Seahawks’ offense catches another bad break

By Chris Cluff  |   Tuesday, August 12, 2008  |  Comments( 5 )

Seattle Seahawks
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The Seahawks just can’t catch a break on offense these days. Or, to twist the meaning of that phrase, they’re catching too many breaks. Already thin at receiver, the Seahawks now are down to one veteran wideout after Bobby Engram suffered a cracked shoulder bone against Minnesota last weekend.

The Hawks already were poised to enter the season with three or four young, inexperienced receivers behind Engram and sixth-year man Nate Burleson. Now Burleson becomes quarterback Matt Hasselbeck’s default No. 1 receiver, with a host of youngsters vying for spots on the roster. Just call this band of receivers “Nate and the Nobodies.”

That’s quite a turnaround from just two years ago, when the Seahawks had five quality wideouts in their stable. But they released the injury-prone and attitude-challenged Darrell Jackson last offseason, lost Deion Branch to a torn ACL late in 2007 and let the injury-prone D.J. Hackett go this year.

Now the biggest question becomes: Will the Seahawks carry both Branch and Engram on the active roster or will they put one of them on the PUP, which would open a roster spot while sidelining the injured player for the first six games? The answer will determine how many of the young guys make the final roster.

Coach Mike Holmgren has said he expects Branch to be ready for the season opener, but it’s hard to imagine the 29-year-old being full strength just nine months after tearing up his knee (in the playoff loss to Green Bay in January). That means Burleson will lead the way for the first few games and the Seahawks will need a couple of the young guys to emerge as dependable players, if not playmakers.

Ben Obomanu is the most experienced of the bunch, which doesn’t say much. He played in 13 games last season and caught 12 passes for 180 yards. He teased of his potential with a few big plays, but he often befuddled Hasselbeck and Holmgren with his multitude of mistakes.

Courtney Taylor showed some ability when he was healthy, but that was not very often. And his injury issues have persisted this summer, which has to make the Hawks wonder whether he will ever be healthy enough to contribute.

Logan Payne, who languished on the practice squad last season, is also in the mix. He runs good routes and has the best hands of the young receivers. Jordan Kent is the most promising of all, with the height (6-foot-4) and speed to be a game-breaker. He has made definite strides after spending last season on the practice squad, but his inexperience is a big drawback. Rookie Michael Bumpus has shown he might well be in the mix, too, particularly after drawing specific praise from Holmgren and showing well in the first preseason game.

This is the scenario the Seahawks created for themselves when they opted not to re-sign Hackett, who instead went to Carolina. And it’s the situation they surely had hoped to avoid once Engram did in fact report for camp.

As it turns out, Engram probably shouldn’t have reported. But he played the good soldier, despite his unhappiness with his contract situation, and now he has paid the price as he will miss at least the first three games.

Engram had argued that he deserves to be paid better than he currently is in light of the fact that he had a career year in 2007. As injuries depleted the Seahawks’ receiving corps, Engram bounced back from a thyroid condition that had cost him most of the 2006 season and he proceeded to set the team record with 94 receptions in '07.

Obviously Engram was one of their top three offensive players last season (behind Hasselbeck and left tackle Walter Jones), but the Seahawks now look smart for holding the line and not giving a big contract to a 35-year-old.

But they’re also going to miss that old man for the first month or so of the season. Burleson will probably get double-teamed a lot, which means Obomanu, Taylor, Payne or Kent – whoever makes the final cut – needs to catch on quick.

The impact of Engram’s injury will be lessened by the fact that the Seahawks plan to spread the ball around. Tight ends John Carlson and Jeb Putzier offer good options for Hasselbeck, and the running backs will be more involved than they have been in recent years.

The wild card is backup QB Seneca Wallace, whom Holmgren has wanted to use as a receiver forever but has not because he didn’t want to risk injury to his No. 2 passer. Although the Seahawks suddenly seem in dire need of reinforcements at receiver, don’t expect Wallace to start lining up at flanker. In fact, with Hasselbeck nursing a sore back, Wallace surely will not see any time at receiver in the preseason.

Now, with Engram out, the spotlight will burn even brighter on those young guys, and it will be up to Burleson to lead the way and Hasselbeck to spread the ball around. If the Hawks can do that – and not catch any more bad breaks – they’ll be able to survive without Engram.

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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding,...
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