Rivercard
Too much good stuff
.............according to Profootballweekly.com. Do you guys like any of the potential CB & DL cuts that might come out of Seattle? Plus, interesting comments about Chidi:
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Seahawks could show the door to some familiar names
Seattle
Just how much has the Seahawks’ overall talent improved? So much so, we hear, that more than a few teams around the NFL could be licking their chops over some of the players the team could consider releasing in the near future. At the top of the list is either Doug Evans or Willie Williams, a pair of consistently dependable veteran cornerbacks with 221 career starts between them. Although the Hawks might be wise to keep six corners, one of these two is likely to be deemed too costly to hang on to purely in a reserve role. A pair of familiar defensive linemen with injury concerns — DE Lamar King and DT Chad Eaton — also could be in danger of being released, with King, a former first-round pick, in particular looking like he’s run out of chances. As far as Eaton goes, we hear the Hawks consider him a key defender when he’s healthy, but his ability to recover from a second knee surgery remained up in the air at presstime, and the Hawks suddenly look very deep at defensive tackle, with younger players Cedric Woodard and Rocky Bernard both showing steady improvement. One other well-known Seahawk who could be on the bubble is LB Isaiah Kacyvenski, a highly regarded special-teams performer who began the 2002 season as the Seahawks’ starting middle linebacker. Kacyvenski, a virtual lock to get picked up in a heartbeat should he get cut, looks like he might be fighting a losing battle with Orlando Huff, Tim Terry and rookie Solomon Bates (who has drawn impressive reviews in camp) for a roster spot.
Past Seattle WWHI >
Arizona
Free-agent addition James Hodgins had yet to really make his presence felt through three preseason games. But make no mistake: In a work-in-progress offense with numerous question marks, the Cardinals believe the bruising fifth-year fullback is the least of their concerns. “He’s a big upgrade,” Cardinals RB coach Johnny Roland told PFW. “He obviously has got a big body (6-1, 270), but he’s very nimble-footed for a man his size. He’s an outstanding lead blocker at the point of attack, and he has very soft hands catching out of the backfield.” Roland was asked by the Cardinals to watch tape of Hodgins following the fullback’s release by the Rams this offseason, to see if he thought Hodgins would be a good mix. “I came back (from watching the film) in awe,” Roland said. “He had a little bit of a foot injury, but he’s a multidimensional football player. He’s not just a fullback per se, but also a fullback who can come out of the backfield and run very intricate routes.” After catching a total of 21 passes in four seasons, it’s conceivable Hodgins could catch 30-35 passes this season — an estimation enhanced by the propensity new Cardinals QB Jeff Blake has shown for dumping off the ball if he doesn’t see a decent target downfield, which is very much unlike his predecessor, Jake Plummer. Don’t be surprised, either, if you see Hodgins rumbling downfield on an occasional fly route, which he did in one game early in the preseason.
Past Arizona WWHI >
San Francisco
Is veteran DE Chidi Ahanotu, who started 14 games and registered five sacks for the Bills last year, being counted on to bolster a 49ers pass rush in dire need of bolstering? The Niners think the 10-year pro they signed to a one-year deal last week for the veteran’s minimum salary still might have a year or two left, but we hear they’re reserving final judgment until they get a chance to observe Ahanotu under fire. At 296 pounds, Ahanotu, who grew up in Berkeley, Calif., is about 30 pounds heavier than projected DE starters John Engelberger and Andre Carter. But the fact no other team chose to go after him has raised some doubts as to whether he can still cut the mustard.
Past San Francisco WWHI >
St. Louis
With the Rams intentionally limiting the playing time of RB Marshall Faulk this preseason, they are getting a good long look at his backup, Lamar Gordon. And, according to our sources, they really like what they’ve seen of the second-year back, for the most part, especially his improved decisiveness and physical presence (he’s 11 pounds heavier than he was a year ago). But whether Gordon will see more action in relief of Faulk this season is uncertain. We hear the Rams definitely are hoping to get maximum mileage out of Faulk, who was able to operate at full speed in only seven games last season due to injuries. In his preseason debut vs. the Bills, Faulk looked extremely sharp both running and receiving. Gordon, meanwhile, was held out of the Bills game as a precautionary measure after dinging his knee the previous game vs. the Bucs.
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Seahawks could show the door to some familiar names
Seattle
Just how much has the Seahawks’ overall talent improved? So much so, we hear, that more than a few teams around the NFL could be licking their chops over some of the players the team could consider releasing in the near future. At the top of the list is either Doug Evans or Willie Williams, a pair of consistently dependable veteran cornerbacks with 221 career starts between them. Although the Hawks might be wise to keep six corners, one of these two is likely to be deemed too costly to hang on to purely in a reserve role. A pair of familiar defensive linemen with injury concerns — DE Lamar King and DT Chad Eaton — also could be in danger of being released, with King, a former first-round pick, in particular looking like he’s run out of chances. As far as Eaton goes, we hear the Hawks consider him a key defender when he’s healthy, but his ability to recover from a second knee surgery remained up in the air at presstime, and the Hawks suddenly look very deep at defensive tackle, with younger players Cedric Woodard and Rocky Bernard both showing steady improvement. One other well-known Seahawk who could be on the bubble is LB Isaiah Kacyvenski, a highly regarded special-teams performer who began the 2002 season as the Seahawks’ starting middle linebacker. Kacyvenski, a virtual lock to get picked up in a heartbeat should he get cut, looks like he might be fighting a losing battle with Orlando Huff, Tim Terry and rookie Solomon Bates (who has drawn impressive reviews in camp) for a roster spot.
Past Seattle WWHI >
Arizona
Free-agent addition James Hodgins had yet to really make his presence felt through three preseason games. But make no mistake: In a work-in-progress offense with numerous question marks, the Cardinals believe the bruising fifth-year fullback is the least of their concerns. “He’s a big upgrade,” Cardinals RB coach Johnny Roland told PFW. “He obviously has got a big body (6-1, 270), but he’s very nimble-footed for a man his size. He’s an outstanding lead blocker at the point of attack, and he has very soft hands catching out of the backfield.” Roland was asked by the Cardinals to watch tape of Hodgins following the fullback’s release by the Rams this offseason, to see if he thought Hodgins would be a good mix. “I came back (from watching the film) in awe,” Roland said. “He had a little bit of a foot injury, but he’s a multidimensional football player. He’s not just a fullback per se, but also a fullback who can come out of the backfield and run very intricate routes.” After catching a total of 21 passes in four seasons, it’s conceivable Hodgins could catch 30-35 passes this season — an estimation enhanced by the propensity new Cardinals QB Jeff Blake has shown for dumping off the ball if he doesn’t see a decent target downfield, which is very much unlike his predecessor, Jake Plummer. Don’t be surprised, either, if you see Hodgins rumbling downfield on an occasional fly route, which he did in one game early in the preseason.
Past Arizona WWHI >
San Francisco
Is veteran DE Chidi Ahanotu, who started 14 games and registered five sacks for the Bills last year, being counted on to bolster a 49ers pass rush in dire need of bolstering? The Niners think the 10-year pro they signed to a one-year deal last week for the veteran’s minimum salary still might have a year or two left, but we hear they’re reserving final judgment until they get a chance to observe Ahanotu under fire. At 296 pounds, Ahanotu, who grew up in Berkeley, Calif., is about 30 pounds heavier than projected DE starters John Engelberger and Andre Carter. But the fact no other team chose to go after him has raised some doubts as to whether he can still cut the mustard.
Past San Francisco WWHI >
St. Louis
With the Rams intentionally limiting the playing time of RB Marshall Faulk this preseason, they are getting a good long look at his backup, Lamar Gordon. And, according to our sources, they really like what they’ve seen of the second-year back, for the most part, especially his improved decisiveness and physical presence (he’s 11 pounds heavier than he was a year ago). But whether Gordon will see more action in relief of Faulk this season is uncertain. We hear the Rams definitely are hoping to get maximum mileage out of Faulk, who was able to operate at full speed in only seven games last season due to injuries. In his preseason debut vs. the Bills, Faulk looked extremely sharp both running and receiving. Gordon, meanwhile, was held out of the Bills game as a precautionary measure after dinging his knee the previous game vs. the Bucs.
). That's what Graves said on Friday or whenever. 
