By Scott M. Johnson
Herald Writer
KIRKLAND – Despite injuries that have sidelined his season thus far, Matt Hasselbeck has been a virtual shoo-in to play this Sunday at Husky Stadium since late February.
The only variable was which uniform Hasselbeck would be wearing.
Both the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins tried to lure Hasselbeck away from the Green Bay Packers just before the free agent signing period officially began eight months ago. The Dolphins thought that they had the inside track on signing Hasselbeck, offering a first-round pick and the opportunity to swap picks in the second and third rounds.
The negotiation between Miami and Green Bay got so heated that Dolphins vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman thought he had a deal. But Seahawks coach/general manager Mike Holmgren swept in at the last moment and struck a deal with Packers coach/GM Mike Sherman, a former Seahawks assistant.
“We knew what we were willing to do, and if it wasn’t enough, we probably weren’t going to get him,” said Holmgren, who moved down seven spots in the first round and threw in a third rounder to land Hasselbeck. “But it was enough. It’s funny how those things go. I knew Miami was involved, and we were fortunate to get him.”
Spielman and the Dolphins eventually signed New York Jets backup Ray Lucas after losing out on Hasselbeck.
“I was mad, but I know it’s part of the business,” Spielman told the Palm Beach Post earlier this week. “It didn’t get done, for whatever reason, so you just go on to the next thing and do what you can. One thing I’ve learned in this business, you can’t sit around.”
Hasselbeck probably would have had to battle Jay Fiedler for the starting job in Miami, while Holmgren essentially handed it to him when he arrived in Seattle.
Despite any early struggles from his young quarterback, Holmgren believes the trade will work out for the best.
“It just takes time,” Holmgren said Friday. “Unfortunately, sometimes you’ve got to get a bloody nose before you figure the whole thing out. That’s the excitement, really, of coaching young people – that unpredictability. But I like our young guys. It’s just baptism under fire.”
He’s all ears: Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander has been a target of Holmgren and Seattle running backs coach Stump Mitchell, both of whom have been on him for a year and a half about rounding out his game.
Lately Alexander has received coaching advice from other sources. Veterans Trent Dilfer and Ricky Watters, the only two Seahawks players with Super Bowl rings, have taken special interest in Alexander this season.
“I’m not a running back, so I don’t try to coach him,” Dilfer said. “The thing I try to emphasize is his importance as a blocker, as a receiver. Any time you have a feature back that’s in on every down, he has to learn all the aspects of the offense, not just the running game. So that’s what I try to emphasize to him.”
Watters has also been a valuable sounding board on the sideline since injuring his shoulder five weeks ago. He isn’t expected back until the middle of next month – at the earliest.
“It’s so funny. He can say, ‘This is about to happen right here.’ And as soon as I go on the field, it’ll happen,” Alexander said. “He’ll say, ‘This lineman will start talking smack, but just run right by him; he’ll overrun the play.’ And that exactly happens. It’s good to have a person that’s been through the trenches.”
Alexander’s favorite advice from his veteran teammates came after last week’s game, when eight of his 33 carries went for negative yards.
“Trent told me the good players never remember their bad plays,” Alexander said. “Then Ricky told me that no one ever remembered Barry Sanders’ moves where he lost yards. So with them two people talking to me like that, I pretty much say, ‘What bad runs?’”
Security reminder: Coolers and large bags will not be allowed at Husky Stadium for Sunday’s game. Fans carrying anything larger than a purse or fanny pack will be asked to return them to their vehicles.
Quick slants: Holmgren said he expects defensive end Michael Sinclair (groin) and kick returner Charlie Rogers (toe) to play in Sunday’s game despite injuries. Free safety Marcus Robertson (hamstring) has not practiced all week and appears unlikely to play. … Holmgren said Trent Dilfer will probably be the backup quarterback this week, even though he is not 100 percent. Dilfer suffered a groin injury in the win over Denver two weeks ago.
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