Hey gang. Here's the second installment of the interview summaries. This one is kind of long and covers the thirteen interviews done on KJR between Tuesday (08/04) and Wednesday (08/05) last week. Like the first one, this one will give the date, name of the interviewer and person being interviewed and then provide a link to the interview so you can go listen to it yourself if you want. I've made a few observations myself as the interviews go along. You all know how opinionated I am so I can't help but interject a few pearls myself. Hope you enjoy.

If your browser only brings up a download panel when you access the link, you can either download the MP3 file and play it with any MP3 player (like Windows Media Player) or alternately go to the KJR site and under the pull down menu labeled "Audio", find the radio show host who did the interview and then access the appropriate Podcast and listen to it online. Windows XP should play the link without needing to download or go to the KJR site. Vista won't. Did I mention I hate Vista? Anyway onward.

08/04 Ian Interviews Rob Sims Link To Interview

Sims loves the left side. On every interview, he has made the point that he'll play wherever they want him to and do his best but he's most comfortable where he's always played at left guard. It just feels more natural to him.

Sims says that Walter Jones is ready to go and is just being careful. Jones wants to be there when it counts and if anyone can get themselves ready to play with a minimum of camp work, it's big Walt.

Rob says that the offensive linemen are very confortable with coach Solari and his teaching of the ZBS. He also noted that he personally has worked hard in the off-season and is in the best shape of his career.

Sims is excited about the running backs they have and thinks they will be a good squad and have a good season. All three can bring something different to the table yet all three can do whatever is asked of them.

Speaking about Max Unger, Sims said that he is a smart player who came into camp much further ahead of where he did when he was a rookie. He feels that Unger will push all the linemen and make them better. He said that Unger is going to be a very good player and is already prepared to play in the NFL. He also said that Kyle Williams is going to surprise some people and has shown that he can play tackle or guard. He noted that Steve Vallos is also a solid player. He's known Vallos since high school. Na'Shan Goddard is also playing good ball right now according to Sims and is worthy of watching. Press Read more...below to continue reading.  

 08/04 Ian Interviews Jim Trotter (Sports Illustrated) Link To Interview

Trotter said that Matt Hasselbeck went to three different doctors to consult about his back at the conclusion of last season. All 3 said he didn't need an operation just rest and rehabilitation after letting the inflammation subside. Hass took the advice to heart and after letting his back rest entered into probably his most vigorous off-season conditioning program and as a result is said to be in the best shape of his career.

Trotter went on to predict that Seattle would get 10 wins this year if Hasselbeck stays healthy. That's a bit better than most prognosticators have given the Seahawks lately.   

08/04 Elise Interviews Steve Kelly Link To Interview

When asked about the hottest position battles, Kelly responded by naming the offensive line and observed that with the exception of Walter Jones, everyone else is a question mark. Probably the most mentioned area of concern among all the players and coaches interviewed was the offensive line. Kelly also noted that Locklear as the left tackle heir apparent concerns him. A lot of Addicts voiced the same concern when it was confirmed that Locklear was the Seahawk's solution  to replace Jones when he retires.

Steve said that in talking to Julius Jones, he is happy with the ZBS. He said the offensive line likes it too because it's less strenous and keeps them fresher thoughout the game and there have been fewer injuries while running the ZBS.

He likes the way Housh is a big strong receiver who out muscles everyone else for the ball. Seattle's needed a receiver like that who can do for them what Fitzgerald does for the Cardinals for some time now. We have some good receivers who haven't stayed healthy but not such a physical presence as Housh provides.

Forsett looks good in the ZBS. Kelly notes that it's like punt returning where ideally you make one cut and go straight up field. That's what Forsett does that makes him a good returner so it's no stretch to assume that's why he's taking to the ZBS like a duck does to water. Kelly goes on to note that everyone is gushing about Forsett. How lucky was it for us that we got him back from Indy? How bad would we have felt to see him prosper for the Colts?

08/05 Mitch Interviews Cory Redding Link To Interview

Are you guys ready to hear about what couldbe argued is Ruskell's finest move of the off-season? This one almost made me cry for joy at what we may have turned loose on our beloved team. Check this one out!

This was one of the very best interviews of all. I highly recommend that you go out and listen to the big guy yourself and get a feeling for who he is and what he stands for. I'm totally impressed with Cory and feel that it was a great trade for Peterson even if we didn't draft Curry. As good as Peterson played for us, Redding will probably bring more to the table. Now that's saying something about a player who is replacing a pro bowler. 

Cory Redding once threw the discus 193' 9" at North Shore High School in Houston Texas. He was the best discus thrower in Texas during his High School days. He also threw the shot put and ran the 1/4 mile in track at 235 pounds in 55 seconds. He was the 1998 defensive player of the year for USA Today. Then he got drafted by Detroit and he fell into his own personal nightmare. It almost ruined him.

Cory had always been a part of a winning program and fell into deep despair after spending 6 years on the Lions team when it became obvious to him that he wasn't going to be part of a winning program again. Even though Detroit gave him what was at the time the richest contract for an interior defensive linemen the NFL had ever seen after he proved to be one of the premier inside rushing defensive linemen in the NFL, he was depressed. He had demonstrated an ability to play inside and out yet his team wasn't doing the things it needed to do to become a winner and that's what mattered to Cory more than anything. In 2007 and 2008 his play fell off as he said that football wasn't fun anymore and he seriously considered retiring while in the absolute prime of his career. He'd been dreaming all his life to go to the NFL and win but being on a perennial loser drained his will to play and crushed his spirit since he'd always played for a winner.

After the 2008 season, he knew it was time to go. He had meetings with Detroit and expressed his feelings and told them his heart wasn't in it anymore andto find a trade. Detroit told him to go home and get away from football for a while and then they would talk. Before he could get back and talk with Detroit again, he got a call from Ruskell and Mora welcoming him to the Seahawks. He said it felt like being drafted all over again. He had laid everything he had on the line for Detroit for 6 years and now he was going to a winning franchise. He knew about the troubles Seattle had last season with injuries and felt that Seattle would be on top again soon.

Cory says the atmosphere is loose at Seahawks camp but everyone stays focused and works hard. He can see a huge difference between the way the Lions approach practice and preparation and the way the Seahawksgo about it. It's feeling like he has a second life in the NFL being here and working with a team who has the drive, talent, and focus to win. He loves the game of football and will play anywhere the Seahawks want to play him. He just wants to be winning again andto help the team however he can. Cory feels he can make an impact at both defensive end anddefensive tackle for the Seahawks and he doesn't care about stats like sacks. He just wants to make plays or set others up to make the plays by doing things like turning the play inside from the outside.

Cory calls Patrick Kerney his partner and wants to protect him by playing the left defensive end position where he takes the beating going up against multiple blockers so Kerney can last through the season. Asked who the defensive leaders were in his opinion, he quickly named Lofa Tatupu and Deon Grant.

This guy was a surprise to me. He is like a man who was half dead who just got a second lease on life. This could be one of the best trades the Seahawks every made even if we traded one of the best players Seattle's ever had by in Peterson. I can see Redding being much more valuable to the franchise than Peterson. Still in the prime of his career, all you're hearing out of training camp is how great Redding looks where ever he plays. Ruskell did some of his absolute best work in acquiring Redding and Cole to prop up the defensive line. Whoever thought Redding would turn out to be this elite defensive end andtackle beaten down by circumstances beyond his control in Detroit and then pumped back up and elated by the trade to Seattle and becoming the starter just two days into training camp. Everyone describes him as an absolute beast who will be difficult to control by opposing offenses.

This could be the best pickup of the off-season bar none. Curry may not have the impact Redding will on the Seahawks this season. Hold on to your hats folks, I think we hit the jackpot. Go listen to this guy and judge for yourself. I don't think the rest of the league knows what we got here but I'll bet there will be a lot of GM's sorry they didn't pursue this trade. Of course, having Peterson for bait didn't hurt. Great job Tim Ruskell!

08/05 Mitch Interviews T. J. Houshmandzadeh Link To Interview

Housh started by saying that he's not at all sore from training camp. He's in great shape and enjoying the camp, his new comrades, and the coaching staff. He said the practice schedule was similar in Cincinnati but the tempo andpace are much higher here. Asked what he meant by that, he said both the tempo of practice between drills and also the pace of the offense where they are pushing up the tempo like Holmgren did in 2005 when the Seahawks fielded their most potent offense. Hass calls the play and they get right up to the line and get if off. He said when he first stared practicing with the Seahawks, he got up to the line of scrimmage a couple of times and the ball was snapped before he was even set. He likes the up tempo play. That's music to a lot of fan's ears too as we've all seen how successful an offense can be when you don't let the defense get set and observe your formation before getting the play off.

He thinks Seattle's tempo slowed down after Tobeck left because you need a center who can handle the accelerated tempo and get the offensive line set and ready quickly.

Hugh Millen thinks that Housh is one of the best receivers in the league at coming up to the line and reading the defense. Asked if the quicker tempo of the offense hampers that ability, Housh replied that he's had to learn to read the defense faster but he's coping.

Reminded that he had 90 catches in 2006, 112 in 2007, and then 92 in 2008, Housh said that he should have had more catches last season but he didn't play as well as he wanted to.

Housh also said that there's not very many good receivers coaches in the NFL. He said it could be the most under coached position in the NFL today. He noted that a lot of receivers coaches are good friends with the head coach andhired on that basis. Not coming from a receiving background, a lot of receivers coaches don't know how to tell a receiver to run a good route or what a bad route looks like. If a receiver doesn't know what's going on coming into the NFL, he doesn't get a lot of help. In a later installment of this series, Robert Prince, receivers coach for the Seahawks is interviewed and it's pointed out that Seattle has one of the few receivers coaches who does have the experience to teach receivers and one of the few good ones in the NFL.

It was pointed out in an earlier interview that Housh is obsessed with mastering every little detail of his profession. The conflict with the Madden game was over his speed rating which Housh claims puts him in with the tight ends and that he's much faster than that. He thinks it came as a result of his playing the slot in Cincinnati and not being used down field. He said in Seattle that will change. He will be going down field and that everyone will see that how fast he really is. He claims to have run a 4.41 at Oregon before his draft.

08/05 Softy Interviews Mack Strong Link To Interview

Mack said that Mora is very involved in teaching and putting his stamp on the team. Softy asked if the players feared Mora like they did Holmgren. Strong answered that Mora is a different coach with a different style. He doesn't try to be like Holmgren. It isn't about style that he learned from Holmgren.

Mack has been focusing on the offensive line anddefensive line. He's looking for both lines to establish an identity. He says the offensive line needs to assert themselves to create that identity. They need someone like Tobeck who would grab someone by the face mask and tell them to get their butt in gear. He reflected that in 2001, 2002, and 2003 was when the great line of 2005 was building their identity and character. He also mentioned Courtney Greene, the 6thround safety Seattle drafted this year as looking good in camp so far. Others have observed the same thing and I expect at the least, Courtney will make the practice squad and has a good chance of being a future contributor.

From what Mack said, I think the inference to be made is that this offensive line needs to start working together and establish some leaders. There needs to be an identity and cohesion among the different positions and it needs to be an ongoing process where you get the best players playing and keep them together so they can gel and become a good line over more than one season. There aren't any instant offensive lines where you mix water and stir and a great line comes out. They can only be developed over time.

08/05 Softy Interviews Steve Vallos Link To Interview

Steve Vallos is a soft spoken man for someone so big and one who plays in the trenches of the NFL. He said that losing Mike Wahle hurt the team and that he had learned a great deal from him over the last year. He said the offensive line is working hard to alleviate the concerns about their ability to come together and play well.

Last year, Vallos got 5 starts and by all accounts did a good job in relief. He's now considered a solid backup and has a very good chance of making the team playing both center and guard. He feels that he can challenge for a starting job and wants the chance to do so.

Asked whether he likes guard or center better, he responded that he really likes the center position because he gets to direct the offense and offensive line. Knapp puts the responsibility on the center to see the safeties and the rotations in the defense before the snap. He also observed that the ZBS makes it easier for a guy his size (smaller) because he always has help anddoesn't have to play on an island. He also noted that the experience he got last season has really helped this year and the game seems a lot slower.

My Observation

That was one of the things I pointed out last season that I didn't like about Holmgren's stance about winning as many of the last few games as he could even though the team was out of the playoffs. Holmgren didn't believe in inserting younger players to give them experience in that situation and played his best players to win at all costs. It was fortunate for a lot of these younger players last year that with so many injuries, they became the best options and therefore got playing time like I was advocating. Otherwise, we may have won a couple more games, lost out on Curry, and worst of all, not have gotten more experienced players coming into camp this season. The odds of winning decrease because of playing younger players when you're out of the playoff picture but the rewards for next season outweigh the momentum gained by winning meaningless games. We have a number of young players this year and veterans too who are saying the players who got that experience at the end of last year have progressed by leaps and bounds and are much better prepared to play at the NFL level this season as shown in their performance in training camp.

I never advocated that the team tank any games in any way but playing younger players is the best way to prepare for next season when the current one is lost and the worst that happens is that by losing a couple of games while the inexperienced player's get valuable reps is that it gives you a better draft choice. That's a legitimate tactic in the NFL and used by many forward thinking coaches to get a leg up on the next season. Furthermore, the team always tries as hard as it can to win and plays hard on the field. They lose because of playing the inexperience players but next year they reap the rewards. That's a win win situation in my book. Would anyone trade Curry and the experience the younger players got for a couple more wins last season at this point?

I took a lot of flack last season trying to get that point across and was called a traitor at times because although I wanted the team to play hard, I wanted the younger players to get some playing time and I admit, I was happy when they only won 4 games and we got the high draft choice. Most fans are ecstatic with obtaining Curry. I guess the picture looks different after getting the best player in the draft than when the team is mired in one of it's worst losing seasons in franchise history. I welcome feedback and comments on the subject after the hurt of last season has faded away somewhat and after we see what the draft choice really brought us. Realistically, we not only got Curry because of the high draft choice but Cory Redding too because we could afford to trade Peterson after we drafted Curry. Look at Redding as the other player we could have got with the high pick if we'd not chosen a linebacker and still had Peterson on the team. I have a suspicion that Redding will be worth another top 5 pick for the team this season.

08/05 Softy Interviews Deon Branch Link To Interview

Deon says he feels good physically and mentally and claims to be fully recovered. He did have some fluid on the knee that was rebuilt but it wasn't serious and if normal withthat kind of injury. Once again in a common theme throughout camp this season, the team is being over cautious with it's top players who have had serious injury to keep from having any injuries that would keep players out for the season opener.

Deon said the receivers chemistry started this season in the meeting room where they got their alignments and spacing figured out which is a big part of having a successful passing game. Talking about Housh, he called him a great player who understands the game very well. He characterized the running game as the receivers job to take the pressure off so it can be successful. Throwing the ball well will keep the running game from being stacked upon.

Deon also thinks that Greg Knapp has the hardest job on the team right now. He was referring to Knapp's job of figuring out how to best get the ball to himself, Housh, Nate, JJ, Duckett, and Carlson so they can be successful in the new offense being introduced. He said that Deon Butler is going to help out a lot first on special teams and then in the four wide out package.

Asked to characterize his career with the Seahawks, he responded by saying that although he's had some heartbreaking setbacks, he's had to stay positive and not let it get him down. He's had to work hard to come back and now his goal is to go out and do what the team brought him in to do. He still has a great amount of confidence in himself and believes that he can make a difference on the field this season. He knows what he's capable of and has the focus to go out and be that special player he's shown himself to be when healthy.

My Observation

Although disappointed like everyone else over Branch's inability to become a great receiver in Seattle because of the injuries, I believe that you can't blame a player for getting injured. These guys are putting their bodies on the line for the team and ultimately the fans because that's what drives the game. When they get injured, sometimes it's for life and they have to live with a disability forever because of it. It's a pretty nasty practice of getting down on a player after he gave it his all and got hurt in the process and and then call him a bust, worthless, and not living up to his contract. That may be fair when a player doesn't give it his all or doesn't perform well when healthy, or becomes a distraction for the team in the locker room especially after signing a big contract. Deon Branch has never been anything but a 100% effort guy when healthy and an aggressive player out on the field. He's made amazing catches and leaves it all on the field.

It's unfortunate that he's been injured so much and surely no one belives that Deon wanted it that way and if he hasn't lived up to his contract, it was through no fault of his own not because of any talent or effort issues. Tubbs was a player who also had the same kinds of injury issues and also played very well when healthy but never lived up to his contract beause of all the injuries. It's always bothered me that fans speak of how great we were with Tubbs in the lineup and give him a pass on all the derogatory name calling and insinuations but crap all over Branch who is a parallel story. I hope Deon tears it up this season (not his knee) and enjoys some vindication. I've seen him make just absolutely stunning plays and be one of the most aggressive players out there (remember when he stripped the interception from the defensive player). No matter what happens to Deon and whether he ever "lives up to his contract", I wish him the best because he tried his best to be an impact player for Seattle and had the talent to do so if he hadn't been unlucky and been injured.

Deon's not a bust in any sense of the word. He lived up to his contract to the best of his ability and gave up his body for the team unselfishly. You can't really ask any more of a player than what he gave. Go get 'em Deon and you have at least one fan who understands what you did and appreciates what you tried to do in Seattle.

08/05 Ian Interviews Eric Williams Link To Interview

Eric is another sports writer who is highly impressed withRob Sims this season. With everyone reporting how well Redding and Mebaneare playing, the fact that Sims handled both of them very well in camp so far hasn't been lost on Williams. He says that Sims is playing with renewed confidence and it's obvious that he cares about getting the job done and performing well. He wants to contribute to the team this year. As I've pointed out, this is something you'll hear from many people during these interviews. Sims is making an impact.

Williams also points out though that we should be concerned with the offensive line this season. He says that it all hinges on Walter Jones and his health and his playing well. He notes that if Locklear is playing left tackle and Willis right tackle, the line won't be nearly so strong or versatile ZBS or no ZBS. Eric thinks that either Locklearor Willis will slide into right guard as bothtackles are better players than the whole lot of guards on the roster except for Sims. With the team only planning to carry 7 active linemen for games, the linemen need to all be able to play multiple positions in order to be active and play on Sundays.

Williams is also very impressed with Nate Burleson and says he looks ready to have the year everyone thought he was due for last year when he instead became injured and spent the whole season on injured reserve. He thought Nate looked explosive. He was also impressed with the defense particularly Redding. Forsett also go the nod as another player who jumped out at him andhe thought he would add a different dimension to the team this season. He noted that he's very difficult to see behind the line for the defense until he pops out and then it's hard for the defense to react. Look for Forsett to be that change of pace guy all teams have to keep the defense honest. Williams likes the fact that we have three different running backs with three different styles. Makes it hard for the opposing defense to prepare for the game.

He finished by saying that as far as he can tell, there is no aminosity from the players towards Curry's holdout.

08/05 Ian Interviews Leroy Hill Link To Interview

Leroy started out by announcing that he's signed, sealed, and ready to play. He feels relaxed and is excited about the new defense and his part in it. He describes the defense as more detail oriented and energetic like he is. There's a lot of movement and the young guys like it because it's hard to see what the set is until just before the ball is snapped. Ne notes that the front four are doing an awesome job and keeping the linebackers clean allowing them to make plays.

He loves the open practices where the fans get a chance to see what they go through to prepare themselves for a game. It's fun to have the fans watching the competition for positions on the team and it drives the players to perform better.

Concerning Curry, he says that he's a smart guy who picks up everything quickly. He acknowledges that Curry is missing a lot but thinks that he'll be able to recover and get up to speed when he gets into camp.

Her says there's a new feel to the team with the new facility, new openness to the fans, and new coaches. He said it makes last year feel like it was a different team altogether.

08/05 Elise Interviews Ben Obomanu Link To Interview

Ben loves practicing at night because it's cooler and the break between it and the morning practice gives the players an opportunity to re-energize and put more into the 2nd practice.

Entering his 4th year now, he acknowledges that there's stiff competition at the receiver position. He feels that while he's going on year 4, he hasn't put his stamp on the NFL yet. His objective is to make the team this year and be ready to play if called upon.

Asked what they were saying in the locker room to each other last year, he said that after Bobby Engram went down, they were talking about how they had to step up make plays but as more and more receivers got hurt, they started the mantra "preserve, preserve". They knew they had to preserve themselves and try to avoid getting hurt. They didn't try and tough it out if they had bumps and bruises but went to the trainer so they wouldn't lose more players. They started looking over their shoulders and wondering who's next. It became hard to practice and play.

This year he wants to continue to make strides and be ready if an opportunity presents itself. He's ready to help on special teams if needed. He calls Knapp's offense an advantage offense and he said that Matt and the other quarterbacks have free rein to take advantage of anything they see. They can change the play and take a shot whenever they see an opportunity or a mismatch. All the wide receivers have signals to show where they're going. Holmgren's offense required the receivers to get to a certain spot on the field with great precision and timing. Knapp's is more dynamic and the receiver can break off and take advantage of a situation that develops.

He finished by noting that many of these guys haven't worked with each other since last year in training camp which underscores what you lose in team chemistry when you have the kind of iunjuries that Seattle had last season.

08/05 Elise Interviews Branden Mebane Link To Interview

Mebane says he's feeling the team camaraderie and that they're feeding off each other's energy. Now in his 3rd year, he is being counted on to be the disruptive force in the middle of the defensive line aka Cortez Kennedy. He's slimmed down and reduced his body fat by eating healthy. He noted that he cut out burgers (Wendy's triple stack was his favorite) andnow he's down to around304 pounds down from around 330 last year. He feels that he has more energy, quickness, and stamina as a result. He eats less proportions of food and has fruit at night as his bedtime snack. He also drank crystal light and water instead of juice.

After being switched to the three tech position, his role is getting up field and putting pressure on the quarterback and disrupting everything in sight. He's now responsible for setting the tempo of the game on defense. Wreaking havoc and getting after the quarterback makes him feel more like a defensive end. He loves playing the three tech and particularly sacking the quarterback.

From a mental standpoint, he's learning more about protections and watching a lot more film. He's learning the more technical side of the game. He also notes that it's a different team this year with a high tempo in practice. He says no knock on Holmgren but it's a different atmosphere. Much more aggressive. It looks like the Homgren's team is just a fading memory now as Mora has definitely made this his team and infused them with his style in the short time he's been in charge. From what the players have said, that's a good thing and every one's bought into the change.

08/05 Elise Interviews Justin Forsett Link To Interview

Last year Forsetthad a great pre-season but ended up on the practice squad and then was stolen away from Seattle by the Colts. He says people have always doubted him because of his size and speed and that he constantly has to prove himself over and over because he's the little guy trying to play a big mans game. This season, he's turning heads again and by a lot of accounts has already played himself on the roster as the third running back and a returner on special teams.

He wants to be able to come in and add to the passing game and so far has made several plays down field that demonstrate that he's got the chops to excel there too. He played under a one cut system at California and so the Seahawks new running scheme was familiar to him andhe's shown that he has chops there too. It's hard to see him behind the line and when you finally locate him as a defensive player, many times it's too late. He's already gone. The coaches are spending a lot of time with him this year in training camp and that shows the interest the team has in his future.

He likes the ZBS because he says the running game always wants to be going forward and never lose a yard. One of the advantages of the ZBS and it's one cut philosophy is that you rarely lose yardage because it is always moving forward from the snap and there's no dancing or running backwards. Forsett says they go positive and control the clock.

Justin is focused on being the best he can be at running back, as a returner, on special teams, and whatever else is asked of him. He says that this scheme has always worked for Knapp wherever he's implemented it and the backs have complete confidence and faith that it will prosper here in Seattle too.

My Observation

I've always liked Justin Forsett from the very first time I saw him play. For a small man, he's uncannily strong and he rountinely runs through bigger defensive backs and linebackers seemingly perferring the contact to trying to juke anybody when cornered. His style of running has reminded people of Barry Sanders although he's not as fast. He does have that ability to stop on a dime and change directions which probably accounts for how well he does under the one cut system where you plant you foot, make the cut, and go. He's also a tenacious blocker and can keep a bigger player than himself off the quarterback (watch the clip of his block on David Hawthorne who outweighs him by 46 pounds). I think we were very fortunate to get Justin back from Indy last season and that they will untimately rue the day they made him available for us to steal back. Justin may never be an all pro or make the pro bowl except maybe as a special teamer but I can see him being a major contributor in several areas of the team over the years to come. To me, this was another great pickup by Tim Ruskell in the later rounds and one of the reason he's considered to be such a good talent evaluator. From the later rounds this season, keep an eye on Courtney Greene and Nick Reed as they progress in the next couple of years.

The next installment will include interviews from last Thursday (08/06) and Friday (08/07).

So what do you guys think of the Peterson trade now that Redding is looking so good? When we had to draft a linebacker in the draft to get best value, it seemed that we had squandered an opportunity to acquire a needy player at a position other than one we were strongest in already. We traded our all pro linebacker for Redding and then drafted his replacement in Curry. Redding was that player in a position of need withthe linebacker swap being a net zero. How cool is it that no defensive tackles or pass rushing defensive ends were deemed worthy of such a high pick but we ended up with what looks like a potenial pro-bowler at the postion anyway? How do you guys like what you've seen of Redding so far?

What about the assertion by some that we are benefitting from having our young 2nd and 3rd string players playing in the last few games of last season andgetting valuable experience that seems to be showing up this year in the quality of our depth. Is playing our young players a good thing to do by design when you're out of the playoffs even if you lose or do you benefit more by playing your best players and trying to win every game for the momentum that builds for next year? Is winning more important at that point than preparing your team for next season? Guys like Vallos, Williams, Wrotto, Willis, and Goddard all are said to be doing well in camp and they all praise the experience they got last season as a big factor.

Will our wide receivers actually become one of the NFL's better groups if Hasselbeck stays healthy? Are you concerned about any of the injuries so far or players who are missing drills?

Please leave your comments and observations about the interviews and subjects that I solicited feedback on.  Sorry about the long length of the installments but it's a lot of material to cover and I want to get it out before it becomes too old to matter.

Hasta,

BillT

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