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HOT TOPIC
The Seahawks' decision to release veteran punter Tom Rouen means the team will enter the 2006 season with its third opening-day punter in as many seasons. The instability has hurt Seattle on special teams.
Rouen, 38, seemed to punt well during the Seahawks' recent minicamp. At the very least he appeared likely to make it through training camp as the veteran alternative to youngsters Ryan Plackemeier and Gabe Lindstrom.
Plackemeier and Lindstrom punted well enough this offseason for the Seahawks to take their chances with less experienced players. Plackemeier enters camp as a seventh-round pick from Wake Forest. He's a massive guy at 6-3 and close to 250 pounds, with the powerful leg to match. Lindstrom spent his spring punting for the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europe. He has gone to camp with the New York Giants in recent seasons, only to lose out in the end to former Seahawks punter Jeff Feagles.
Seattle probably made a mistake by letting Feagles go in the first place. Feagles has dropped 81 punts inside the 20-yard-line in three seasons since leaving the Seahawks. Rouen, Ken Walter, Donnie Jones and Leo Araguz have combined for 73 such punts in Feagles' absence.
Rouen proved to be a suitable replacement for Feagles when healthy, but a severe hamstring injury limited him to only four games in 2004. The team went with Araguz to start last season, a big mistake that contributed to poor field position during the Seahawks' 2-2 start; Seattle was 11-1 after releasing Araguz, less of a coincidence than one might think.
Plackemeier is probably the favorite to win the job this season. Like many young punters, he needs to work on placement and direction. Power certainly won't be a problem. Plackemeier set a Wake Forest record with an 82-yard punt. He also had a 74-yarder. He averaged 56.4 yards per punt in a game against Georgia Tech.
Plackemeier led the ACC with a 47.2-yard gross average as a senior, but he also had a punt returned for a touchdown.
Lindstrom, 30, has been trying to land an NFL job since 2001.
PLAYER NOTES
--The Carolina Hurricanes' recent Stanley Cup victory over Edmonton had to hit a little close to home for Matt Hasselbeck. The Seahawks' quarterback was struck by lightning years ago when attending the wedding reception for current Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette. Hasselbeck and Laviolette are both from Massachusetts. Hasselbeck was at the wedding because he knew Laviolette's wife when the two were kids.
"All of a sudden it's lightning and thundering really bad, but we can't see it so we think we're fine," Hasselbeck told the Tacoma News Tribune in a 2001 interview. "All of a sudden, right behind me, whack. I mean, it sounds like it's in your ears. This lightning strike, it comes through my toes, through my knees and back out my toes in a nanosecond. You know how you burn your hand in a fire and say, ouch? I didn't have time to say ouch.
"And then I was like, that hurt so much. But after it happened, it didn't hurt. It hurt for that second that it was in me. Everyone in my table got struck. One guy at my table is out. The caterer starts screaming, 'Get the food, get the food.' The people at the other side of the L have no idea. No idea. Some people saw it. The bartender has like a Coors Light can in his hand and it went flying because he got struck.
"They made us take an EKG of our heart and they checked out the heart rate. ... We were fine."
--The Seahawks are a deep team, which makes it nearly impossible for NFL Europe players to earn roster spots. Seattle allocated 11 players to Europe this offseason. It's tough to see any of them sticking around for the long term, particularly after receiver Skyler Fulton and quarterback Gibran Hamdan suffered injuries.
Seattle has allocated 78 players to NFL Europe since 1995. Only 11 of those players have played in a regular-season game for the Seahawks. Of those 11, only quarterback Jon Kitna and linebacker James Logan ever started games for the team (Logan made four starts, but he was mostly a backup and key special-teams contributor).
--First-round pick Kelly Jennings is making strides as he adapts to a new style following a long college career at Miami, where the Hurricanes played a great deal more man coverage. Jennings began working out full-time in Seattle in mid-May.
"I've made a big step since then," Jennings said. "I'm still thinking and there are still a lot of things I'm trying to get together so I can just play, but I'm far along from where I was."
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Fourth-year cornerback Marcus Trufant is looking for bigger things this season. He's finally healthy after spending recent offseason rehabbing from shoulder injuries. The work he is getting in offseason camps should translate into better things during the regular season. Trufant, chosen 11th overall from Washington State in 2003, feels like this could be a breakthrough season.
"I feel I have not really underachieved, but I haven't made it to the point where I want to be," he said. "This is the first time in a while where I'm able to work hard and get better."
Trufant has been forced to play catchup in recent seasons because of all the time he has missed at training camp.
"It's different in college," Trufant said. "You can be hurt a little and still be pretty good. In this league everyone is so good, so fast, that you want to be at 100 percent. I do have a greater appreciation for health after two surgeries and playing hurt last year and the year before. This year I'm ready."
FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.
TRANSITION PLAYER: OG Steve Hutchinson (Seahawks did not match $49M/.7 yrs offer from Vikings).
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
--S John Howell (not tendered June 1).
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED
--RB Shaun Alexander: Potential UFA; $61.687M/8 yrs, $11.5M SB/$2M RB 2007-08; 2006 cap: $6.5M.
--CB Jordan Babineaux: ERFA; terms unknown.
--LB Kevin Bentley: UFA; 2 yrs, terms unknown.
--DT Rocky Bernard: UFA; $13M/3 yrs, $5.4M SB; 2006 cap: $2.4M.
--PK Josh Brown: RFA; $721,600/1 yr.
--OT Wayne Hunter: RFA; $721,600/1 yr.
--RB Maurice Morris: UFA; $3.75M/3 yrs, $900,000 SB.
--FB Mack Strong: UFA; $3.16M/3 yrs, $500,000 SB; 2006 cap: $1.027M.
--DE Joe Tafoya: UFA; terms unknown.
--QB Seneca Wallace: RFA; $721,600/1 yr.
--WR Peter Warrick: UFA; $1M/1 yr, SB unknown.
--CB Jimmy Williams: UFA; $585,000/1 yr.
PLAYERS ACQUIRED
--T/G Tom Ashworth; UFA Patriots; $13M/5 yrs, SB unknown.
--WR Nate Burleson: RFA Vikings; Vikings did not match offer of $49M/7 yrs, $4M SB; 2006 cap: $2.05M and receive 3rd-round pick as compensation.
--DE Chris Cooper: FA 49ers; terms unknown.
--DT Russell Davis: UFA Cardinals; 3 yrs, terms unknown.
--S Mike Green (trade Bears).
--S Shaunard Harts: FA; terms unknown.
--TE Will Heller: Not tendered as RFA by Buccaneers; terms unknown.
--LB Julian Peterson: UFA 49ers; $54M/6 yrs, $11.5M SB.
--DE Kemp Rasmussen: UFA Panthers; $625,000/1 yr, $40,000 SB: 2006 cap: $465.000.
PLAYERS LOST
--DE Rodney Bailey: UFA Steelers; $625,000/1 yr, $40,000 SB).
--WR Alex Bannister (released).
--CB Andre Dyson (released).
--TE Ryan Hannam: UFA Cowboys; $5M/4 yrs, $1.25M SB.
--OG Steve Hutchinson: TFA Vikings; $49M/7 yrs, $16M guaranteed.
--WR Joe Jurevicius: UFA Browns; $10M/4 yrs, SB unknown.
--S Marquand Manuel: UFA Packers; $10M/5 yrs, $2M SB.
--P Tom Rouen (released).
--LB Jamie Sharper (released; failed physical/knee).
--WR Jerheme Urban (released; failed physical/foot).
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