Seahawks want Weaver to be a Strong backup

By Chris Cluff  |   Thursday, August 02, 2007  |  Comments( 1 )

Seattle Seahawks
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Almost 36 years old, Mack Strong is still going strong as the Seahawks' starting fullback. But if coach Mike Holmgren has his way, Strong won't have to carry the load he has for the past six years.

The Seahawks have a bevy of fullbacks behind Strong, and Holmgren wants to use them. In particular, the coach wants to get Leonard Weaver on the field more.

Weaver was in line to be Strong's backup last season, but he was put on injured reserve before the campaign even started because of a high ankle sprain. Now Weaver is back, and Holmgren would like to see him on the field.

"We've got to do that," Holmgren told reporters this week. "It's time."

Holmgren has been trying without success to replace the resilient Strong for years. Since Holmgren arrived in 1999, the Seahawks have drafted no fewer than three players who were supposed to push the veteran out. In 2001, it was Heath Evans. In 2003, it was Chris Davis. In 2006, it was David Kirtman.

None could supplant Strong, who rose to the challenge and has played at a Pro Bowl level for most of the past six seasons.

In January 2006, after Strong was named to the first of two consecutive Pro Bowls, Holmgren talked about his misplaced eagerness to replace the veteran.

"We drafted, in the last few years, a couple guys to kind of replace Mack because at some point everyone's career ends," Holmgren said. "But, I'll be darned, we can't do it. This year, I think he was about as good as you can be at that position, and he was rewarded with the Pro Bowl."

Strong was named to the Pro Bowl again after last season, but that was more because he finally had name recognition. After 13 years of banging around with linebackers - and six seasons of opening holes for Shaun Alexander - Strong seems finally to be showing his age a bit.

That makes it paramount for the Seahawks to find Strong's heir apparent. Kirtman broke his hand this week, which will put him even farther behind Weaver and veteran Josh Parry in the battle for backup spots behind Strong.

Weaver is the one coaches are counting on to continue the improvement he showed in 2005, when he joined the team as an undrafted free agent out of Carson-Newman. The Seahawks converted Weaver from tight end to fullback, and he showed very good running and catching ability.

Weaver's blocking has been the most suspect part of his game, but he seems to be improving daily. In practice Thursday, he blasted linebacker Kevin Bentley completely off the ground.

If he continues to show he can be almost the blocker that Strong has been, Weaver would provide a nice triple threat - blocking, running and receiving. And Strong, who turns 36 on Sept. 11, would finally not have to carry the full load at fullback.

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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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