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Ten Questions About the Seahawks Heading Into Camp
Football fans, these truly are the long days of summer. After what was a loooooooong season last year and an even LONGER offseason, training camp is days away. Rookies report to the VMAC in Renton on Thursday, July 30 and veterans report the following day. With Seahawks coaches, players and fans alike all itching to get […]

Football fans, these truly are the long days of summer. After what was a loooooooong season last year and an even LONGER offseason, training camp is days away. Rookies report to the VMAC in Renton on Thursday, July 30 and veterans report the following day.

With Seahawks coaches, players and fans alike all itching to get the sour taste out of their mouths from the injury plagued 4-12 season from last year, here are 10 questions, many of which I’ll write about in greater detail throughout the preseason, that need to be answered in order for the Seahawks to reclaim the NFC West crown:

1. Can the ‘Hawks stay healthy?

Injuries absolutely decimated the Seahawks’ roster last year. With an aging roster, injuries tend to be more prevalent, but last year was just downright crazy. Matt Hasselbeck told Clare Farnsworth of Seahawks.com that his back is fine and reports about the other injured Seahawks are positive. I think the Seahawks should be okay in the injury department this year…the key word here is SHOULD. The most important player to the team is Hasselbeck. If for any reason he misses time, get ready for another NFC West- dwelling season.

2. Is Hasselbeck past his prime?

A lot of Seahawks fans have already given up on the 33-year-old gunslinger. Mark Sanchez was the talk of Seahawks Nation for an extended period of time leading up to April’s draft. Although I really think that the team needs to draft Hasselbeck’s successor after this season, I truly believe that #8 still has a lot left in him, which would provide just enough time for him to mentor his eventual replacement. Expect Hasselbeck to surprise many locally as well as nationally this season thanks to a revitalized wide receiver corps and what could be an improved ground game. About 3500 passing yards and 20-25 passing TDs is not farfetched.

3. Do the Seahawks have a running back that can emerge from out of the pack?

I loved the idea of Julius Jones coming into last season and boy did the Notre Dame product have a good two-week span of play in weeks two and three. I thought he was the answer. Mike Holmgren didn’t though. Jones lost carries and the running game never became productive.

Enter Gregg Knapp

Knapp is known for his zone blocking and one-cut running game schemes. He dominated defenses for years with his ground attacks in Atlanta. Last year he made the Oakland Raiders, yes…those Oakland Raiders, actually relevant offensively by coaching the team to a 10TH place ranking in the league for rushing.

Both Jones and T.J. Duckett are one-cut backs and I really think they can be a “Thunder and Lightning” style combo. I really do still love Jones as a feature back. If given enough carries to get a feel for opposing defenses, I really don’t see why Jones can’t be a 1000-yard rusher. He’s fast, he has good ball handling abilities and he fits Knapp’s scheme. Plus, factor in an improved passing attack and one finds himself asking, “Why can’t he succeed?” If you’re looking for TDs out of him, you’ll probably be disappointed. I see those going to Duckett.

4. Will the defense bounce back?

Ready for a one word answer?

DEFINITELY.
A lot of factors played into why the Seahawks’ defense stunk up the joint last season. Injuries on both side of the ball were the main factors.

Defensively, when you lose a physical presence like Patrick Kearney, you lose a lot of your ability to disrupt the passing game and alter an offense’s rushing game plan. Because of this, you get others trying to play outside of their usual defensive roles. This causes more confusion, blown assignments and way too many big plays given up.

Injuries on the offensive side of the ball also hurt the team’s defense. Crazy? Not at all. If an offense can’t sustain series, the defensive unit will wear down quickly from constantly having to take the field. This is what happened last year. A healthier offense will mean a more productive offense, thus giving their defensive teammates time to rest and make any adjustments to their game plan.

New players will also be integral to shoring up the defensive unit. Look for Aaron Curry and the return of Ken Lucas to provide a lot of help in turning things around.

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NFL Gridiron Gab Welcomes Jets Safety Kerry Rhodes to our Team!
NFL Gridiron Gab is pleased to welcome Jets safety Kerry Rhodes to our team. Kerry will be with us through training camp as well as the 2009 season, and will talk about the Jets, what’s going on with him personally, and all things NFL. You can send Kerry an email with any questions […]

NFL Gridiron Gab is pleased to welcome Jets safety Kerry Rhodes to our team. Kerry will be with us through training camp as well as the 2009 season, and will talk about the Jets, what’s going on with him personally, and all things NFL. You can send Kerry an email with any questions to answer at matt@nflgridirongab.com

Join Kerry on Twitter at Twitter.com/kerryrhodes
Join Kerry on Facebook at Facebook.com/kerryrhodes

D/ST preview: Uncover bargains in final rounds
A new coach and offseason additions will help the New York Jets remain one of fantasy’s top defenses, notes Roger Rotter.

2009 Gridiron Gab Team Previews: Jacksonville Jaguars
“Houston Texans” will be the answer to the most frequently asked NFL question this summer. This is the team that everyone will pick to break out in 2009. This is “The Sleeper”. You’re going to hear about this team during all those sponsored television segments where football experts dilute their credibility by issuing opinionated 15-second […]

“Houston Texans” will be the answer to the most frequently asked NFL question this summer. This is the team that everyone will pick to break out in 2009. This is “The Sleeper”. You’re going to hear about this team during all those sponsored television segments where football experts dilute their credibility by issuing opinionated 15-second soundbits. Here’s an example of what’s to come:

The Houston Texans are this year’s sleeper team because…

**They rebounded from an 0-4 start and went 8-4 last year.

**Quarterback Matt Schaub is entering his third season in Gary Kubiak’s system. If he can stay healthy, he can be a star. (Some experts might also add something along the lines of “Schaub must take care of the football.”)

**Running back Steve Slaton led all rookies with 1,282 yards rushing last season and should be even better considering he’s a perfect fit for this zone-blocking system. (Yes, and he’s a factor in the passing game, too.)

**Receiver Andre Johnson is unstoppable. (Good point.)

**This young offensive line, headlined by second-year left tackle Duane Brown, is getting better. (In reality, Brown is probably the only true youngster up front, but the general idea is that this line is ascending.)

**The defense will be better. Mario Williams is a beast and DeMeco Ryans is a stud. (Analysts love to bunch these two fourth-year stars together. Indeed, Williams is arguably the best defensive end in the NFL. But Ryans is coming off a down year. He’ll benefit from improved players around him, but since few television analysts have enough time––or, in some cases, knowledge––to breakdown such intricate details, we’ll save this part for later, after this introduction’s metaphor peters out).

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Redskins agree with DE Jarmon on 4 years (AP)
Supplemental draft pick Jeremy Jarmon and the Washington Redskins agreed to a four-year contract with a $755,000 signing bonus Monday. The Redskins chose the defensive end in the third round of the NFL supplemental draft on July 16. He was the only player picked. The 6-foot-3, 277-pound Jarmon was declared ineligible for his senior season at Kentucky by the NCAA because he tested positive for a…

Vick Favored to End Up with the Pats or Steelers
It seems that you can do it all when it comes to Michael Vick, including place bets on where he’s going to end up. Today Bloomberg news reports today that BetUS is putting odds on where he will end up - with the Steelers and Pats as the top two places for him to […]

It seems that you can do it all when it comes to Michael Vick, including place bets on where he’s going to end up. Today Bloomberg news reports today that BetUS is putting odds on where he will end up - with the Steelers and Pats as the top two places for him to land. Here’s the report:

Michael Vick’s second chance in the National Football League is most likely to come from the New England Patriots or Pittsburgh Steelers, according to the Internet gambling Web site BetUS.com. Vick was conditionally reinstated to the NFL yesterday, a week after completing a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring. The NFL said that the former Pro Bowl quarterback can practice immediately and play in the preseason’s final two games if he can find a team that will sign him. The Patriots and Super Bowl-champion Steelers are given 4-1 odds of adding Vick by BetUS.com. They’re followed by the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills at 9-2, meaning a winning $100 bet would return $450 plus the original wager.

Burress set to testify before grand jury (AP)

Former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress will testify before the grand jury that is investigating weapons charges against him, his lawyer said Tuesday. Attorney Benjamin Brafman said Burress would testify at 10 a.m. Wednesday. “He's going to go in and tell the truth,” Brafman said.

Ravens RB McGahee Heads Up the Teams PUP List
Even though running back Willis McGahee heads a lengthy list of Ravens who will open training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list, it is not expected that he will linger there for long. And that goes for the 10 other players joining him. Head coach John Harbaugh announced after Tuesday morning’s practice that McGahee (knee), […]

Even though running back Willis McGahee heads a lengthy list of Ravens who will open training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list, it is not expected that he will linger there for long.

And that goes for the 10 other players joining him.

Head coach John Harbaugh announced after Tuesday morning’s practice that McGahee (knee), wide receiver Yamon Figurs (foot), cornerback Samari Rolle (groin), tight end Davon Drew (undisclosed), linebacker Jason Phillips (knee) and defensive tackle Lamar Divens (undisclosed) are all currently on the PUP list.

In addition, the offensive line was extremely thin, as guards Ben Grubbs (undisclosed) and Marshal Yanda (knee), and tackles Adan Terry (knee), Joe Reitz (undisclosed) and Lou Saucedo (undisclosed) also received the designation.

Many of the players, however, should be available at some point during training camp.

“Most of this is temporary PUP,” Harbaugh said. “We want to make sure these guys can practice. We put them through a conditioning test as part of the physical. These guys have had injuries in the past, and we want to make certain situations react positively to the work.”

McGahee actually thought he was participating, but the Ravens wanted to see how his knee would react to a light workout following offseason surgery.

The former Pro Bowler expressed surprise when asked about his status.

“You know more than I do,” he told reporters. “They don’t want to overdo things, is what I’m thinking. There was no pain. It was just a regular, old knee. We don’t want the same thing that happened last year to happen.”

It will be most interesting to see who is only a temporary fixture on this list. For example it had been speculated that Marshall Yanda may still need to start the season on the PUP as he has been slow to recover from knee surgery.

I’m just hoping that this isn’t some kind of statement against McGahee saying, without directly saying, that he’s not in shape for camp. If it’s just a precautionary measure as the team gets ready to break for p

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