KIRKLAND — Mike Holmgren wants to go out with a bang.
His 10th season as the Seahawks’ head coach will be his last, he said, at least with this team and maybe forever. Therefore, the 2008-09 season will be one in which they pull out all the stops, he said.
“We’re going to make it the very best year, ever,” Holmgren said Tuesday. “We’re going to work very, very hard to finish the job that I’d hoped to do when I first came, and that’s to get to the Super Bowl and win one.”
He will fulfill his contract with the Seahawks, which ends in 2009. He wants no extension, not that he has any beef with management. Holmgren is in a unique position among NFL coaches, in that he can set the terms of his own future.
His job is not in jeopardy. He is popular among his players, his bosses and the media.
Holmgren says he has the mental and physical energy for one more training camp, one more preseason, and one more regular season, one more post-season that, he hopes ends with a victory in the Super Bowl.
One more all-out push.
“Then, probably after that, I will take a little time off,” said Holmgren, 59. “But not yet. We’re going to go after it hard one more year.”
That was the theme. Holmgren believes that the core of this team still has at least one more run of competitive football in it. The Seahawks are one of three teams — along with the Patriots and Colts — that have crashed the playoffs five straight seasons or more.
If Holmgren is serious as he claims about an all-out effort to return to the Super Bowl, the front office has to come through.
The question is this: How far are they willing to go?
Are they willing to make changes at running back, tight end and offensive line? Are they willing to make changes in the defensive line? How deep are they willing to dig into Paul Allen’s wallet? Are they willing to do some creative things with the salary cap?
If so, the following things must happen:
n Holmgren has to quit kidding himself about Shaun Alexander and either release him or have him accept a secondary role at a severely reduced contract. If Alexander is agreeable to restructure his contract in order for the Seahawks to sign high-impact free agents and big-time draft choices, fine. At the very least, though, Alexander has to understand that he will have to compete for a roster spot in 2008.
The Seahawks have 44 players under contract, about $9.55 million under the projected salary cap of $116 million, with the latest extension to the Collective Bargaining Agreement. That’s up about $7 million over last season. If Alexander agrees to a salary cut, it would give the Seahawks all that much more wiggle room under the cap.
If Randy Moss, Tedy Bruschi and Junior Seau did it for the Patriots, Alexander can do it for Seattle.
n The Seahawks must trade up into the top five in the NFL Draft to nab Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, who can make an immediate impact on the scale of what Adrian Peterson did with the Vikings.
n They have to re-sign cornerback Marcus Trufant, who had his best year in 2007-08.
n Release tight end Marcus Pollard and draft one Fred Davis of USC. Failing that, Martin Rucker of Missouri would be the next logical tight end. Holmgren’s West Coast offense struggles without a running game and without a tight end as a second or third option to throw to. Pollard wasn’t the answer at age 35. Davis and Rucker were made for it.
n Shore up the offensive line. Two options here — the draft or free agents. Tackle Sam Baker of USC likely will be gone in the first round. If so, the Seahawks probably would be in position to draft Jeff Otah (6-6, 340) of Pittsburgh, Gosder Cherilus (6-7, 315) or Anthony Collins (6-6, 308) of Kansas. Better, though, especially for immediate help, is to open up the checkbook and sign five-time first-team All-Pro Alan Faneca of the Steelers. He will be available. Contract-extension talks are going nowhere. Chris Gray, 38 next season, may well retire. If he doesn’t, he could fill in the depth at either guard spot or right tackle.
n Bring in some defensive linemen. They struck gold with Brendan Mebane in last season’s draft. With Chuck Darby and Marcus Tubbs coming off injuries, the interior line needs similar finds in the fourth and fifth rounds of the draft.
On the front-office end, it won’t be cheap. On the player end, some will have to sacrifice and restructure their contracts.
But if Holmgren wants to go out in the brightest possible light, his return alone won’t cut it.
Sports columnist John Sleeper: sleeper@heraldnet.com. To reach Sleeper’s blog, “Dangling Participles,” go to www.heraldnet.com/danglingparticiples.
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