Seahawks season slips away, draft hopes grow

Previously, I wrote the following for the Examiner.

True, the season is not finished yet. However unless we can get our receiving corps back, get Hasselbeck in the lineup, and win seven straight, our season is finished. Even if we do manage all of that, we still rely on the Arizona Cardinals to falter. And though I want the Hawks to play every game like it’s a playoff, dreams of the 2009 draft keep popping up.

So what exactly are the teams needs?

An offensive lineman for sure, but who drafts an offensive lineman in the first round to turn a non-playoff team into a contender? That can wait until the second round.

Julius Jones has proved that he is the running back, at least for the next five years or so. And if you doubt that, look at his numbers behind the offensive line and without an effective pass attack to balance him out.

That gets me to quarterback. Sure, Hasselbeck is our quarterback. But how much longer is he going to be able to play to his current level? Seneca Wallace is obviously not the QB of our future, although he is a great backup. Plus it usually takes a few years for a college quarterback to adjust to the NFL, unless you’re Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons.

My point is it’s time to use our first-round pick on our QB of the future. Even if he sits behind Hasselbeck for a few years, he would only be getting instruction and discipline. And by the time Matt is ready to step down, we’d have a great transition to a good young talent.

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma University's star sophomore, has had a stellar year so far. His stats are off the charts. Just look. He has a passer rating of 188, and has thrown for 3,406 yards and 38 touchdowns through only 10 games. He’s young, he’s in control of the nations third-ranked collegiate team, he shows poise, and he’s intelligent as shown by the fact he only has six interceptions. Remember that OU is in the same conference as Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and Missouri, all who are ranked in the top 25.

The Seahawks should not play for a draft pick. However should they continue to falter, it’s nice to dream.

This is probobly my favorite piece so far, however now that the Seahawks lost at home against the Cardinals the season is finished. We got our recieving core back, we got Hasselbeck back, but we failed to win the seven straight needed by losing on Sunday. The happiness and normality surrounding a great football team died a little this week, however the dream of Sam Bradford in a Seahawks uniform became a little more of a reality.

Mathmatically the Hawks are not out yet, although with only 6 games left and behind Arizona by 5, all hope rests on the Cardinals to suddenly fall from the sky. So barring a miracle in Seattle, the final games of the season are a mere formality.

The Hawks need to play for a win every week, and even though a win takes away from the chance at Bradford, I would rather see a team that respects itself and that can respect its fans.