During a 61/2-month span that included exactly zero NFL games, the Seattle Seahawks demonstrated quite a propensity for the dramatic.
They wasted no time in ousting team president Bob Whitsitt, canning him five days after the 2004 season ended. Then, over the ensuing months, they let go of three productive yet troublesome players – Anthony Simmons, Chris Terry and Koren Robinson.
They somehow managed to lock up their three most important free agents – Walter Jones, Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander – as the hours ticked away toward the start of free agency.
And then, in what might be the biggest coup of all, the Seahawks waited until the 11th hour again before finding a way to get Alexander under contract and into training camp.
Beginning today, the real work begins. As training camp opens at Eastern Washington University, the Seahawks will build toward what they hope will be a dramatic 2005 season.
Seattle has most of its parts back on offense, with the notable exceptions of Terry and Robinson. The Seahawks went into the offseason with six offensive starters eligible for free agency, and head into training camp with all six back in a Seattle uniform.
With the noteworthy losses of Simmons, Chad Brown, Ken Lucas and Chike Okeafor on defense, the Seahawks spread around their free-agent money on replacements Jamie Sharper, Andre Dyson, Kelly Herndon and Bryce Fisher.
No one is ready to hand the NFC West title to the Seahawks again, but the offseason has given reason for optimism.
Alexander, who may be a few days late for camp as he awaits the birth of his second child, ran for a franchise-record 1,696 yards last season. He could be the most important offseason acquisition. During a season that saw Seattle win a division-best nine games, Alexander won three games almost single-handedly (135 yards and three touchdowns in a 21-7 win over New Orleans; 195 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-17 victory over Carolina; 154 yards and three touchdowns in a 24-21 win over Arizona).
He’s got all five of his offensive linemen back – Floyd Womack started six of the final seven regular-season games in place of an injured Terry – as well as blocking fullback Mack Strong and tight end Itula Mili.
The only big question mark on offense seems to be who will replace Robinson as the starting split end. Bobby Engram, one of the most productive slot receivers in the NFL over the past three seasons, has the inside track on that job, but could get challenged by veterans Jerome Pathon and Joe Jurevicius as well as a group of young players that includes Jerheme Urban, Taco Wallace, D.J. Hackett and Jason Willis.
That’s just one of several position battles to keep an eye on during training camp. The others:
* Middle linebacker. Niko Koutouvides finished the 2004 season as the starter, but the second-year player will have his hands full trying to hold off rookie Lofa Tatupu, a USC product the Seahawks drafted in the second round.
* Cornerback. The Seahawks spent $15 million to lure restricted free agent Kelly Herndon away from Denver, only to sign unrestricted free agent Andre Dyson to a $17.5 million contract a month later. Both have starting experience, but there’s only one job available (Marcus Trufant has a stranglehold on the other cornerback position).
* Tight end. The Itula Mili-Jerramy Stevens battle has been kind of like the Oklahoma-Texas rivalry of late. That’s to say, pretty one-sided. Mili is the odds-on favorite again, but the 6-foot-7 Stevens could add a whole new dimension to the offense if he ever fulfills his enormous potential.
* Center. Veteran Robbie Tobeck has been a valuable asset to Seattle’s offensive line over the years. But he is 35 years old and the Seahawks spent a first-round pick on Chris Spencer in the April draft.
* Right guard/tackle. Floyd Womack will start at one of these positions. He could get a shot to unseat Chris Gray at right guard, which would leave Sean Locklear, Wayne Hunter and Ray Willis to battle for the starting right tackle spot. The more likely scenario is for Gray to line up at guard, with Womack playing tackle beside him.
* Punter. The Seahawks cut the front-runner last week, letting go of Donnie Jones. That leaves veteran Leo Araguz to battle untested youngsters Chris Kluwe and Ryan Dutton.
* No. 2 quarterback. Seneca Wallace had an impressive summer, solidifying himself as Hasselbeck’s main backup. But third-round pick David Greene could play his way into that role, and there is still a chance the Seahawks could sign a veteran. Everett native Chris Chandler is the most experienced of the available quarterbacks.
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