Tuesday, March 21, 2006
HUTCH GETS MUCH
Unfortunately, we'll have to imagine the picture above without the guy in the middle to accurately imagine future Seahawk running plays involving Shaun Alexander. After some wrangling with the terms of the crazy-large offer sheet to which Minnesota signed him, the Seahawks finally decided not to match the offer sheet. There was a clause in the offer sheet stating that the $49M would be guaranteed if Hutchinson wasn't the highest-paid offensive lineman on his team throughout 2006. In short, the Seahawks weren't going to guarantee $49M for a left guard, though a very very good left guard. It's too bad there won't be continuity on the offensive line, but thank goodness Walter Jones is still there. They got Jones to restructure his deal for this year to try to make Hutchinson the highest-paid lineman on the team for 2006, but that's where the language discrepancy came in as to whether those terms applied when the offer sheet was signed or when/if Seattle matched it.
All this doesn't mean Tim Ruskell wasn't still at work. There's a lot more money to work with now that Hutchinson's gone. Julian Peterson, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, is now a Seahawk. Between this and the signing of Russell Davis, Ruskell is adding depth. I like depth. I'd like to eventually some depth behind/around Ken Hamlin. Losing Marquand Manuel still stings a bit. Luckily nobody had to worry about losing Rocky Bernard.
On a somewhat related note, it's weird actually anticipating the NFL Draft nowadays, it really is. Know what I wanna see? A kick returner.
/ Click for main page
