NFL DRAFT: Seahawks have some roster holes to fill

While the Seattle Seahawks were relatively quiet in free agency last month, they did make a pretty noticeable addition to their roster.

It came in the form of the large hole on special teams.

The Seahawks lost kicker Josh Brown and reserve linebackers Niko Koutouvides and Kevin Bentley in free agency, and long snapper Jeff Robinson is not expected to be back, so now the team has several new areas to address on Day 2 of this weekend’s NFL draft.

Brown was one of the most consistent kickers in franchise history, while Kouotouvides and Bentley emerged as leaders on the coverage units.

All three players have possible replacements already on the roster — veteran kicker Olindo Mare was signed earlier this month, and young linebackers Lance Laury and Will Herring could be ready to make bigger contributions on special teams — but the voids are likely to be addressed in the draft as well.

The Seahawks also are looking for a long snapper after going through three different snappers during the 2007 season. The latest, 38-year-old Robinson, is not expected to return to the NFL.

“All the way through (the draft), we will keep an eye on it,” team president Tim Ruskell said of the voids left in his team’s special-teams units. “We have to fill some holes there.”

Brown, who was given the franchise-player designation in 2007 after kicking four game-winning field goals the previous season, probably will be the most difficult special teamer to replace. Ruskell said that he plans to have Mare and a rookie battle it out for kicking duties, so there is a good chance the position will be addressed this Sunday.

There is no clear-cut consensus on the top kicker available in this weekend’s draft. The long list of candidates includes Oregon State’s Alexis Serna, Wisconsin’s Taylor Mehlhaff, Louisville’s Art Carmody, North Carolina State’s Steven Hauschka, Georgia’s Brandon Coutu and Shane Longest of St. Xavier University in Illinois.

Longest might have the most leg strength among that group, but his accuracy was suspect while playing at the NAIA school. Serna was the most accurate from behind 50 yards, while Hauschka’s ability to deliver in the clutch has been lauded.

At linebacker, the Seahawks are looking for backups who can perform well on special teams. The team did add veteran D.D. Lewis to the mix in free agency, but it’s likely that the draft could bring another option.

Lewis and Laury are examples of undrafted linebackers who made the Seahawks roster, so Seattle might wait until after the seven rounds are over before adding a linebacker to the mix this weekend.

Long snappers are more difficult to find, even on draft weekend. Pro Football Weekly’s 2008 Draft Preview ranks Indiana’s Tim Bugg as the top long snapper available in the draft. The 6-foot, 257-pound Bugg did not play any other positions in college. San Diego State linebacker Tyler Schmitt also was mentioned by PFW as a possible draft pick.

Derek Rackley, Boone Stutz and Robinson all saw action with the Seahawks in 2008.

Among linebackers who could contribute on Seattle’s coverage teams, Western Washington’s Shane Simmons and Idaho’s David Vobora provide interesting possibilities. PFW’s Draft Guide has Arizona’s Spencer Larsen, Vanderbilt’s Jonathan Goff, South Florida’s Ben Moffitt, Georgia Tech’s Gary Guyton, Kentucky’s Wesley Woodyard and Virginia Tech’s Vince Hall as the top-rated linebackers who could slip into the middle rounds and contribute on special teams.

Special teams might not be the sexiest aspect of the game, but the Seahawks have factored in the unit on past draft days. Herring and return man Josh Wilson were added in the 2007 draft, and punter Ryan Plackemeier was chosen in the seventh round in 2006.

Brown was a seventh-round pick in the 2003 draft and went on to become the second-most accurate kicker in franchise history. He missed just six field goals last season, most of which were caused by a lack of rhythm in the snapping game.

Brown signed a five-year, $14.2 million contract with the rival St. Louis Rams on the first day of free agency. Koutouvides followed by signing with the Denver Broncos, while Bentley is now with the Houston Texans.