Everett, Wash.
Published: Friday, May 9, 2008

SEAHAWKS: Questions surround offense

Minicamp comes to an end with lots of questions to be answered about the Seahawks' offense.

By Scott M. Johnson
Herald Writer

 KIRKLAND -- As regular as the turn of a calendar page, the end of the first spring minicamp brings the usual array questions for the Seattle Seahawks.

How will they generate a pass rush?

Can the cornerbacks make enough plays?

Who will play middle linebacker?

Of course, those days are now in the past. When the Seahawks wrapped up the first minicamp of the 2008 offseason on Thursday morning, the defense had most of the same parts from the unit that could be dominating at times last year.

It's the offense that brings most of the question marks.

As the Seahawks set an eye toward the upcoming regular season -- Mike Holmgren's final one as head coach -- a myriad of mysteries on the offensive side of the ball have yet to be solved. Among them:

n Running game. The Seahawks are still trying to figure out how they'll divvy up the carries this season. Julius Jones is likely to get the bulk of the work at tailback, but he won't carry the ball 300 times like Shaun Alexander did in his prime. Jones and Maurice Morris will probably both see time at halfback.

"I don't know how we're going to do it; I really don't," offensive coordinator Gil Haskell said after the team wrapped up a two-part minicamp on Thursday. "But I could see (the carries being) half and half. Maurice Morris has done a lot for this franchise. Anytime we've asked him to play, he's gone in and played very well."

The team is still trying to figure out how to use 254-pound tailback T.J. Duckett. Holmgren said he prefers not to use a runner as a short-yardage-only back, and he added that Duckett could see time at fullback.

n Receivers. The absence of veteran Bobby Engram this week didn't help matters, as he is supposed to be one of only two constants at the position. With Deion Branch sidelined by a knee injury, and youngsters like Ben Obomanu, Courtney Taylor, Logan Payne and Jordan Kent still trying to prove themselves at the NFL level, the Seahawks have plenty of issues to work out.

The coaches like what they've seen out of Obomanu in recent preseasons, while Taylor has the tools to develop into the playmaker D.J. Hackett became for the Seahawks. Kent might have the most potential of all, with size and speed that can't be taught. The former Oregon track star and basketball player is still raw on the gridiron, but his progress bears watching.

n Tight end. By all accounts, rookie John Carlson is the tight end of 2008 and beyond. But it still remains to be seen whether he's ready to take over as starter from Day 1.

"Certainly, we have to see them in pads," Holmgren said of his evaluation of the tight end position. "We drafted John Carlson, but Will Heller is having a heck of a camp. I like (veteran Jeb) Putzier, what he is doing. (Third-year player Zac) Alcorn is good.

"At the tight end position, we have some choices there."

n Offensive line. This unit was a mess during the minicamp, due mostly to injuries. Left tackle Walter Jones, center Chris Spencer and right guard Rob Sims all missed significant time during the camp, leaving the unit in flux all week.

The addition of veteran left guard Mike Wahle should give the line a boost, both in terms of play and attitude. It still remains to be seen whether Spencer and Sims have learned from their mistakes in 2007, but their starting spots are secure for now.

n Engram. The veteran receiver put the "voluntary" in voluntary camp, but he's expected to be there when it counts. Despite his contract squabble, Engram will probably report for the mandatory camps, for training camp and, most important of all, for the regular season.

But the fact that Seattle's most reliable player was a no-show has definitely raised a few eyebrows.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is among those who aren't too concerned about Engram's absence.

"As I've said, I feel like I can throw to Bobby with my eyes closed," Hasselbeck said on Thursday. "When Bobby comes back, he will be back and he will be the same Bobby we all know and love."

Of course, there are a few questions outside of the offense.

The team hasn't even started letting kickers Olindo Mare and Brandon Coutu begin their battle to replace Josh Brown.

Defensively, the Seahawks have plenty of unsettled issues on the defensive line. Defensive tackles Rocky Bernard (legal issues) and Marcus Tubbs (knee surgery) are in limbo. The starting spot at right defensive end, where Darryl Tapp played last year, is up for grabs now that rookie first-round pick Lawrence Jackson is in the fold. And there are depth concerns at cornerback and linebacker.

But the most important issues are on offense.

"The best thing is that we've got a quarterback," Haskell said. "You can have all the other parts, but if you don't have a quarterback, you don't have a chance. We have one of the best quarterbacks in football.

"… We've got a good foundation on offense. A lot of people would love to have our foundation on offense. Shaun is gone, and Hackett is gone, but we'll be fine. I'm not worried about that."

Haskell added that the two-part camp the team held over the past week served as a pretty good first step.

"This is the best minicamp that I've been at, and I've been in this business for awhile," said Haskell, who begins his 26th year as an NFL assistant. "The last four days, we've worked on a lot of situations, and that's a credit to the new players and coaches. They've learned it, and we kept going.

"We're way further ahead than we've ever been at this point in the year."
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA