Everett, Wash.
Published: Thursday, February 28, 2008

Seahawks won't make big splash

Seattle is not expected to be aggressive in the league's free-agent market.

By Scott M. Johnson
Herald Writer

 The official start of NFL free agency starts at the stroke of midnight -- 9 p.m. on the West Coast -- but don't expect the Seattle Seahawks to make quite the splash tonight that they've made in years past.

Unlike last February, when the team closed in on defensive end Patrick Kerney right away, or 2006, when linebacker Julian Peterson was signed in the first few minutes of free agency, the Seahawks aren't expected to be as aggressive early in this signing period.

First of all, Seattle doesn't have quite the salary-cap room that it has had in the past. The $9.465 million franchise tag that was placed on Marcus Trufant could eat up a lot of room on the 2008 cap -- unless he is traded or signed to a long-term deal, and several other stars like Matt Hasselbeck, Walter Jones and Shaun Alexander are currently slated to get big base salaries in the upcoming season. Several teams cleared cap space by releasing veterans on Wednesday, but Alexander was not among them.

Another reason the Seahawks might sit back and wait is that they're not in the market for some of the marquee players in this year's class. Linebacker Lance Briggs (Chicago), wide receiver Randy Moss (New England) and cornerback Asante Samuel (New England) wouldn't fill positions of need. Seattle's top offseason priorities were finding a veteran guard, which they found in former Carolina starter Mike Wahle, and locking up Trufant for '08. The Seahawks also got starting right tackle Sean Locklear signed to a long-term deal.

Seattle is more likely to spend its resources trying to re-sign some of its own free agents. At the top of that list are kicker Josh Brown and wide receiver D.J. Hackett, both of whom are expected to test the market.

Brown was the team's franchise player last season, but the tag was not used on him this time around. He has been a reliable kicker who has shown the ability to deliver in the clutch, and the Seahawks would love to re-sign him at the right price.

The same can be said for Hackett, whose youth (26) and big-play ability is expected to attract teams like the Washington Redskins. But there are bigger names out there, like Moss, New England's Dante Stallworth and, possibly, Chicago's Bernard Berrian.

If no team decides to break the bank for Hackett, the Seahawks will try to keep him. But they're not going to overspend.

Other Seahawks free agents include defensive tackle Chartric Darby, offensive lineman Floyd Womack, tight end Marcus Pollard and linebackers Niko Koutouvides and Kevin Bentley.

Tight end seems to be the most glaring area of need, although the team could be looking for a veteran running back like Michael Turner or Julius Jones if Alexander is let go. Head coach Mike Holmgren told several reporters covering the NFL scouting combine last week that he believes Alexander will be back.

Secondary Seahawks needs include another guard to challenge Rob Sims and/or Chris Gray on the right side, a wide-bodied defensive tackle and another pass rusher.

As is the case for many teams around the league, the Seahawks are likely to exercise patience when it comes to free agency. There probably won't be any Kerney-like signings late tonight, but there will be some veterans added to the mix in the coming weeks.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA