Seahawks Notebook: Tough trims await coaches

Seahawks Notebook: Tough trims await coaches
Obomanu injury makes receiver situation cloudier
By CLARE FARNSWORTH
P-I REPORTER

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren was hoping that Friday night's preseason finale would help in sorting out a very competitive situation among the team's wide receivers.

It didn't happen, as several of the younger receivers took advantage of the opportunities they got against the Oakland Raiders to make plays.

Rookie Michael Bumpus, a free agent from Washington State, had three receptions for 53 yards. So did second-year receiver Logan Payne. Third-year receiver Ben Obomanu contributed a big catch to each of the first two scoring drives, but broke his left clavicle in the process.

Jordan Kent also had two catches, giving him a team-leading 11 for the preseason.

What to do, as the coaches gather Saturday morning to trim the 75-man roster to the league-mandated limit of 53?

"I don't think that makes our decision easier," Holmgren said when asked about Obomanu's injury. "Because you still have four young guys, because Bumpus is in that mix, too."

Clouding the situation are injuries to leading receiver Bobby Engram (shoulder) and Deion Branch (knee) that could force the team to carry two receivers who won't be ready for the Sept. 7 regular-season opener.

"It's tough man," said quarterback Seneca Wallace, who fashioned a 95.8 passer rating by completing 21 of 30 passes for 255 yards.

"It seems like we've always got a bunch of guys fighting to make the team and it comes down to that last preseason game and everybody just shows up."

That definitely was the case Friday.

FINALE DEBUTS: Center Chris Spencer (back) and rookie defensive tackle Red Bryant (knee) made their preseason debuts after being sidelined in the first three games with injuries.

Spencer started and got some needed playing time as he prepares for the opener.

"It was important that Chris Spencer play tonight," Holmgren said, "and I think he did fine."

Bryant, who is needed in the rotation preferred by the coaches, played even more and collected a pair of tackles.

"Red is a young guy that will be part of the mix," Holmgren said.

SPECTATOR STATUS: Holmgren gave almost all of his starters the night off, which made for a strange evening as the veterans became a combination of sideline coaches and spectators.

"It was kind of weird, but it was also good at the same time seeing some of the guys that really don't get an opportunity to get the game action," Pro Bowl linebacker Julian Peterson said. "To see them out there making some plays and making it happen, they did a lot of good things."




http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/377205_hbok30.html

Notebook | Many roster spots "too close to call"
Decisions, decisions. That's what Mike Holmgren and Seahawks coaches had to make Friday night and this morning as they decided who would...
By Jose Miguel Romero
Seattle Times staff reporter

The Seahawks' wide-receivers corps was dealt a big blow Friday when Ben Obomanu suffered a broken clavicle in the first quarter of Seattle's 23-16 win over Oakland at Qwest Field and was lost for the game.

Obomanu became the third injured receiver, joining Deion Branch and Bobby Engram. Coach Mike Holmgren said Obomanu could end up on injured reserve and miss the entire season.

Obomanu's loss could mean that Logan Payne, a practice-squad player last year, has made the 53-man final rosters. Payne caught three passes for 34 yards last night.

The Seahawks figure to keep at least six receivers: Branch and Engram, who will be ready to play early in the season; Nate Burleson, who didn't play Friday; Courtney Taylor, and likely Jordan Kent and Payne.

"Another guy goes down," said Payne, who had to deal with sore ribs earlier this month. "I was just hoping that I didn't take another shot or two and re-hurt my rib, but we'll be all right. We've got a good group ... We'll just have to suck it up and hold it down 'til we get this thing right."

Still kickin'

Olindo Mare and Brandon Coutu wrapped up their competition to be the Seahawks' kicker, and both made good closing statements. Mare, the veteran, had two touchbacks and a 34-yard field goal. He finished exhibition play making 4 of 5 field-goal attempts.

Coutu, a rookie, made both of his field-goal tries and had one kickoff into the end zone. He was perfect on seven field-goal attempts in three games.

"I hit the ball well," said Coutu, who missed the San Diego game on Monday, while Mare appeared in all four. "I definitely feel like I kicked really well all preseason. I didn't miss any kicks in the games. It's all out of my hands. I felt like I left it all out there."

Babin, Atkins make cases

Jason Babin and Baraka Atkins were the prime contenders for what might be the fourth and last defensive-end spot, and both played well Friday.

Babin was credited with two quarterback hits and got a sack when Atkins turned Oakland quarterback Andrew Walter into him in the third quarter. Babin had five solo tackles.

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Atkins had four total tackles, three solo.

"I'm going to do what I do, and [let] the chips fall where they may," Babin said.

Pounding the rock

T.J. Duckett was a load for the Raiders defense, gaining 71 yards on 11 carries and scoring two touchdowns.

"I don't feel like you're ever in a situation where you can take a breath or relax," Duckett said when asked if it was important for him to play well in the final exhibition game. "I'm just going to come in and do whatever is asked."

Justin Forsett, who had more to play for because his roster spot isn't so secure, had 45 yards on 14 carries but fumbled on a punt return.

Super Seneca

Seneca Wallace, who started at quarterback for the Seahawks, completed 21 of 30 passes for 255 yards. A potential touchdown pass was dropped in the end zone by Bryan Gilmore in the fourth quarter.

Wallace got his first exhibition action since the Minnesota game on Aug. 8.

"It felt good," he said. "Guys caught a lot of balls and did a great job."

Notes

• Dalton Bell, the Seahawks' fourth QB, saw his first action of the exhibition season when he entered the game with 6:44 to play.

• The Seahawks and United Way of King County announced a partnership to fight homelessness in the Seattle area, with the goal to raise $110 million during the season.





http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/seahawks/2008147938_hawknotes30.html

Who should stay and who should go? Read on …
DAVE BOLING; THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Published: August 30th, 2008 01:00 AM
OK, now that the jayvee game is finished – Seattle’s reserves beat Oakland’s reserves, 23-16 – we can get to the real issue: Who’s going to be on the Seahawks roster when they land in Buffalo for next week’s regular-season opener?

This won’t be easy. But that’s a good thing.

Maybe it’s irrelevant to how a team will fare in the long run, but it seems that one measure of the strength of a team’s roster is the quality of the players who can’t make it.

It’s fair to expect that some good players aren’t going to be around after today’s final cut.

There have been times when the Seahawks have had to grumble about the guys they had to keep rather than the ones they needed to discard.

A couple of players helped them out Friday night, though.

One of the most intriguing prospects early in the preseason was running back Justin Forsett, a 5-foot-8, hard-shelled peanut who ran tough from scrimmage and was exciting in the kicking game.

As the roster calculus came together, it seemed that Forsett and T.J. Duckett were on opposite sides of the equation ... if one were to be kept, the other had to go. Forsett had a huge game against Chicago, looking like a game-breaker on returns as well as in the rushing game.

Since then, it’s been all Duckett. Friday, he proved he can run tough, can catch the ball, and has a hint of nifty in the open field.

Forsett lost a muffed punt return in the first quarter.

Solution? Duckett stays, Forsett lands on the practice squad. He’s got potential, but I’ll wager he will make it through waivers and the Hawks can let him ripen on the practice squad until they need him.

Injuries to Bobby Engram and Deion Branch, combined with the a logjam of young receivers with similar promise, create further numbers issues on offense.

What to do? Keep ’em all, or at least most of them. You’ll need them until Branch and Engram return. Pencil in Nate Burleson, Jordan Kent, Courtney Taylor and Logan Payne. Ben Obamanu would’ve been in that group, too, but a broken clavicle in Friday’s game may send him to the injured reserve list. Payne has not been as impressive catching the ball since cracking his ribs in the first scrimmage, but he’s a good blocker and solid on special teams.

Placekicker has been another point of contention, as veteran Olindo Mare and rookie Brandon Coutu have gone toe-to-toe most of the season. Mare missed a 50-yarder into a breeze at San Diego on Monday, but his kickoffs have been clearly longer than Coutu.

I’d keep Mare in a close call.

The issues at receiver could cause a crunch on the defensive side, and could force a tough cut. The starters are set, of course, but the emergence of Jason Babin at defensive end could make second-year end Baraka Atkins (a fourth-round pick last year) expendable.

Atkins has been reasonably strong at the point of attack, but Babin seems a superior pass rusher. Babin made a perfect play against the rush in the fourth quarter, standing up a tackle, shucking him, and nailing a ballcarrier for no gain. That’s how you win a job.

As for young guys on defense, linebacker David Hawthorne looks like a keeper, even if they decide to go with only six at that position.

Safety Jamar Adams, though, could be targeted for the practice squad if they end up carrying only eight in the secondary.

Here’s how it adds up:

• Three quarterbacks (you know them).

• Five running backs (Mo Morris, Leonard Weaver, Julius Jones, T.J. Duckett and rookie Owen Schmitt).

• Seven receivers (maybe six).

• Three tight ends (John Carlson, Will Heller, Jeb Putzier).

• Three specialists: (Ryan Plackemeier, Mare, Jeff Robinson).

• Nine offensive linemen (The five expected starters with Pork Chop Womack, Steve Vallos, Ray Willis, Mansfield Wrotto).

• Nine defensive linemen (ends Patrick Kerney, Lawrence Johnson, Darryl Tapp, Babin; tackles Brandon Mebane, Rocky Bernard, Craig Terrill, Howard Green and Red Bryant).

• Six linebackers (Lofa Tatupu, Julian Peterson, Leroy Hill, Hawthorne, Lance Laury and D.D. Lewis).

• Eight defensive backs (Marcus Trufant, Kelly Jennings, Deon Grant, Brian Russell, Kevin Hobbs, Josh Wilson, Jordan Babineaux and C.J. Wallace).

That should add up to 53, with only a few surprises and a minimum of broken hearts.





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