Football Friday: Seahawks Draft Preview

The Seahawks come into the 2009 NFL draft in an unfamiliar position. They are drafting in the top 5 for the first time since 1997. Like most 4-12 teams, the Hawks have holes on both sides of the ball. Let’s be honest, they could use depth at every position on the field. Heading into Saturday the Hawks have glaring needs at the following positions:

Running Back:
Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett are horrible. Are we really heading into the season with these two knuckleheads toting the pigskin? The Cowboys couldn’t wait to get rid of Julius and now I know why. He isn’t even the best running back in his immediate family. Thomas Jones holds that title. Plus, he's 30 years old (the dreaded age when NFL RBs hit the wall, with very few exceptions). T.J. Duckett is just a specialist for third and short and goal line situations . We paid him a cool $4 million last year to carry the rock 68 times for 172 yards. Are you kidding me, 59K per carry. Our best back, Mo Mo bailed on us in the off-season.

Safety:
I can’t stand Brian Russell. He lacks size, speed and tackling ability. He blows assignments quicker than a Las Vegas escort. It’s safe to say that we need a change. But who can fill in for him? Jordan “Big Play Babs” Babineaux and ex-Husky C.J. Wallace are the back-ups, but neither are NFL starter quality. This position is screaming for help in the draft.

Corner Back:
Kelly Jennings and Josh Wilson are smurfs. Both defensive backs lack the size to handle the larger receivers in this league and the speed to cover the burners. Jennings, drafted #31 overall in '06, and Wilson, drafted #55 overall in '07, have not lived up to expectations. The Hawks need a corner with size, speed and versatility to cover Fitzgerald and Boldin who the Hawks face twice a year.

Quarterback:
I think Hasselback can still lead this team for the next two years if he can stay healthy, and that’s a big if. It would be wise to think about finding his replacement. Seneca is a decent quarterback, but he will never be more than a .500 player. He can lead the team to an 8-8 record but not to the playoffs.

Now, here is the much anticipated Football Friday dream mock draft (what I think we should do), including my picks for the Hawks in the first three rounds, plus a late-round dark horse selection

Round 1, pick #4:
I would prefer to trade this pick. If a trade is not an option I would go with Virginia OT Eugene Monroe. He is arguably the best tackle in the draft (but most pundits have Jason Smith slightly higher). He could anchor the left side of the line once big Walt calls it quits. It’s not a sexy pick, but it’s a stable one. He may not start in '09 but neither would Sanchez or Crabtree. I would love Wake Forest super LB Curry at #4 but I doubt he lasts past KC which picks third. Draft the big fella and the Hawks will have a great player for the next decade.

Round 2, pick #37:
Darius Heyward–Bey WR (Maryland). He is 6’1’’, 210 lbs, with a 40’’ vertical and a 4.3 forty. He has the speed to get past the defense and the leaping ability to go up and catch the ball in traffic. He is very athletic. Unfortunately, I doubt he will still be on the board, but I can hope right? The more likely choice is Hakim Nicks (WR) out of North Carolina, who's draft stock has dropped him into the second round. He is big (226 lbs) and fast enough with 4.5 speed to make an impact.

Round 3, pick #68:
William Moore SS (Missouri). He is the premier safety in the college game and a first team All Big 12 selection. He is 6’0’’, 221 lbs and runs a 4.51 forty. He is big, tough and can run sideline to sideline. He is a ferocious hitter but also knows when to wrap up and make the tackle. If Moore is no longer on the board, Patrick Chung out of Oregon is a close second at the safety position.

Dark horse: Keep an eye on Graham Harell. Assuming Ruskell stays away from Sanchez, I predict the Hawks select the stat-machine QB out of Texas Tech in the 7th round. Why not grab a guy who threw for 5,111 yards and 45 TD’s last year? His career stats are 15,793 yards, 134 TD’s and only 34 INT’s. It’s hard to ignore that kind of production. I know, I know, he is supposed to be a product of the spread system, but hey, we are talking about the 7th round.

*Check back here at Wetland Sports at the end of every week for Football Friday, where we'll discuss all the important and intriguing football-related issues facing the Seahawks and Huskies.

M’s Stink up Safeco; Bench Yuni, Bring Up Carp

The Rays massacred the M’s tonight behind good hitting and solid pitching. At one point, the Rays 2nd/3rd/4th hitters were an out-of-this-world 8 for 9. Although Evan Longoria is only 23 years old, he is the best player that nobody has ever heard of. His swing is effortless; everything he hit went deep into a gap somewhere.

Meanwhile, the M’s looked like a bunch of hackers. It took 5 innings for the M’s to get their first hit. Some observations: despite his .300 average, Yuni Betancourt needs to sit. His defense sucks and his lack of pitch selection is killing this team. Although management keeps telling him to be more patient, he’s clearly tuning them out. First pitch? Ground out. 2nd pitch? Ground out. Two pitches, two quick outs. I’m done with Yuni. I want him out of here. Let’s give Cedeno a week and see what we’ve got.

I’m still laughing at the injury sustained by Mike Sweeney. Sweeney, who will turn 36 this July, apparently pulled a muscle in his ribcage while swinging at strike two early in the game. Sweeney then proceeded to take himself out of the ballgame (I had a weird Miguel Cairo flashback when Cedeno replaced Sweeney in the lineup in the cleanup spot. Eeew). If Sweeney is placed on the DL, I don’t think the M’s will miss his bat much anyway. It might be nice to see Carp get a call up from Tacoma.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to watch Ken Griffey struggle. On one hand, you look at him and hope to catch lightning in a bottle. Every sports fan wants to see the Kid hit 30 home runs and drive in 100. One the other hand, Kenny is 39 and has a lot of baseball on his personal odometer. Stop drinking the kool-aid, Seattle fans, Kenny isn’t the same Kenny we saw back in 1995. He isn’t going to hit north of .250 and we should be very happy if he hits 20 bombs and drives in 80. Hopefully, there will be a night or two when Griffey is enough to win a ballgame by himself. (Cue the soundtrack from the Natural). Single tear.

Perhaps the M’s saving grace is that they are 9-6 despite the fact that their 3 main run producers (Griffey, Beltre, Lopez) are all hitting .206 or less. Maybe the guys will get hot and revive the offense. Or maybe the team’s lack of patience and power will render the team uncompetitive when they fall behind.

Blazers Rebound, Still Room On The Bandwagon

In case you missed (I did), the Blazers, Wetland's adopted NBA squad this playoff season, recovered from their woeful, vomit-inducing opening game, to win game two last night in Portland.

Unfortunately, nobody outside of Portland saw homeboy Brandon Roy, who could arguably end up being the greatest Seattle basketball product ever, shred the Rockets for 42 because the game wasn't on TNT, only NBA TV. Lame.

You would also have missed the perhaps the final game in the ridiculously long career of one of the most hated Seattle villains of all time, Mount Dikembe Mutombo. (I still have nightmares where I see his ugly angular face crying and writhing in ecstasy on the floor of the Seattle Coliseum after the Nuggets became the first eight seed to knock off a number one. No Seattle fan will ever forget where they were on that day. I'll admit it. I cried.) Anyway, Mutumbo went down with a severe knee injury, this time writhing in agony in Portland. After the game the African Cookie Monster said, "For me, basketball is over for."

[Cue angels singing beautiful music. See tears of joy flowing from Seattle hoop fans' eyes worldwide.]

Seriously though, I hate to see any athlete in any sport go down with a serious injury. But there are two exceptions: 1) Said injury leads to a narrow fantasy football victory that should have been a loss, and 2) It's Dikembe going down with that injury.

The guy's 63 years old and entered the league when shorts were still designed to show off a dude's package.

Luckily, I'm here to point these things out to Seattle fans. You're welcome.

Apparently, from what I've read, the Blazers played much more physical after getting absolutely punked like nerds in a game of schoolyard dodgeball in Saturday's match. LaMarcus Aldridge played like the All-star he thinks he is. And they hit almost half of their treys. This is the recipe for success for Blazers.

Here's some fantastic behind-the-scenes coverage of the locker room before game 2 from Oregonian writer Jason Quick. Great stuff. Makes me appreciate PG Steve Blake, the most intense Blazer by far, that much more.

Here's the Sportscenter highlight, which begins with Mutombo going down and then being carried off the floor by the entire Rockets team and staff. Must see TV. (And also a highlight of Oden actually making a nice put-back dunk.

Finally, here's a video breakdown of B-Roy's nasty 42-point masterpiece from NBA.com. 

While the game wasn't on elsewhere, it set a ratings record in Portland. They are starving for a playoff win there. I want to get in on that. And you should too. This team is not only talented, they've proven to be resilient. Now, it's time for us Seattle sports fans to resurrect our love for the NBA through these Blazers. 

Now, if they could just put the game on TV we can watch. 

Tuesday Top 10: Worst Seattle Sporting Event Concessions

Continuing our rich tradition (two weeks in a row now) of the Tuesday Top 10 focusing on the lighter side of Seattle sports, today's topic is none other than those uh, tasty delicacies found at our favorite local sports venues.

Honestly, I could have made a top 10 worst concessions at Safeco Field alone. I think the theme here is the more vendors try to class up the food and bev at sporting events, the more they miserably fail. Keep it basic, hot, fried, salty and cheap, and you should be good to go.

That said, my top 10 worst Seattle sporting event concessions:

1. Dippin' Dots (Safeco Field): A terrible spin on ice cream. The freeze-dried pellets taste like a stale, freezer-burned version of the real thing. And let's face it, the best part about eating ice cream at a ballpark is the mini helmet they serve it in. Not with this stuff.

2. Anything at Husky Stadium: Well, just about anything. I'll say the Dixie's Porter Special (hot link with barbequed brisket ladled on top) is the one acceptable concession at the Dawg House. But at over $10 a pop, it hurts you in the wallet just as much as it hurts you on the way out. Aside from that, Husky Stadium has received more negative pub about lack of amenities than a 1-star motel on Aurora.

3. Ivar Dog (Safeco Field): A long, thin piece of fried cod in a hot dog bun with coleslaw on top should not be called a "dog." Stick to fish and chips, Ivar's.

4. Ichi Roll (Safeco Field): Raw fish does not belong in crowded ball parks in the middle of August. Period. I don't care how big of a sensation Ichiro is here, I don't care about his Japanese-American following at the Safe. You never saw people eating kim chee in the stands at Dodger Stadium when Chan Ho Park was on the bump during his heyday.

5. King Dog (Kingdome): Remember the original King Dog and its green hue? You could direct ground traffic at Sea-Tac with those things.

6. Racha Thai (Qwest Field): Kind of goes along with the sushi - Asian cuisine is not meant to be served at stadiums, a la catering service and chafing dishes. Save it for the real restaurant on lower Queen Anne.

7. Shishkoberries (Safeco Field): Not only do you look ridiculous ordering and consuming these, doing it sans significant other in attendance with you (in other words, a girlfriend/wife that made you buy one) is grounds for ejection. Look, chocolate-covered strawberries are acceptable once a year: On Valentine's Day in a dimly-lit, obscure restaurant, far far away from anyone who may recognize you eating them.

8. Jones Soda (Qwest Field): A pure cane Jones to the dome isn't bad once in a while, but for it to be my ONLY choice at Qwest Field when I'm simply looking to dump out half and mix it with the Jack Daniel's I smuggled in for an ultra-sweet, boozy concoction that will leave your head spinning by the third quarter is a bit much.

9. Garlic Fries (Safeco Field): I'm not saying garlic-infused french fries aren't delicious. They are. But it comes with a big price. Forget about getting laid if you consume these. The nasty guys have been game-killers since day one. High school dudes - You've been forewarned.

10. Personal Pizza (Key Arena): The one thing from the Sonics I'm glad made the move to Oklahoma City. Purchasing one required a down payment and financing; eating one required teeth made of titanium.

Stick a Fork in Hasselbeck

I am here to tell you it is time to stick a fork in Seahawk QB Matt Hasselbeck. He is done.

Some will argue that Hasselbeck is in the prime of his career at the relatively young age of 33. I am not one of those people.

Hasselbeck has been sacked and beaten more than almost any other QB in the NFL the past five seasons. His 2008 numbers are atrocious. In seven games, Hasselbeck threw only 5 TD’s and was picked off 10 times posting a Trent Dilfer like QB rating of 57.8. Although only two years removed from a productive campaign of 28 TD’s in 2007, Hasselbeck’s best years are clearly behind him. 

He looked unable to walk during certain games last season and may never be fully recovered from his ambiguous “back injury.” Inside sources have told Wetland Sports that Hasselbeck has even had trouble getting up at times from a lawn chair in Hawaii playing with his kids.

Sure, the receiving crew will undoubtedly be better with the signing of TJ but who will block for Matthew? With an aging offensive line and running backs who don't block, Hasselbeck’s prognosis in 2009 does not look any better. How many more hits to his ribcage, back, knees and shoulder can he take? Not too many. If the Hawks had young bruisers up front it may be a different story—they don’t. It might even be different if they had a young running back to carry the workload—they don’t.

With the #4 pick on Saturday, the Hawks should take Hasselbeck’s younger clone, Mark Sanchez. The time is now for the Hawks to build for the future. Even in Hasselbeck’s best years, he has never led the Seahawks in the playoffs the way Brady or Manning has. In big games, Matthew seems to disappear more often than not. Can anyone remember a game where Matt put the team on his back and carried us to victory?

Sanchez represents a new face for the franchise. Sanchez is young, mobile and his upside is limitless. He also comes with one of the most politically incorrect and hilarious nicknames in the history of QBs -- ‘Dirty Sanchez’ -- whether he succeeds or fails. Another big plus in my eyes.

I would rather take a chance on a rising star than a star who is clearly fading.

What to do now?

Over the weekend, I foolishly began contemplating blogging about what the Mariners should do if the team is still competitive, let alone leading the AL West, come the July trade deadline.

I thought, "What could be more intriguing than a Mariners front office that had no intention of making a playoff run (let's be honest) now forced to think about 1) keeping players with trade value and 2) making potential playoff-run acquisitions?"

What do you do with guys like Beltre, Bedard and Washburn? All are in their contract year, all are perceived as valuable in terms of potential future-building trades. Would Mariners' brass take a gamble on keeping these players for a playoff run? Would they acquire anyone of significance perceived as a "missing piece?"

Then came 2-0 and 8-2.

Two runs in two games isn't going to cut it. And it's becoming increasingly clear that Wak-ball will only take the Mariners so far. Sooner or later, they will need to drive runs in if they want to continue winning, especially considering the team's ever-so-fragile pitching rotation and bullpen are to survive.

Still, considering the M's surprising start - 8 and 5 with a 2 1/2 game lead atop the AL West - we need to take a deep breath and realize that the recent losses and anemic offense just over two games is not necessarily a pattern one can draw conclusions from just yet.

HOWEVER, and this is a big however (hence the capital letters), we will know a lot about the Mariners as early as the end of April.

The next three series will prove pivotal; all involve match-ups with contenders: at home against the down-but-dangerous Rays, then on the road against the hungry Angels, a team that looking to avenge last week's debacle in Seattle, then a long trip to division-leading Chicago.

That's nine games with some of the league's best competition, all before May 1.

If the Mariners rebound from the weekend and get back to their winning ways over these next three series, and perhaps come out north of .500 in those games, you may have yourself enough of a litmus test over this first month of baseball to draw the conclusion that these Mariners could be here to stay. Conversely, if things go bad, this team could very easily revert to, eh, 2008.

Until then, I'll save my roster move scenarios for a later date.

Monday Morning Musings, April 20

This is the newest feature from Wetland Sports: a bunch of random thoughts that you may or may not find interesting, entertaining or just plain absurd. Let's get Muse-ical. Ok, that was cheesy. We'll work on the intro.

-Welcome to the NBA playoffs Blazers. There's a deer on I-5 that says it wants its look back.

-I miss Raul Ibanez. He might have been the consistent run producer the M's are increasingly lacking.

-Erik Bedard looks like he hates his $8 million job. Judging by his disposition on the mound, you'd think he'd rather be doing anything else, like mowing his lawn or getting a colostomy.

-I'm wondering if those "people in and around the league" who are telling Todd McShay that the Hawks will draft USC QB Mark Sanchez are actually dudes in his fantasy league.

-If top OTs Eugene Monroe and Jason Smith are off the board, I'd love to see Ruskell give us the nastiest receiving corps in the league by drafting superstar-in-the-making Michael Crabtree. The Texas Tech WR, as a redshirt sophomore, was physically dominant last year -- while playing with a stress fracture in his foot! With TJ, Crabby, Branch, Burleson and Carlson, and a healthy Hasselbeck, watch out.

-Love Chris Jakaubuskas' story. Damn it, I knew I wouldn't spell it right on the first try. Sorry Chris. All together now: it is J-a-k-u-b-a-u-s-k-as. The next John Lackey. He's the kind of tough, hungry player that will the help M's stay in contention -- for at least the next two months. Great story by Seattle guy Jim Caple.

-Hear that thud. It's the sound of Seattle fans falling back to earth following the Sounders shutout loss and the M's losing two straight games that made their offense look exactly like it does on paper.

-Couldn't stop laughing when reading about Griffey, wearing black robe, thick 24 medallion and swinging a gavel, holding kangaroo court in the M's clubhouse yesterday. Hilarious. Another reason the M's will win at least 78 games. (As you can see I'm wildly adjusting my expectations after getting entirely too excited on Wednesday night. Get used to it. This will happen at least once a week, especially if I've been drinking.)

-When do you pull the plug on Carlos Silva? On the plus side, I see a promising post-baseball future for Carlos -- as the fattest yoga instructor in the world.