2010 Seattle Seahawks Season Preview

The Seattle Seahawks are the perennial "kind of" team to watch. You don't expect much from them, but at any moment you know they can pop, and make it to the Super Bowl. However, most 2010 Seattle Seahawks Team Preview articles predict the team to finish 3rd or 4th in the division.

Last season was an unfortunate one for the Seahawks, as they had a number of key injuries that hindered them all the way through. However, the justification of a bad season due to injuries wasn't enough, and the Seahawks made it a point to start making changes atop the organization. A mere few weeks before president of footall operations, Tim Ruskell, resigned, Jim Mora Jr. was fired after a 5-11 debut season.

To fill the new voids, Seattle brought in former USC coach, Pete Carroll for $30 million over five years. Along with a hefty salary, team owner, Paul Allen, also awarded Caroll the title of vice president of football operations, essentially giving him control over the team's front office.

Many questioned whether or not Carroll is really worth all that the team has invested in him, particularly with the mediocre results he has attained thus far in his NFL career. He was 6-10 as a coach with the New York Jets in 1994, then 10-6, 9-7 and 8-8 in his three years with the New England Patriots.

Also interesting, will be to see how quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck bounces back from a disappointing year. He will be 35 years old in September, and has missed 11 games over the last two seasons with either back problems or other ailments. Nevertheless, when healthy, Hasselbeck is one of the league's most reliable QBs, and considering the potential of his receiving unit, could do something very special in 2010.

The receiving group is another major question mark for the team. While both T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Deion Branch have had moments of greatness in their respective careers, both are coming off injury and their reliability is uncertain.

A lot of the team's success this year will depend on the defense. While the 2010 Seattle Seahawks don't have the playmakers to put constant pressure on the opposing team's quarterbacks, they made it a main priority to bring in players over the summer with enough speed to be at least solid pass rushers along the edge.
2010 Seattle Seahawks Coaching Staff & ChangesPete Carroll makes his return to the NFL after a successful stint in the college ranks at Southern California where he revitalized the program into one of the most prominent in the country. Carroll is the former head coach of the New York Jets and the New England Patriots. Now, he comes to Seattle, having not been in the NFL since 1999. Carroll boasts a NFL record of 33-31 and a post-season record of 1-2.

Most of the Seattle coaching staff was fired at the conclusion of last season, with the exception of some of the defensive staff, including coordinator Gus Bradley and line coach Dan Quinn. Both entering their second year with the team. Carroll's teams have historically run a 4-3 base scheme and Bradley runs a similar one which fits in nicely with Carroll and his defensive philosophy. New offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates and offensive line coach Alex Gibbs will come on to lead that side of the ball. The Seahwaks bring in veteran coaches Kippy Brown to coach the receivers and Sherman Smith to coach the running backs, who have a combined 33 years NFL experience.
2010 Seattle Seahawks Key Free Agency Acquisitions & LossesAcquistions
RB - Leon Washington traded from New York Jets
RB - LenDale White traded from Tennessee Titans
DT - Kevin Vickerson traded from Tennessee Titans
QB - Charlie Whitehurst traded from San Diego Chargers
LB - Chris Clemmons traded from Philadelphia Eagles
DE - Robert Henderson traded from Detroit Lions
TE - Chris Baker from New England Patriots

Losses
WR - Nate Burleson to Detroit Lions
QB - Seneca Wallace traded to Cleveland Browns
OG - Rob Sims traded to Detroit Lions
S - Deon Grant to New York Giants
DE - Patrick Kerney to Retirement
OT - Walter Jones to Retirement
DT - Cory Redding to Baltimore Ravens
2010 Seattle Seahawks NFL DraftRound 1: Pick 6 - OT, Russell Okung (Oklahoma State)
Round 1: Pick 14 - S, Earl Thomas (Texas)
Round 2: Pick 60 - WR, Golden Tate (Notre Dame)
Round 4: Pick 111 - DB, Walter Thurmond (Oregon)
Round 4: Pick 127 - DE, E.J. Wilson (North Carolina)
Round 5: Pick 133 - S, Kam Chancellor (Virginia Tech)
Round 6: Pick 185 - TE, Anthony McCoy (USC)
Round 7: Pick 236 - LB, Dexter Davis (Arizona State)
Round 7: Pick 245 - FB, Jameson Konz (Kent State)
2010 Seattle Seahawks QuarterbacksDespite the fact that the Seahawks brought in Charlie Whitehurst to create some competition at the QB position, Hasselbeck proved himself to be the the team's starter by having one of his best offseasons ever. The veteran had a leg up on both Whitehurst, and J.P. Losman from the very beginning because of his familiarity with the West Coast offense. Still, Losman and Whitehurst are competing for the team's No.1 spot, and thus far, Losman has been the favorite to grab the backup role.

2010 Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Depth Chart
QB - Matt Hasselbeck
QB - Charlie Whitehurst
2010 Seattle Seahawks Running BacksThe starting running back role was expected to be a two-man race between Jones and Justin Forsett, however, Washington is slowly creeping into the discussion. Depending on how he comes back from his broken leg, his role with the team could either be a huge one, or that of a bench player. The running backs section of the 2010 Seattle Seahawks Season Preview looks to have a little of everything. Speed, power, and balanced backs will make up the offensive backfield this year for the Seahawks.

Projected 2010 Seattle Seahawks Running Back Depth Chart
RB - Justin Forsett
RB - Julius Jones
RB - LenDale White
RB - Leon Washington 2010 Seattle Seahawks Wide Receivers On paper, the Seattle receiving corps looks strong. However, both Houshmandzadeh and Branch are coming off surgery, so their skill and experience may be offset a bit by rust. Mike Williams has potential to be a long-ball threat, however, it's hard to predict exactly what the team will get from him. The Seahawks kept five receivers last season, but because of their depth at the position, may choose to keep six in 2010.

With the addition of Chris Baker, expect John Carlson to focus less on blocking and more on the receiving side of things. Anthony McCoy is another interesting prospect to look out for, and if he can prove himself in preseason, expect him to became a staple in the Seahawks' offense. Cameron Morrah has shown flashes of brilliance at times, but his inconsistency and sporadic play should keep him on the bench for most of the season.

Projected 2010 Seattle Seahawks Wide Receiver Depth Chart
WR - T.J. Houshmandzadeh
WR - Deion Branch
WR - Ben Obomanu
WR - Golden Tate

Projected 2010 Seattle Seahawks Tight End Depth Chart
TE - John Carlson
TE - Chris Baker 2010 Seattle Seahawks Offensive LineThe one obvious improvement on the offensive line from seasons past is the overall depth. Ben Hamilton should provide the Seahawks with veteran experience and guidance as he is very familiar with Alex Gibbs' zone blocking scheme. Okung's progress will be key, as he is replacing one of the team's all-time greats in Walter Jones for the 2010 NFL Season.

Projected 2010 Seattle Seahawks Starting Offensive Line
LT - Russell Okung
LG - Mike Gibson
C - Chris Spencer
RG - Max Unger
RT - Sean Locklear2010 Seattle Seahawks Defensive LineFor all the team's progress, the 2010 Seattle Seahawks are still lacking a solid edge rusher to put constant pressure on the quarterback. For now, the plan is to still achieve that mission by bringing in quick guys like Chris Clemons, Nick Reed and Ricky Foley. Brandon Mebane was impressive against the run last season, but the team no doubt expects more results from him than the 1.5 sacks he put up in '09. The defensive end competition in an interesting one, as it pits Red Bryant against Lawrence Jackson. Bryant, originally a defensive tackle, was one of the team's most promising surprises when he switched to the DE spot.

Projected 2010 Seattle Seahawks Starting Defensive Line
DE - Lawrence Jackson
DT - Brandon Mebane
DT - Colin Cole
DE - Chris Clemons2010 Seattle Seahawks LinebackersThe crown jewel of the Seahawks' defense, the linebacking core had some of an underwhelming year last season. Leroy Hill will have to stay out of trouble and put his legal problems on the backburner in order to win his spot back with the team. Further, expect Aaron Curry to be moved to DE at times in order to be able to get Hill and David Hawthorne on the field at the same time. The most impressive thing about this unit remains their flexibility, as most of the linebackers can play any of the three positions when called upon.

Projected 2010 Seattle Seahawks Starting Linebackers
SLB - Leroy Hill
MLB - Lofa Tatupu
WLB - Aaron Curry
2010 Seattle Seahawks SecondaryOut of all of the defensive backs, Kelly Jennings has looked the most impressive during the offseason. For this reason, he was elevated to the first unit over cornerback, Josh Wilson. Jennings is particular strong as a cover corner, and his skills are expected to continue to improve as the year progresses. Lawyer Milloy and Jordan Babineaux are expected to battle it out for the strong safety spots for the duration, but Kam Chancellor could get in the mix. Also, expect the 2010 Seattle Seahawks to try to get a bit younger on the back end of the defense in any way they can.

Projected 2010 Seattle Seahawks Starting Seconday
CB - Marcus Trufant / Kelly Jennings
CB - Josh Wilson
SS - Jordan Babineaux
FS - Earl Thomas

2010 Seattle Seahawks Preview