[Walrus]

Fair enough. I think people outside of the northwest have grown tired of Seattle winning the division because there is absolutely nothing sexy about this team. Let me give you a few reasons why writing off Seattle is a bit premature.

- The offensive line will be better than in 2006. It's easy to say if only because it can't get much worse, but here's why. Seattle relied on Womack (LG), Tobeck (C) and Gray (RG) last season to complement the solid bookend tackles of Jones and Locklear. Injuries devastated the unit and Seattle was forced to shuffle around young players like Sims (G) and Spencer (G-C). In the last 3-4 games Holmgren was very pleased with the production he was getting with Sims at LG and Spencer at C. With the massive and talent laden Ray Willis moving from backup tackle to RG the Seahawks stand to have a very talented, but very young unit (four starters with less than four years NFL experience).

- Hasselbeck had a lingering shoulder (non throwing) injury from 2005 and a sieve for an offensive line last season. The shoulder was fixed and the offensive line (see above) is full of young, talented players who were forced into games and got a wealth of experience.

- Alexander is a wild card. He runs as tough as a cream puff and might be the third or fourth best back in the division...but he's healthy and he worked out with the team for the first time in his career this offseason. He's dropped weight and according to local beat writers is more nimble than ever.

- Stevens and Jackson are gone, true enough. The funny thing is I have gone from message board to message board for years and fans did nothing but bash these two for dropping balls and not playing tough, yet when Seattle loses them it will crush the offense? I'll miss Jackson because despite being near the league leaders in dropped balls every year, he was always the team leader in TDs and yards. But the fact is he had turned himself into an outsider with the team the past two seasons and both parties needed to move on. Stevens will be missed about as much as Wistrom...which is to say not at all.

- Branch, Hackett, Burleson, Engram and Pollard are virtual unknowns heading into the season. Pollard scares me because the TE is relied on for 35-40 catches and he hasn't done it in a couple years. His blocking will be an upgrade from Stevens and his purse swinging. Seattle's offense picked up steam when Hackett became more involved and with Branch getting a full offseason of steady work with Hass he can only improve as the starting flanker. St. Louis and Arizona's wideouts are definitely better, but that has been the case the past two seasons anyway.

- Secondary. Hamlin is gone. Why Dallas fans think he'll be a savior down there is beyond me. Seattle's defense suffered more when Marquand Manuel signed with Green Bay last season than with the loss of Hamlin. Seattle signed Grant and Russell to shore up the middle of the secondary and even if they are the 20th best combo in the league statistically this season, that'll be a noticeable upgrade from Hamlin/Boulware. The corners are loaded with high round draft choices from recent seasons, but they'll need to step up and play like vets. Jennings improved dramatically from week to week last year and Wilson has been a highlight reel in practices. They're small, but they're the fastest group Seattle has ever had. Mora Jr. should help out this year as the new secondary coach.

-Reasons for concern-

1. TE - Who knows what we'll get?

2. Marcus Tubbs - After 15% of the roster started camp on PUP last year, Tubbs was the only one this season. Holmgren insists he'll be on the field by week three of the preseason, but if he isn't healthy then Seattle's run defense will be suspect.

3. WR - It's a deep group, but Branch needs to prove he's our answer at flanker and Hackett has to show Holmgren he's the breakout WR Holmgren believes he will be.

4. Kerney - Tough to say he's a concern when Ruskell wrote him a monstrous contract, but he's coming off a major pec injury. Wistrom was virtually non-existent on the Dline last year...absolutely worthless. Kerney has the potential to be a huge upgrade, but he has to be healthy.

5. Ray Willis - Seattle looks set at four offensive line spots, but RG has been the weak link for many years now. Chris Gray was a passable blocker for many years, but the team really likes Willis. Holmgren has promised fans the last couple seasons he'd get on the field because he's a fan favorite and a coaches dream. He's 6-7, 330 with an attitude on the field that prompted Holmgren to say, "He's the meanest football player I've ever coached," in his final press conference after the 2005 season. The problem is that he's so tall the team envisions him as a tackle. Alexander compared him to former Hawks LG Hutchinson, only much larger and younger.