Many new faces at Hawks camp
KIRKLAND – As the Seattle Seahawks opened another week of minicamp practices Monday, the players were only starting to get to know each other.
The lack of continuity that has plagued this franchise for years is apparent again as the Seahawks try to break in a new group.
“Not since coach (Mike) Holmgren got here in ‘99 have I seen so much turnover,” said fullback Mack Strong, the longest-tenured Seahawk at 12 years and counting. “There are a lot of new faces.”
Even the mainstays are having trouble staying on the field. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who hadn’t missed an offseason session in his first four seasons with Seattle, was excused from Monday’s practice for personal reasons. That left Seneca Wallace to quarterback a No. 1 offense that already included backups like running back Maurice Morris and linemen Jerry Wunsch, Doug Nienhuis and Wayne Hunter.
That doesn’t even include the defensive side of the ball, where turnover and injury have left the Seahawks with very few familiar names.
Of the 22 starters who were on the field for the 2004 opener, only seven were practicing.
Wide receiver Koren Robinson, defensive end Chike Okeafor, linebacker Chad Brown and cornerback Ken Lucas are no longer with the team.
Steve Hutchinson, Floyd Womack, Cedric Woodard, Rashad Moore, Marcus Trufant and Ken Hamlin are recovering from injuries.
Hasselbeck and offensive lineman Chris Gray are excused for personal reasons, while wide receiver Darrell Jackson and running back Shaun Alexander are staying away because their unhappy with different contractual issues.
Suddenly guys like Grant Wistrom, Niko Koutouvides and Michael Boulware – all newcomers last season – represent the old guard.
Since Holmgren arrived in 1999, the Seahawks’ continuing purge has become an annual rite. Veterans age, free agents move on, and starters are replaced.
Perhaps most frustrating of all has been the team’s inability to build through the draft.
While serving as general manager from 1999 through 2002, Holmgren had 38 draft picks, only 13 of whom are still with the team. Among that group, only four – Alexander, Jackson, Hutchinson and Womack – are projected 2005 starters.
The recent cuts of Brown and Anthony Simmons left Seattle with just five players who were on Holmgren’s initial 1999 team: Strong, Gray, tight end Itula Mili, left tackle Walter Jones and defensive end Antonio Cochran.
“We have a lot of new faces every year,” said center Robbie Tobeck, one of the few returning starters available to practice this week. “With free agency and the draft, that’s just the way it is nowadays.”
This offseason’s turnover brings a lot of new faces on defense.
While Robinson’s starting spot is the only one expected to be manned by a new player on offense, Seattle will probably feature three new defensive starters and a number of key reserves.
Defensive end Bryce Fisher, defensive tackle Chuck Darby, linebackers Jamie Sharper and Kevin Bentley, and cornerbacks Kelly Herndon and Andre Dyson are all expected to see plenty of playing time.
“One thing that’s been nice has been the attitude of the new guys,” defensive end Grant Wistrom said. “Those guys are really serious about what they’re doing out there. It’s a fresh change and new energy. … We just need to learn how to play together.”
The Seahawks just hope this is finally the group that ends up playing together for a long time.