Marcus Tubbs |
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With the 23rd pick of the 2004 Draft the Seattle Seahawks select Marcus Tubbs.
The drafting of a defensive tackle in the 1st round was hardly a surprise. Moments before the pick was announced the analysts were banging on about our need for ‘defense up the middle’.
At 6-3 and a shade under 29 stone in weight, Tubbs certainly sounded like he might be the man for the job. Prior to the draft he was said to have untapped potential and for a variety of reasons he remains a very big man with potential he has yet to
realise.
Things didn’t begin well when the Seahawks couldn’t get him signed to a contract prior to the start of training camp. When the deal was sorted out he reportedly turned up out of condition.
On a personal level he also had problems with his mother being seriously ill back home in Texas. Despite not being fully fit Mike Holmgren was persuaded to play him in the opening pre-season game at Green Bay so that his mother could see Marcus play. On his first down in an NFL game he recorded a sack against Brett Favre although it was suggested that Favre (who is no stranger to personal tragedy) had orchestrated it out of sympathy.
The opening of the regular season saw him missing through a hamstring injury, possibly due to a lack of conditioning and he was left to feel his way into the season.
He suffered against the Patriots when he was suckered with a blindside hit just when he thought his first regular season sack was on the cards but he was getting better and looking like he could make a difference to a stuttering defense.
Just when he was progressing he picked up an ankle injury that kept him out of the final 5 games of the season and the play offs.
The reports in 2005 indicate that Tubbs is fit and working hard on conditioning. The jury is still out but hopes are high that, fully fit and with personal problem behind him, he can be the ‘defense up the middle’ that we drafted.
| Michael Boulware |
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Out of Florida State and drafted as the 53rd overall pick. Boulware was an outside linebacker in college and he must have been the subject of some considerable deliberation because it was immediately announced that the Seahawks would convert him to strong safety.
Converting a player is sometimes frowned upon as it involves another element of risk in an already risky business but whatever shaped hole the Seahawks were looking to fill, Boulware fitted it perfectly.
How good was he? Just the ONLY defensive player selected for the NFL Rookie of the Year vote, a feat made even more amazing because he wasn’t even a starter until week 14.
He made his impression early though. In the first 2 games of the season playing in late defensive situations he made an interception in both. In the 2nd of these in a tight 10-6 victory over the Bucs he showed his mental awareness by catching the ball and taking a knee rather than tearing up field risking a fumble.
He followed this up with an interception against the Patriots and a stinging hit on Tom Brady, which knocked his helmet clean off his head.
Mike Holmgren resisted increasing calls for Boulware to start ahead of Terreal Bierria saying he didn’t think he was quite ready.
He’d certainly played his part in sealing victories in the first 2 games of the season but when the beleaguered Dolphins rode into Seattle in week 11 he decided it was time to win a game on his own. With the score tied at 17-17 and the Dolphins advancing into field goal range with 2 minutes remaining he picked off A.J. Feeley and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown.
Still he didn’t start and it took a nightmare 43-39 defeat against the Cowboys on Monday Night Football for him to be given the job.
It was a tremendous full debut with a sack and a crucial end zone interception in a victory on the road at the Vikings. It was a big win and Mike Holmgren gave the players a rarely granted Monday off. How did Boulware spend it? Not at the golf course but reviewing game tapes at Seahawks HQ!
The Vikings game summed up his season very well. Capable of big plays on the field whilst displaying modesty and a great attitude off it.
| Sean Locklear |
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Locklear is one for the future after not starting a game in his rookie season. Slated to be a late 2nd round pick he was generally considered to be a good choice late in the 3rd.
At college he played across the offensive line but was primarily a guard although it seems he is pencilled in for the right tackle position vacated by Chris Terry.
His competition is Wayne Hunter a tackle also drafted in the third round in 2003. The indications are that Locklear will win the battle and be the 2005 starter when we will see what he can do.
| Niko Koutouvides |
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Middle linebacker has been a need position for a while and you don’t really expect to fill it immediately with a 4th round rookie but Niko played more downs and became more impressive as the season progressed.
Kouts even ended up starting the final 3 games of the season ahead of Orlando Huff and that must rate as a pleasing result from the 116th overall pick.
It’s likely that he wouldn’t have had so much game time were it not for a pre-season injury to D.D. Lewis but it has given him invaluable experience.
The future for Kouts is less clear with the fit again Lewis expected to start again next season and the Seahawks actively pursuing eligible free agent MLB’s a spell as backup beckons again but he will give much needed depth.
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D.J. Hackett |
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DeAndre James in case you were wondering is a 6-2 wide receiver whose father played briefly in the NFL for the Vikings.
We’ve been wondering about more than his name in the rookie season. A late developer who progressed up the draft boards after an impressive 2003 season when he set a record for receptions at Colorado he was forecast to be a late 3rd round pick but ended up dropping to the 5th.
By mid-season and despite never having played a down, there were some promising reports coming out of Seattle that D.J. could really be something. Just as it seemed about time to give him a chance he picked up a troublesome hip injury that eventually saw him on injured reserve and his season was over before it had even begun.
2005 remains uncertain with the Seahawks having 7 receivers who seem to be higher in the pecking order so it is going to take a real effort from him to even force himself onto the roster.
| Craig Terrill |
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A defensive tackle who was projected to fill the role of a relatively inexpensive backup.
He eventually saw some playing time in week 14 and made a limited contribution during the rest of the season. Credited with a joint sack in the play off game against the Rams.
At the moment it’s difficult to see him progressing beyond a backup in 2005.
| Donnie Jones |
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Only the 3rd punter ever drafted by the Seahawks Jones was expected to spend at least a season on the practice squad learning the ropes from veteran Tom Rouen.
Unfortunately Rouen pulled his hamstring in week 5 which meant that it was time for Jones to step up.
No-one expected him to match Rouen’s level of performance but he made a pretty decent start. He did concede a safety at a crucial time in Arizona but that was more down to a bad snap and a busted block, the main problem was one of consistency.
Coming off a good performance in the dome in St Louis he averaged just over 30 yards on 8 punts the following week against the Dolphins.
It was enough for Holmgren who went out and signed the experienced Ken Walter who in truth was not much of a better punter than Jones.
When he dropped him Mike Holmgren stated that he expected Donnie Jones to be the Seahawks punter for many years to come just that this wasn’t his time.
For now at least the Seahawks punting situation for 2005 remains unresolved.
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