From: jorgand@sumax.seattleu.edu (Dave Jorgan)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro
Subject: Seattle News
Date: 21 Aug 92 05:19:26 GMT
Organization: Seattle University, Seattle WA




	Latest (and not so latest) Seattle Seahawks news:


	 Contracts:   Dwayne Harper, Tony Woods, and Jacob Green all signed
and played against the Colts last Saturday. No progress on talks with
Brian Blades, Michael Bates, or Travis McNeal. On Blades, I'm not sure what
will happen- there is quite a gap between offers, and I feel Blades should
get a offer closer to what he wants than what Seattle is offering. But,
under the Behring regime, Seattle is now notorious for being cheap.
	
	Michael Bates is a tough question. He has the "leverage" to demand
more money- 3rd place in the 200 meters in the Olympics, can make money
running track, etc. and he probably should do that. He wants second round
money and a six-figure signing bonus. The trouble is, he is a raw project,
with untried football skills. Seattle can pay him the money- but what are
they going to do with him? He has had no training camp- he didn't play football
last year at all- and he was far from a polished player even when he did play.
Under normal circumstances, Bates would go on the developmental roster. Seattle
can't pay him big money then put him on the practice squad, though. Yet, I
don't know if they can afford to pay that kind of money, and use up a roster
slot, for a guy who is a huge project. If they do sign Bates, it is likely
to be be after the season ends, so they can work with him during the off-
season.

	Travis McNeal is crazy. A guy who got 17 passes last season
suddenly feels he is worth $500,000 a year. He and his agent trimmed his
demand to $325,000 a season, but still. I must emphasize McNeal has done
very little in the past- he has potential, but that is all. Basically, with
the late date of possible signing and missed practice time, I think McNeal
has held himself off a roster slot. Seattle will be perfectly happy to
let him dangle in limbo all season. They might sign him if there is an injury.
McNeal's agent inquired about a trade, but I can only ask who would give
anything for McNeal? Maybe a 12th rounder, if the other team needs a TE due
to injury. That is how much McNeal is worth given his past performance.




	QB:  Kelly Stouffer has taken a strong lead in the QB contest, and
rumors have it he will be the starter for Seattle. He played very well 
in both the Ram and Colt games, and while in the Ram game the pass rush
rattled him, in the Colt game he stood up to the pressure well. He hit
a couple of long passes in the Colt game under pressure. He appears to be
reading defenses and looking off the DB's better than McGwire, who still
locks in on his reciever and is slow setting up and releasing. In fact,
Stouffer looks good enough that he might even return 1st round value- he 
is much better than he has ever shown before. More realistically, Stouffer's
performance will be pegged to the pass protection he recieves. When you
see how the new Seattle QB's reacted against a heavy pass rush, you appreciate
Dave Krieg a lot more, since he played almost his whole career in Seattle
under such conditions.

	RB:  Excellent news here. Both Chris Warren and Rueben Mayes look
really good. Warren looks like he has learned how to run. He is now hitting
the hole decisively, and is dragging tacklers with him after contact. Plus,
he is making some good runs as far as speed goes. He was not a tough runner
prior to this season. Mayes looks really good. His quickness looks fine,
he is running inside very well (much better than I though.) Some teammates
are calling Mayes "Curt Warner in a new body," and in fact he does look
at times a lot like Warner in his prime, cutting quickly and finding small
seams and bursting through them. And, he is running pretty tough as well.
Both RB's are catching the ball well- often Flores is having Warren move
to the flanker position as a surprise to the defense.
	Mike Oliphant looked shaky his first game against the Rams and
in the 1st half against the Colts (when he muffed a kickoff) but in the
second half he ran really well, like a scatback should, turning the corner
and generally eluding tackers as he was the main weapon in a scoring drive.
All in all, I believe at the least Seattle will have a respectable running
game next season. Flores says Warren is too valuable on kick returns to take
him off that duty, and in fact Oliphant and Brian Treggs have not shown to
be great returners so far, so I expect Mayes and Warren will split time a
lot at halfback, so Warren will be fresh for return duty. John L. seemed to
have his role reduced against the Rams, not playing on passing downs, but 
against the Colts was restored to his passing down position. The other FB,
Tracy Johnson, has blocked well, but is expected to catch passes as well- 
something he did not do much of in the past. James Jones looks to be playing
more at halfback than fullback. But......



	TE:  James Jones is getting time at tight end. Seattle is thin at tight
end- perhaps that is why McNeal thinks he can hold out effectively. But,
even if they had McNeal their depth would not be much greater- you should know
McNeal wasn't even a starter. 3-time Plan B pickup Mike Tice was the starter.
Paul Green, a WFL refugee, is the leader at the TE spot right now. Ron Heller
has dropped a lot of passes. Larry Stayner, whom I had high hopes in, injured
his knee against the Colts on a kickoff and is lost for the season. James Jones
may not quite have the bulk to be a top TE as far as blocking goes (though
he was a excellent blocking FB) but is a outstanding reciever and can do what
Ethan Horton has done for the Raiders. He is 6'2", 231, I reckon Seattle
would have Jones bulk up to 240 or so to play TE. He can be the passing
situtation recieving TE Flores wants to have, as Flores is not using the 4 WR
formations anymore, but is retaining the TE.


	WR: With Blades out, Seattle loses a reliable pass reciever. But,
one has to wonder if perhaps Flores might not mind. This way, he can insert
some speed into the starting lineup, in the form of Doug Thomas, who has
shown great improvement. To be fair, Thomas always was a *football* player,
not just a track man, unlike say a Gault, Ron Brown, or perhaps even Michael
Bates. When he caught the ball, he caught it with his hands, not his body,
and could make fine leaping catches. His problem was learning the pass routes
and adjustments, but it looks like he has improved a great deal, and no less
an authority than Steve Largent has said so. He still makes mistakes, as
does the other young reciever Dave Daniels, but both are making good progress,
and at the least Thomas will be the 3rd receiver in the 3 WR formations.


	OL: Andy Heck appears to be officially moved to left guard- he has
played there exclusivly this season, to the point that Seattle was using
right tackle Bill Hitchcock at Heck's old position of left tackle until
Ray Roberts signed. Joe Tofflemire started against the Colts, and I can only
pray that at last Grant Feasel will finally be replaced. Hitchcock has
has problems in pass protection in both games. He was beaten badly in the Rams
games for two sacks. Ray Roberts looks OK, but also has been beaten for a 
couple of sacks. He looks somewhat out-of-shape- he has a roll of fat around
his midsection, which not even Cortez Kennedy has (Cortez is pear shaped and
might have a gut but not a big roll of flab) so I wonder about his conditioning.
On the plus side, they are blocking quite well for the run, and Seattle has
a better than 4 yard per carry average so far, a vast improvement over last
season, if it holds up into the regular season.


	DL: Keith Millard has had problems with the knee and so far Seattle
is one-for-two with ex-WSU Cougar Pro Bowl leg-injury prospects. Millard
underwent minor surgery on the right knee, but it only took 8 minutes and
he should be ready to play possibly by the 3rd preseason game, for sure the
last preseason contest. He now feels he went too hard in training camp
(when he was disobeying Flores' orders to practice only once a day) and will
take it easier from now on. Jacob Green and Tony Woods are back, and need
some work, but Green already made a few big plays in the Colts game. Overall
the D-line has not put much pressure on the passer- Seattle only has two sacks
thus far, both by Rufus Porter. 
	Eric Hayes, 285 lb DT, should be ready to play against the Cardinals
in preseason after nursing a sore knee. Michael Sinclair, DE and supposed
succesor to Green, is still out with a bad ankle, and has yet to play in pre-
season. Tyrone Rodgers, ex Washington Husky lineman, is playing well and has
a good chance to stick. Seattle likes Mike Friar, 300 lb tackle/end, but will
probably have to put him on the practice squad with all the other players
Seattle has on the line. Joe Nash has played little- he looks like he's out.


	LB: The LB unit is playing well. Terry Wooden is making playes all
over the field as usual, and made a lot of big backfield stops against the
Rams. Rufus Porter is so far the sole pass rushing threat, and is doing 
well. Dave Wyman has be adequate, and Bob Spitulksi shows a lot of
quickness. BTW, he is wearing the infamous 55, made so by another inside
linebacker Seattle has a few years ago.....
	Marcus Cotton is still nursing his knee and had additional surgery
performed on it- no word on when he'll be ready.


	DB: The DB's have had problems. In the Ram game, they were beaten
quite badly on short passes. In the Colt game, Dwayne Harper, just returned
from holdout, was really beaten like a drum by big Colt WR Reggie Langhorne,
twice on crossing patterns. He needs a lot of work to get back into form.
Seattle is thin at CB- James Jefferson broke his arm against the Rams, 
and Flores has said "We don't have a fourth corner." Only raw Harlan Davis
and WFL refugee Malcom Frank are really in the running, and neither are
all that impressive so far. Frank has had better technique, but was beaten
on a deep pass against the Colts. Davis has far better physical skills
(bigger, has sprinter's speed) but less experience and polish. Flores may
trade or pick up a veteran CB, since Seattle uses all four CB's regularly,
but if Davis shows any potential they should hang onto him, as Seattle will
need some youth at CB in a few years and CB's take time to develop.
	Not much to report on the safeties. Vann McElroy was out on the waived
/injured list, so that means there is a chance Nesby Glasgow will hold onto
a roster spot, but Dedrick Dodge and Gary Dandridge are making pushes for 
that 3rd safety position. Dodge has experience, Dandridge has size and
hitting, but has not shown a great deal in practice and is unskilled in
pass coverage. But, he made several big plays against the Colts, so he is
still in the running.



So, overall things look good for Seattle, considering where they are picked
to finish and all. They appear to have a running game now, and the QB
situation is not as weak as it appeared three weeks ago. On the negative side,
the pass coverage has been sloppy, but that should improve as the holdouts
get back into the groove. The one thing that worries me is the poor pass
rush- they just haven't rushed the passer well at all, especially the
linemen. So, that is something to keep an eye on in future games.



Dave Jorgan
jorgand@sumax.seattleu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.pro