Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, during an interview on SIRIUS NFL Radio, said RB Justin Forsett is a very versatile, elusive running back and a good blocker. However, just because Forsett is starting Week 1 doesn't mean the competition at running back is over. Carroll said RBs Leon Washington and Julius Jones remain in a competition with Forsett for playing time. 'I've always felt comfortable rotating guys,' Carroll said. He said he plans to have the backs continue to rotate until someone gives him a reason to just stick with one back.
Huddle Up: It's the ol' "hot hand" routine. Forsett is in the driver's seat and could command the majority of carries if he's moving the chains. Four of Seattle's first five opponents ranked 20th or worse in rushing defense last year.
Leon Washington - RB
Posted 9/7/10 10:25am et
Seattle Seahawks RB Justin Forsett was named the Week 1 starter by head coach Pete Carroll, reports Greg Johns, of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. However, Carroll said this decision only applied to the coming game, and he didn't guarantee that Forsett would see more carries than fellow backs Leon Washington and Julius Jones. "This is a competition that is still open. This is not set in stone," Carroll said. "Somebody has to go out first and I want Justin to go out first."
Huddle Up: This looks to be a situation in flux all year long, but if Forsett performs like he did in the four games in which he received double-digit carries last year -- 6.3 yards per carry, 397 yards, three TDs -- he should maintain the lead role in Seattle's RBBC.
Julius Jones - RB
Posted 9/6/10 5:22pm et
Updating a previous report, Seattle Seahawks RB Julius Jones will remain with the team after he agreed to restructure his contract, reports ProFootballTalk.com.
Huddle Up: "Julius Jones restructured his contract and was never cut," says Mike Florio. A rare miss for Adam Schefter yesterday -- so we'll give him the benefit of the doubt. However, the pay cut itself indicates that Jones isn't exactly dazzling his employer. Justin Forsett and Leon Washington should handle an overwhelming majority of the RB touches in Seattle.
Justin Forsett - RB
Posted 9/6/10 8:07pm et
Seahawks HC Pete Carroll announced that Justin Forsett will be the starting tailback in week 1, reports Danny O'Neil, of the Seattle Times.
Huddle Up: Not a huge surprise because Leon Washington didn't really seize the job when he started the crucial third exhibition game. Forsett's got a chance to make a real impact if he breaks tackles and doesn't fumble.
Justin Forsett - RB
Posted 9/5/10 5:46pm et
The Seattle Seahawks have released RB Julius Jones, reports Adam Schefter, of ESPN.
Huddle Up: This cements Leon Washington's recent sleeper status and gives Justin Forsett (remember him?) a nice boost too. Seattle's offensive line is a mess but they do have the second-easiest fantasy RB schedule according to last year's defensive rankings.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - WR
Posted 9/5/10 5:51pm et
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis thinks the team's current core of wide receivers may not be a good fit for free-agent WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Seahawks), reports Joe Reedy, of The Cincinnati Enquirer. 'If our team were constituted differently this would be a great spot for him to be back at. But right now where we are I don't know if it would be good for him,' Lewis said. Lewis spoke with Houshmandzadeh via text message Saturday, Sept. 4, and said he has fielded calls from other teams about his former receiver. 'I had people call and contact me as far as T.J. and I gave him a true, honest appraisal and a very honest one. T.J. helped us get where we are today. He's a good, young pro and a good man and he did a lot of good leading in this building,' Lewis added.
Huddle Up: Houshmandzadeh will certainly land with a team soon but it certainly does not appear that his old team the Bengals will be the landing spot. Fantasy owners should continue to watch as this situation continues to develop in the next few days.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - WR
Posted 9/5/10 9:58pm et
Unrestricted free-agent WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Seahawks) appears to be down to signing with either the Oakland Raiders or Washington Redskins, a source told The Seattle Times.
Huddle Up: It would appear that the Vikings are out of the mix. Fantasy owners who have already drafted T.J. should be hoping for the Redskins if this is indeed the choice to be made. Oakland will continue to struggle on offense, though they could be improved slightly from last year; and though the Redskins have troubles of their own they should have a better passing game in 2010 than they did in 2009.
Deon Butler - WR
Posted 9/4/10 7:44am et
Assuming the Seattle Seahawks part ways with WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Seahawks WRs Golden Tate and Deon Butler would vie for the team's third-receiver role, reports Greg Johns, of The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Tate has too much promise to be kept on the bench for long, and Butler had a solid performance in the team's preseason finale.
Huddle Up: With all the news surrounding the potential departure of T.J. Houshmandzadeh in Seattle it appears like it is only a matter of time before this happens. Seattle seems to want to get their young receivers on the field early which should only help their development and rapport with QB Matt Hasselbeck.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - WR
Posted 9/4/10 7:44am et
The New York Jets have made a trade offer for Seattle Seahawks WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, reports The Cincinnati Enquirer's Joe Reedy, according to a league source. The Jets are one of four teams to make an offer for the wide receiver.
Huddle Up: The other teams involved at this point are the Cardinals, Vikings and Chargers who have all expressed interest in acquiring Houshmandzadeh. Time will tell over the next few days to see how the situation unfolds and where the talented receiver will be playing for the 2010 season.
Julius Jones - RB
Posted 9/4/10 7:47am et
The Seattle Seahawks running game remains a huge question mark entering the regular season, reports Greg Johns, of The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. RB Leon Washington (leg) was held out of the team's preseason finale, while RB Julius Jones was given the starting nod. Jones had six carries for 18 yards and didn't show any sort of burst, but the offensive line didn't open many holes for him, either. RB Justin Forsett rushed for 31 yards on six carries, but he was running behind the starting offensive line and going against reserve defenders at that point.
Huddle Up: Forsett continues to be the best of the bunch in Seattle, however it is hard to imagine any running back being a huge fantasy contributor at the present time. Until the dust settles on the situation and one running back gets the majority of the carries, fantasy owners should tread with caution when selecting a Seattle running back for your fantasy team.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - WR
Posted 9/4/10 3:21pm et
The Seattle Seahawks have released WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, reports ESPN's Chris Mortensen.
Huddle Up: Turns out all the trade offer talk was, shall we say, over stated. Houshmandzadeh just proved too expensive to keep around in Seattle, but odds are good he'll land on another roster soon.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - WR
Posted 9/3/10 12:31pm et
Seattle Seahawks WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, when asked about the rumors that he is on the trading block, said he does not care and it is out of his control, reports Danny O'Neil, of The Seattle Times. "I could care less. It doesn't bother me. I knew (about the trade rumors) before y'all knew. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't," Houshmandzadeh said.
Huddle Up: Translation: the check has already been cashed. Housh still has some value in PPR leagues, assuming he's comfortable with being a possession receiver; whether he'll ply that trade in Seattle or elsewhere remains to be seen.
Deon Butler - WR
Posted 9/3/10 12:31pm et
Seattle Seahawks WR Deon Butler had an impressive showing Thursday, Sept. 2, catching seven passes for 101 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown reception, during the team's preseason finale.
Huddle Up: Butler is pushing for a regular role in Seattle's receiver rotation. He would assume most deep threat responsibilities if oft-injured Deion Branch goes down again, or at least crack the rotation if T.J. Houshmandzadeh is dealt.
Julius Jones - RB
Posted 9/3/10 12:31pm et
Seattle Seahawks RB Justin Forsett rushed six times for 31 yards and caught one pass for 10 yards during the team's preseason finale. RB Julius Jones had six carries for 18 yards, while RB Leon Washington did not see any touches.
Huddle Up: Washington started last week and looked ordinary; Jones did even less, and Forsett was hit consistently behind the line of scrimmage in working with the third team. This week, Forsett looked better, Jones about the same, and Washington was non-existent. When the dust settles look for Forsett and Washington to get the bulk of the touches, with Jones the odd man out.
Mike Williams - WR
Posted 9/3/10 6:18pm et
Seattle Seahawks WR Mike X. Williams will start in Week 1 likely opposite WR Deion Branch, reports Adam Schefter, of ESPN. T.J. Houshmandzadeh will likely be cut or traded by Saturday.
Huddle Up: Everything is falling into place for the 6'5" Williams, who's trying to make one of the biggest comebacks in recent history. "Williams will start likely opposite Deion Branch, with Deon Butler and Golden Tate as reserves," adds ESPN blogger Mike Sando, who covered the Seahawks for years.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - WR
Posted 9/3/10 11:14pm et
The Minnesota Vikings appear unlikely to pursue Seattle Seahawks WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh should he be released, reports Judd Zulgad, of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, citing league sources.
Huddle Up: There will likely be some interest in Houshmandzadeh if the Seahawks indeed part ways with him in the next few days. T.J. is still capable of producing some big plays and a nice receiving option for teams in search of a solid wideout. Fantasy owners should downgrade Houshmandzadeh to at least a No. 4 reciever until it becomes clear where he might play this season.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - WR
Posted 9/2/10 11:00am et
Seattle Seahawks WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh led the team in receiving last season, but former NFL QB Brock Huard speculated on ESPN 710 AM that Houshmandzadeh might no longer fit, reports Danny O'Neil, of The Seattle Times. Houshmandzadeh is ideally a slot receiver and if he doesn't buy into that role, the team could consider moving on. Houshmandzadeh is targeted more frequently now in the passing game, but he is not as productive after the catch as a result.
Huddle Up: Housh is a possession receiver who should be a good fit for Seattle's West Coast offense, so long as he allows the other younger and faster receivers to handle most of the downfield work. The problem might be that he still thinks he's an All Pro receiver, with the attitude to match.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - WR
Posted 9/2/10 5:27pm et
The Seattle Seahawks are shopping WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, reports NFL Network's Jason LaCanfora. It's unlikely anyone will take Houshmandzadeh, who is guaranteed to make more than $7 million this year, but he is available.
Huddle Up: Interesting. T.J. originally chose Seattle over Minnesota last year. Do you think he'd like to go there now?
Leon Washington - RB
Posted 9/1/10 3:29pm et
Seattle Seahawks RB Leon Washington will be used as a kick returner in the team's final preseason game and would be the primary returner if the season started today, reports Eric Williams, of The Tacoma News Tribune.
Huddle Up: Williams is guessing here but it's a good guess. Seattle just traded their kickoff return guy, CB Josh Wilson, to Baltimore. If Leon's going to return kicks then he probably won't have a huge role as a tailback. Justin Forsett-owners wouldn't complain.
Julius Jones - RB
Posted 8/31/10 11:12am et
Seattle Seahawks RBs Justin Forsett, Leon Washington and Julius Jones remain in competition for the team's starting running back job, according to CBSSports.com. Head coach Pete Carroll is not concerned that there remains no clear-cut favorite at this point. "I'm not really worried about that. I want them to be hungry," Carroll said.
Huddle Up: Carroll is used to having nearly unlimited resources at his disposal from his time mining the deep USC roster, and Seahawks offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates was prone to a committee approach during his tenure in Denver, so it wouldn't be surprising if there were no clear-cut No. 1 all season. Washington started in the third preseason game but was underwhelming; Jones was even less impressive, and Forsett had to fight just to get back to the line of scrimmage playing with the third string. The past successes of Seattle line coach Alex Gibbs suggest there will be some fantasy value here, but until the situation shakes itself out you'll have to buy at least two of the backs to nail down the majority of the Seahawks' backfield production.
Leon Washington - RB
Posted 8/27/10 10:46am et
Seattle Seahawks RB Leon Washington will start the team's preseason game Saturday, Aug. 28, against the Minnesota Vikings, reports Gregg Bell, of The Associated Press. Washington is ahead of most estimates on his recovery, and he is leading the race to be the team's starting running back this season.
Huddle Up: Washington broke his leg midway through the 2010 season while he was sharing carries with Thomas Jones in New York. He was limited at the start of the preseason as he came back from the injury but looked plenty fast last week. He'll get the audition with the first team in Week 3 of the preseason as he battles Justin Forsett and Leon Washington for carries.
Leon Washington - RB
Posted 8/26/10 7:17pm et
Seattle Seahawks RB Leon Washington (leg) looked explosive while running with the first-string offense Wednesday, Aug. 25, reports Eric D. Williams, of The News Tribune. Washington seems to be playing with a lot of confidence and it will be interesting to see how he does against a good defense like the Minnesota Vikings during the team's preseason game Saturday, Aug. 28.
Huddle Up: Leon's riding a mini-hype wave as a RB4 or potential flex pick, though Justin Forsett continues to be drafted around the sixth or seventh round. The fact is none of the Seahawks RBs have showed much in the preseason. Note: Seattle's left tackle, sixth-overall draft choice Russell Okung, could miss 1-2 regular season games with an ankle injury.
Justin Forsett - RB
Posted 8/24/10 2:06pm et
Seattle Seahawks RB Leon Washington (leg) could start in the team's preseason game Saturday, Aug. 28, reports Eric Williams, of the Tacoma News Tribune.
Huddle Up: Pete Carroll wants to get a good look at Washington, Julius Jones and Justin Forsett all against first-team defenses. This week it's Washington's turn. He did have a nice 11-yard TD in the second quarter last Saturday but second-stringers had mixed in for both teams. If Leon breaks a couple runs against Minnesota's big dogs this Saturday things will get interesting.
Matt Hasselbeck - QB
Posted 8/22/10 12:08pm et
Seattle Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck, who had a rough outing in last week's preseason game, hit 11 of 15 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown pass Saturday, Aug. 21, against the Green Bay Packers, reports The Associated Press.
Huddle Up: Hasselbeck has always been an enigma in fantasy leagues and has been the topic of sleeper talk for many years. The problem has been that he has always fallen short of fantasy expectations which gives many owners reluctance in selecting him even as a backup to their regular starter. Until he proves he can be consistent, stay away from Hasselbeck when selecting your quarterbacks.
Leon Washington - RB
Posted 8/21/10 8:00pm et
Seattle Seahawks RB Leon Washington (leg) said he is 100 percent medically and is feeling better every time he gets onto the field, reports Doug Farrar, of Yahoo! Sports. 'I feel great -- every time I go on that football field, I feel better and better because I am so fortunate to be able to play football again,' Washington said.
Huddle Up: Washington certainly appears to have a new lease on his football career as he begins 2010 with his new team the Seahawks. Look for Washington to serve as the primary backup to Justin Forsett and also a change of pace role similar to the one he had with the Jets last season.
Matt Hasselbeck - QB
Posted 8/20/10 12:26pm et
Seattle Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck was the team's best player during training camp, according to Clare Farnsworth, of Seahawks.com. Hasselbeck followed up a strong offseason with a stellar camp, according to the coaching staff, players and scouts.
Huddle Up: Hasselbeck is healthy, should have an improved offensive line in front of him, and has some new weapons at his disposal as well. He's burned enough fantasy players that he'll be a late round afterthought, but he has all the makings of at minimum a solid fantasy backup.
Julius Jones - RB
Posted 8/20/10 12:26pm et
Seattle Seahawks RB Leon Washington has looked good in practice and it appears he is ready to jump into the competition with RBs Julius Jones and Justin Forsett for the starting tailback role, reports Eric D. Williams, of The Olympian. "We're really excited about Leon playing this week. And he's had terrific preparation for it. He's been banged around plenty of times here, been knocked off his feet and has been tackled plenty of times here. He's ready to go at this point, so we'll see where he is," head coach Pete Carroll said.
Huddle Up: Washington has looked good returning kicks in camp, but now he'll get his shot working from scrimmage. Carroll hasn't been shy about using multiple backs in the past, and with Alex Gibbs in charge of the Seattle offensive line the backs are destined to put up good numbers. Just how those numbers will be divvied up between Forsett, Washington, and Jones is the question the Seahawks hope camp will provide the answer to.
Deon Butler - WR
Posted 8/18/10 6:45pm et
Seattle Seahawks WR Deon Butler has worked on improving his route running skills as well as using leverage to create separation in one-one-one situations, reports Eric Williams, of the Tacoma News Tribune. Head coach Pete Carroll said he believes Butler is the most improved wide receiver at training camp.
Huddle Up: There was a little fantasy sleeper talk on Butler in 2009. He's got to earn that buzz this time.
Matt Hasselbeck - QB
Posted 8/13/10 11:09am et
The Seattle Seahawks are trying to limit the reps of QB Matt Hasselbeck during training camp to keep him as strong as possible entering the regular season, reports Danny O'Neil, of The Seattle Times.
Huddle Up: Hasselbeck is creeping up there in age, and the Seahawks also want to get plenty of looks at newly acquired Charlie Whitehurst. So it makes a ton of sense for Hasselbeck to see limited activity until the games start to count.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - WR
Posted 8/13/10 11:09am et
Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates said WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh has been very impressive in practice this week, reports Danny O'Neil, of The Seattle Times. Bates said Houshmandzadeh is getting his feet underneath him after missing time during OTAs.
Huddle Up: After last season's disappointing numbers, the Seahawks would love to receive a significant contribution from Houshmandzadeh—especially if it would limit the diva behavior he's flashed in both Cincinnati and Seattle.
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