

The rookie from California had 261 all-purpose yards in the Seahawks’ second exhibition game against Chicago, then had a less robust outing against San Diego on Monday, a game in which he also lost a fumble.

Forsett was getting a lot of work with the first team offensive line during Wednesday’s practice, an indication he should get a lot of carries to prove his merit. He also is likely to return punts and kickoffs, giving him more opportunities than most.

“Every play you have to play like it is your last in the NFL,” Forsett said. “So I am going out taking it serious and leaving no doubt that I belong here and trying to make it a tough decision for them. That is my goal for this game: go out and make plays and be productive and make no mistakes.”

While Logan Payne was the receiver who made the most plays early in camp, he has fallen off since the exhibitions began – though to be fair he suffered a cracked rib in the team’s scrimmage and came back early in order to fight for a spot. Payne has five receptions for 48 yards.

Jordan Kent, meanwhile, has emerged as the most productive young receiver, catching nine passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns.

Like Forsett, this could be Payne’s final chance to show the coaches what he can do. He just hopes he gets the chance. Kent has gotten a lot of clean looks at balls, while many of the balls thrown to Payne have either been knocked away by a defensive back or, like the final pass in the loss to San Diego on Monday, overthrown by Seneca Wallace for an interception.

“That happens, that is football,” Payne said. “Quarterbacks are good, but they are going to put you out there every once in a while. It is just unfortunate that it was in the preseason and I am in the situation I am in (fighting for a spot).

“But no excuses. I am going to have opportunities this next game. And I have had lots of opportunities in practice to make plays, so I am going to look forward to those.”

The two remaining battles are between veterans and rookies. In one, Olindo Mare is competing against Brandon Coutu at kicker, which was vacated when Josh Brown left in free agency.

The competition is close, though Coutu was hurt when he suffered a groin injury last week and could not compete against San Diego. Mare handled both kickoff and field goal duties and performed solidly.

Coutu was back at practice Wednesday and is likely to play against the Raiders.

“They’re two good kickers,” Holmgren said. “Coutu has been hurt a little bit and that hasn’t helped him. It allowed Mare to really show. He’s clearly got a strong leg, can kick it in the end zone, which is a good weapon. But it’s close.”

With the Seahawks taking Lawrence Jackson and Red Bryant in the draft, it was widely assumed that defensive end Jason Babin, acquired in a trade last season for Michael Boulware, would lose his spot, particularly after he did not perform very well either in practice or in games last season.

But Babin returned with 15 more pounds of muscle and a renewed attitude that may have vaulted him past Baraka Atkins, who was taken in the fourth round last year. Tonight’s game could be the decisive three hours.

“Because it’s so close, if someone were to have a really good football game (today), it would probably weigh the decision in that person’s favor,” Holmgren said of the game.

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SEAHAWKS GAMEDAY

OAKLAND RAIDERS (1-2) AT SEATTLE (2-1)

Kickoff: 7 p.m., Qwest Field.

Television: Ch. 5. Radio: 710-AM, 97.3-FM.

The series: Seattle leads in exhibitions, 4-2, including a 19-14 win in the preseason finale last year.

What to watch: This is Seattle’s final exhibition game before the regular season begins in Buffalo on Sept. 7. The roster must be cut from 75 to 53 on Saturday afternoon, so this is the final chance for players to impress the coaches. With Matt Hasselbeck not playing and Charlie Frye suffering a minor knee injury Monday night, Seneca Wallace and Dalton Bell will play quarterback for this game. Rookie Justin Forsett will get a lot of carries to prove he is a viable running back. Oakland quarterback Jamarcus Russell also is not playing.

TNT pick: Seahawks, 17-14.





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