Seattle Seahawks 2009 Preview

Seattle Seahawks 2009 Preview

The Seattle Seahawks had a disastrous 2008 season. The good news is that their failures were due to injuries and not deterioration in talent. Many NFL odds makers know that the Seahawks could be in line for a big turnaround this season now that they’re healthy. With the additions of T.J. Houshmanzadeh, Corey Redding and Aaron Curry, the Seahawks could do more than just compete in the NFC West; they could be shaping up to be a real quiet sleeper in the NFC.

Offseason Transactions

The Seahawks had a busy offseason and a lot of their moves made sense.

Signing T.J. Houshmanzadeh was smart as the receiving core in Seattle was  pathetic although they might regret overpaying the 32-year-old later on in the deal. Nonetheless, the Seahawks also acquired stud defensive tackle Corey Redding in a deal with the Detroit Lions in which they shipped off Julian Peterson. The Seahawks also signed Ken Lucas who played in Seattle a couple years ago. Lucas struggled outside of Seattle and will be welcomed home. The Seahawks really hasn’t been as strong since both Lucas and Marcus Trufant started together in 2004.

Lastly but not least head coach Jim Mora now takes over for Mike Holmgren, who has since retired. Big shoes to fill but Mora has the know how to succed in this offense

Offense

The Seahawks simply aren’t the same team without quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, But the good news is he is healthy after an injury-plagued season and is ready to right the ship.The running game should be much stronger if the offensive line holds up. Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp has a history of making running backs flourish and Julius Jones is capable of being a 1000-yard rusher in his system.

The Seahawks have plenty of weapons in the passing game with Houshmanzadeh, and healthy Nate Burleson, Deion Branch and second-year tight end John Carlson.Hasselbeck has plenty of weapons to work with – maybe even more than he had when he went to the Super Bowl

Defense

Many people don’t take the Seahawks Super Bowl odds seriously but they should because this defense could be Championship-worthy. For starters, the Seahawks defensive line could be among the best in the business. Ends Patrick Kerney, Daryl Tapp and Lawrence Jackson form a good rotation while Redding adds a Pro Bowl presence in the middle of the line, which has been lacking for a while.

At linebacker, the Seahawks again are very strong with Curry, LeRoy Hill and Pro Bowler Lofa Tatupu. In the secondary, there are no qualms as well as the cornerback crop is as deep as it has been in a long time. Believe it or not, but the defense in Seattle might be stronger than the offense.

Outlook

In the NFC West, this is clearly the most talented team with maybe the acception of Arizona. Not many NFL experts list this team as the winner in the West or a potential NFC Champion but the Seahawks do have that type of potential.

If the offense can work out some of the kinks, such as the running game and the offensive line, this team could be a real power player in the NFC. At worst, they should still roll to another NFC West crown.

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