Category Archives: The roster

Moeaki already has made offense better

November 29, 2014 cc Leave a comment

Tony Moeaki has made a heck of an impact in just three games with the Seahawks.

The tight end scored a touchdown in his first game — against his old team, Kansas City. He led the Hawks with four catches in the win against Arizona, making two first downs. And then he pulled off Seattle’s longest play of the year — a 63-yard gain that maybe should have been a 64-yard touchdown — against San Francisco.

It has been a heck of a start for a guy general manager John Schneider picked up four weeks ago to replace Zach Miller, who is out for the season with an ankle injury.

Russell Wilson already loves Moeaki and looks for him in key spots, like the broken play that resulted in the 63-yard pass play.

“Moeaki, man, that’s a tremendous football player,” Wilson said Thursday after the Seahawks’ 19-3 win over the 49ers. “He knows what to do, he runs tremendous routes, he has a great feel for the game, get in and out of his routes at the right time, he has unbelievable hands. His adjustment to us is pretty spectacular to see in terms of how quickly he has made a difference. We are excited to have him on our team and to see all the plays he makes.”

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Injury report, The roster, Week 11: At Kansas CIty

Tight end position has joined injury chaos

November 13, 2014 cc Leave a comment

While the defense deals with the sudden loss of top-notch nose tackle Brandon Mebane for the rest of the season, the offense is making plans to go on without Zach Miller — perhaps forever.

With Luke Willson trying to rally from a sprained ankle and Cooper Helfet dealing with a bum knee (and Anthony McCoy on IR), the Hawks’ only two healthy tight ends right now are guys they just signed.

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Injury report, The roster, Week 11: At Kansas CIty

Seahawks lost Mebane at the worst time

November 13, 2014 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks’ defense lost Brandon Mebane at just about the worst possible time.

The nose tackle had
anchored one of the league’s top run
defenses, but now the Hawks will have to
proceed without him just as they prepare for a stretch that includes some of the toughest rushing offenses on their schedule.

With Mebane out for the season with a torn hamstring, the Hawks will have to get more out of 29-year-old Tony McDaniel and 34-year-old Kevin Williams, plus second-year tackle Jordan Hill.

With Greg Scruggs and Cassius Marsh already out for the season, the Hawks are suddenly very thin on the D-line. (Five of the 12 players on injured reserve are defensive linemen.)

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The roster, Week 8: At Carolina

Seahawks reportedly working trade phones

October 26, 2014 cc Leave a comment

A week after sending Percy Harvin to the New York Jets, the Seahawks reportedly are still working the phones ahead of the NFL trade deadline Tuesday.

The Hawks tried to pry tight ends free from Denver and Cleveland in the Harvin deal, but neither Julius Thomas nor Jordan Cameron could be had.

They reportedly are still in the market for a tight end and/or pass rusher, and they also reportedly have checked into what it would take to acquire Tampa Bay receiver Vincent Jackson. The Bucs reportedly want a second-round pick for the 6-foot-5 pass catcher, who would cost $5.3 million this season and $9.8 million in each of the next two years — if he was not let go before.

The Hawks saved $7.1 million this year in the Harvin deal, so they could absorb the rest of Jackson’s salary and still have a little left to roll over to 2015. But they then would have to decide whether to pay Jackson nearly $10 million next season — Harvin was due $10.5 million and will still count $7.2 million — or alter his contract or release him.

This is the second time the Hawks reportedly have checked into trading for Jackson. They called San Diego about him in 2011.

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The roster, Trades

A look at John Schneider’s 31 trades

October 19, 2014 cc Leave a comment

John Schneider has proved very adept at turning first-round picks into late-rounders, although this is the first time he has devalued his own initial trade in such fashion.

By shelling out Percy Harvin for peanuts — just to get rid of the headache receiver and his mindboggling contract — Schneider in effect turned a first-rounder, third-rounder and seventh-rounder into a sixth that could become a fourth. Now that’s some real wheelin’ and dealin’.

Obviously, that stands as Schneider’s biggest whiff in his Seattle tenure — a gamble on greatness against all odds that did not pay off. It was one of his few foul-ups in nearly five years as Seattle’s general manager.

It also is now the fourth time he has moved a player the Hawks used a first-round pick to obtain.

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The roster, Week 7: At St. Louis

Don’t expect to see young skill players much

October 15, 2014 cc Leave a comment

Pete Carroll has been complaining about the NFL’s roster rules all season, lamenting the fact that he has had to sit young skill players for most of the year.

Last Sunday, second-round wide receiver Paul Richardson joined fellow rookie receiver Kevin Norwood and second-year running back Christine Michael on the inactive list.

Carroll said he will try to get the league to change the game-day roster rule next offseason, but — as roster choices are being questioned in the wake of the offense’s ongoing struggles — he said he is not going to change his game-day personnel.

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Injury report, The roster

With Unger in question, Hawks add backup center

October 8, 2014 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks signed center Patrick Lewis on Wednesday as insurance in case starter Max Unger cannot play Sunday vs. Dallas.

Unger suffered a foot injury — coach Pete Carroll called it a strain — against Washington on Monday and apparently is questionable for Sunday’s game. Unger reportedly was wearing a walking boot after the game.

With Lemuel Jeanpierre on injured reserve, Stephen Schilling would start at center if Unger cannot play.

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The roster

Hawks sign cornerback

September 8, 2014 cc Leave a comment

Of the five cornerbacks who reportedly worked out for the Seahawks on Monday, the team chose former Carolina starter Josh Thomas.

A fifth-round pick in 2011, he played in 38 games for the Panthers, starting 10. Thomas (5 feet 11 and 185 pounds) began last season as a starter but was bumped out by rookie Melvin White after four games. He was released on final cuts two weekends ago.

He replaces Jeremy Lane, who was placed on injured reserve Monday with a groin injury and will miss at least half the season.

Thomas will step in behind starters Richard Sherman and Byron Maxwell and nickel corner Marcus Burley, who was acquired in a trade on Aug. 30.

Thomas was picked over four others who reportedly worked out Monday, including rookie speedster Keith Lewis and fourth-year player Mike Harris.

Injury report, The roster

Lane hits short-term IR, Hawks work out five CBs

September 8, 2014 cc Leave a comment

The Seahawks have placed cornerback Jeremy Lane on injured reserve, designating him for return, which means he will be out at least eight weeks with the groin injury he aggravated in the season opener last Thursday.

The Seahawks have begun a search for his replacement, reportedly working out undrafted rookie Keith Lewis and fourth-year player Mike Harris among five cornerbacks on Monday.

The Seahawks also announced the signing of offensive lineman Andrew McDonald, who has a unique tale, and a couple of practice squad moves.

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The roster

Reports: Seahawks add OL, looking for CB

September 8, 2014 cc Leave a comment

Last week, we pointed out that the Hawks were playing Crazy 8s with their receivers and offensive linemen — going heavy with the former and light with the latter.

Well, they apparently have fixed that imbalance by replacing receiver Phil Bates with offensive lineman Andrew McDonald, who was released by Carolina in final cuts.

The signing was reported by his agent and, if McDonald is on the 53-man roster, means the Hawks now have nine linemen — the number they should have.

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