Well, I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised with the moves Seattle has made this week. Not only did they sign All-Pro tackle Walter Jones and Matt Hasselbeck to long term deals, not only did they slap the franchise tag on Shaun Alexander, but they still have over $12 million worth of cap space to play with. Check out this site here for the team-by-team breakdown of their cap situations. The salary cap is an interesting thing...
On one hand, it keeps the league pretty darned competitive and that whole parity thing is totally in effect. On the other hand, it's pretty damn hard for a team to remain competitive over a long timespan. Yes, there are a few teams like the Patriots and Packers and Broncos who seem to be right in the playoff hunt every year lately. But there are also a bunch of teams whose rise and fall each season can be directly blamed on the cap. Look at the Buccaneers and Raiders, too teams in the Super Bowl just 2 years ago. I could spend hours analyzing teams that have stayed consistent over the past 5 years or so, and another several hours looking at the teams that have been on both ends of the spectrum. But I'll save that for another time. I'm just happy to see that Seattle has kept its core of offensive players together another year, and a third consecutive trip to the playoffs looks doable, despite a tough schedule.
Oh, and the tag they put on Alexander is the non-restrictive type (whatever that means). Basically, he can still shop around and potentially sign with another team. But if that happens, Seattle gets two first round picks as compensation. I'm not sure if those picks come from the team that signs him, in the same year, or what, but that really wouldn't be such a bad thing either should that happen. Though I think it's unlikely.
What's next? How bout working on that D? I'd like to see them re-sign Ken Lucas (CB) and Chike Okeafor (DE) next, then maybe look for a linebacker in free agency. A familiar named WR who can catch the ball would be nice, and with the release of Derrick Mason and the Skins' Laverneous Coles totally wanting out, the number of quality receivers just went up, which also means their prices go down.
And, lastly, another beef with ESPN.com after Simmons' Boston/big-breasted females intern contest bias: The guy who writes the Daily Quickie commented on how the length of Hasselbeck's new contract will correspond to the same number of years Seattle won't make the Super Bowl. Now, I'm not sure this guy watches many Seattle games (does anybody besides me?), but I don't think that's fair. Engram catches that ball, and they're easily into round 2 of the playoffs, with Hasselbeck leading them on an impressive game-ending drive for the tie. His receivers catch a few more balls, or the defense doesn't collapse late, and they're 11-5 this past season. Has he had bad games? Yes, he sure has. Is it fair to say he hasn't gotten the job done in Seattle? Not really. And yes, I might call him Hasselstiff at times, but honestly, there's only about 4 or 5 other QBs in the league I want over him right now. Hell, I'll even name them: Brady, Manning, Vick, Culpepper, and maybe Drew Brees. I'll pass on McNabb and Favre, but just barely. :P
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