14 Jan 11 Seattle Seahawks "Made secondary the primary focus"

The Seattle Seahawks' defensive backfield has been a train wreck the past two seasons, and it's obvious that team president Tim Ruskell has made the secondary his primary focus for the 2007 season.The trouble started in 2006, when safety Ken Hamlin was literally knocked out for the season when he was bashed in the head outside a Seattle nightclub. Marquand Manuel took over for him and played well, but he got hurt in the Super Bowl and the Seahawks simply did not have the depth to make up for it. Manuel's inexperienced replacement was Reebok Green Bay Packers #12 Aaron Rodgers Realtree camo Jersey
out of position on two huge plays that helped the Pittsburgh Steelers pull out a 21-10 win.The Hawks let Manuel leave in free agency last offseason, but they seemed to have themselves covered with Hamlin returning and veteran Mike Green coming over in a trade from the Chicago Bears. Alas, Hamlin was more bluster than buster, his biggest plays seemingly coming against his own team on the occasions he received 15-yard penalties for taunting. Meanwhile, Green was lost for the season before it ever began and therefore was not available to replace Michael Boulware when the third-year player regressed, giving up too many big pass plays, and was benched. Jordan Babineaux replaced Boulware and helped against the pass but got run over by opposing rushing attacks. No matter what the Seahawks did at safety, they were not safe.So the Seahawks let Hamlin leave in free agency and signed two new safeties who are expected to start, Deon Grant and Brian Russell. The talk after the recent minicamp was all about the talking Grant and Russell were doing."We were missing that element," defensive coordinator John Marshall told reporters. "We've never had our safeties communicating as well as we do right now."It's not the scheme. It's the players," he said. "And if they're playing together, now they're really good. If they're not communicating and they're blowing assignments or they're not in the right spots (see Hamlin and Boulware last season), then you've only got a 50 percent chance of winning."Grant said communicating has always been his forte. "I really haven't gotten the whole defense down yet because the coaches haven't given us everything yet," said the seven-year veteran, who signed a six-year deal worth more than $30 million. "But the talking part just comes naturally. Whatever I'm seeing, I'm going to make sure everyone sees the same thing. That's always been a strong part of my game."Grant and Russell (signed for $13 million over five years) weren't the only additions the Seahawks made in the secondary. They also hired Reebok Green Bay Packers #52 Clay Matthews Realtree camo Jersey
Jim Mora, the erstwhile Atlanta Falcons head coach, to mentor the defensive backs, and they used their top draft pick on cornerback Josh Wilson.At the post-draft minicamp, Mora was impressed with his new charges."You never want to get too high or too low on a guy or a group this early in camp," Mora said. "But there's real potential between Brian and Deon, and Michael Boulware and Mike Green and Jordan Babineaux. It's a nice group of players."The best player in the secondary, according to Mora's effusive praise, is cornerback Marcus Trufant, whom Mora plans to move from the right side back to his more natural left side.Trufant played well on the right in 2006, and Mora said it's time for the next step back at the spot where he began his career: "First and foremost, it's becoming a shutdown corner that helps us get to and win the Super Bowl. Then, we need to get him across the water (to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl). ... In the league, that's where most of the premier corners work (the left side). This guy has the ability to be a premier corner."With Trufant moving to the left side, which last season was manned by Kelly Herndon, second-year corner Kelly Jennings gets the first chance to start on the right side.Asked if Jennings, the team's first-round pick in 2006, is ready to replace Trufant, Mora said: "Off of the eight practices we've had so far, which is my only exposure to Kelly, I would say yes. But of course we've got to get through a season and see him do it. But I really like Kelly, as well, in terms of the work ethic. He's serious about his craft. He wants to be a great player. He's not content to be just a player in the NFL."Wilson figures to push for playing time in the nickel immediately and perhaps challenge Jennings for the starting spot at right cornerback. "I like the big draft pick," Mora said of Wilson. "He's short (5-9), not little. I tell you, he plays bigger than he measures. When we evaluated him in college, we watched him against the kid from Georgia Tech (wide receiver Calvin Johnson), and he played him straight up and played him well. He's got speed. He's got a burst."With Jennings going to training camp as the starter and Wilson the nickel guy, Herndon is probably the odd man out. Herndon, whom Ruskell signed in 2006, likely will be released once his broken ankle heals. Reebok Indianapolis Colts 18 Peyton Manning Realtree camo Jersey
The Seahawks went into the playoffs last season without both Trufant and Herndon, using the rookie Jennings, the multifaceted Babineaux and street signees Rich Gardner and Pete Hunter.With Grant, Russell, Green and Boulware at safety and Trufant, Jennings, Wilson and Babineaux at corner, the Seahawks have the best depth they have had in a long time in the secondary, which looks like it might no longer be Seattle's primary problem.Keep tabs on the Seattle Seahawks and the rest of the NFL