Just for kicks, I decided to take a look at the various units on the Seahawks team and attempt to project how good, or bad, they may be in the upcoming season. I ranked the units based on their top-end potential as well as their low-end potential, and also how much confidence there was in predicting their performance. Here are the units that I ranked (in no particular order):
Kickers
Coverage
Offensive line
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
Defensive line
Linebackers
Secondary
#1 – The Quarterbacks
Potential Stars in 2010: Matt Hasselbeck
Hasselbeck has been on a steady, injury-plagued, decline over the last two seasons. He had a career-high 17 picks in 2009. He’s now 35, and playing behind a highly suspect offensive line. All that said, he’s still a potential Pro Bowler when he’s right, and there just aren’t that many Pro Bowl-capable QBs in the NFL. Savor his time here, folks.
Potential Disasters: Hasselbeck, Whitehurst
I would never have put Hasselbeck on this list before last year. His decision-making and accuracy was far below his standards. I choose to believe it was an abberation, especially after watching a few training camp practices, but the possibility remains that he is washed up. Whitehurst has never succeeded at any part of an NFL. He owns a career 65 QB rating in the pre-season. Given the other moves that seem brilliant this off-season, we should all give Carroll and Schneider the benefit of the doubt, but fans already are showing (in training camp!) that they’re ready to boo this kid at the first sign of trouble.
Easiest Players To Project: Hasselbeck
We’ve all seen him for years. His deep passes have improved over the years, but Matt’s bread-and-butter is timing patterns on intermediate routes. He’s a maestro in the red zone, and the best leader this team has ever seen.
SUMMARY:
How in the world can someone rank the QB position as the best on the Seahawks? We’ve got a 35-year-old starter who looks closer to retirement than to NFL starter, an untested backup, and a washout from Buffalo. The easiest answer is that Matt Hasselbeck is the best player on the Seahawks at the league’s toughest position, and it’s not close. People can point to the injuries and age, but that ignores the fact that he plays his position at a level unmatched elsewhere on this team when he is healthy. If Hasselbeck played for the Cardinals or 49ers, they may be Super Bowl contenders. Without him, they may not even win their divisions. You cannot overestimate the importance of a good QB. After Hasselbeck, you have two players with the potential to grow. Losman looks like a guy that could step in right now, and Whitehurst could surprise people. Let’s hope we don’t see either of those guys do anything but kneel-downs in 2010.