Twitter
    Sportspress Northwest
    • Football
    • Baseball
    • NCAA
    • Hockey
    • Soccer
    • Basketball
    Twitter
    Sportspress Northwest
    Twitter
    Home » Seahawks Shock: 10 Holdovers Still Standing
    Seattle Seahawks

    Seahawks Shock: 10 Holdovers Still Standing

    Steve RudmanBy Steve RudmanSeptember 4, 2011Updated:October 4, 20127 Comments6 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email
    Seahawks general manager John Schneider, left, with head coach Pete Carroll, have finally settled on a 53-man roster that is subject to change at any second. / Rod Mar, Seahawks.com

    After making 27 more roster moves, the Seahawks have settled — at least for this nanosecond in time — on the 53 players who will allegedly begin the 2011 season sporting Seattle togs. The latest round of roster roulette involved no surprises (well, perhaps a minor one), except maybe for the fact that the “Final 53” includes 10 players who wore a Seattle uniform prior to the arrival of head coach Pete Carroll in January of 2010.

    How come so many?

    Surely among the 300-plus roster moves made by Carroll and GM John Schneider over the past 19 months, they could have found a way to weed out the 10 stragglers who predate the Carroll-Schneider regime. Of course, in the midst of an unprecedented transaction blizzard like this one it is possible the 10 simply represent a collective oversight. Even if the 10 don’t, all could be gone by tomorrow. At the very least, each has a looming expiration date.

    Carroll and Schneider have been so pit-bull aggressive at revamping Seattle’s roster that one has to wonder, given their mission of eradicating his legacy, how Tim Ruskell ever got a top job in the National Football League. Schneider’s predecessor, Ruskell had four opportunities to select a No. 1 draft choice during his tenure (2005-09) in Seattle.

    Without a whit of sentiment, and nary an explanation, Carroll-Schneider have already disposed of three of them — Chris Spencer (2005), Kelly Jennings (2006) and Lawrence Jackson (2008) leaving only LB Aaron Curry to provide any evidence that Ruskell was ever allowed to botch the team’s building blocks.

    And even though Curry will be in the starting lineup when the Seahawks open their season at San Francisco on Sept. 11, many already consider the Wake Forest stud a dud tilting toward bust, considering he was the fourth player overall taken in the 2009 NFL Draft.

    Carroll-Schneider have not only targeted Ruskell’s first-round picks for mass extinction, they have rooted through the weeds of all of his drafts. Of the 17 players that Ruskell selected in the first three rounds during his tenure, just seven remain in these parts.

    Of those, five (Curry, Brandon Mebane, Red Bryant, Max Unger, Leroy Hill) will start against the 49ers. Two others, TE John Carlson and WR Deon Butler, are injured and out either for the year (Carlson) or for at least the first six weeks of the season (Butler).

    Carroll-Schneider have slashed their scythes at more than Ruskell’s drafts. Sixteen players received the majority of offensive plays in 2009, the season before Carroll escaped impending doom at USC, and the only season for Jim Mora Jr. Just one, Unger, is still on the roster. Fourteen players formed the core of Seattle’s 2009 defense. Just four remain.

    One of those core players departed Saturday with the release of DT Colin Cole, whose jettisoning is surprising only to the extent that he started 26 games over the past two seasons. But given the Carroll-Schneider propensity for roster churn and expunging Ruskell’s misdeeds, Cole’s tenure here practically makes him the “Iron Man” of the franchise, and worthy of an invitation to hoist the 12th Man Flag.

    Future Seahawk Ring of Honor nominees might be judged exclusively on how many games they played — perhaps even how many snaps they experienced — rather than on how well they performed, or on their statistical achievements, since it appears that no player is going to last long enough in Seattle to enjoy more than two helpings of salmon.

    Seattle’s 53-man roster — at least for the moment — features 23 players who will mark their first seasons with the club. It has 11 rookies, including a pair of undrafted free agents. It has nine second-year players, three of whom will start. Can any current player correctly identify all 52 of his teammates by name? And do incoming players rent hotel/motel rooms by the hour?

    The quarterback (Tarvaris Jackson) will be new. So will one wide receiver (Sidney Rice) and the tight end (Zach Miller). Except for Russell Okung’s chronically bad ankles (now almost as infamous as Erik Bedard’s bad shoulder), the offensive line is virtually unrecognizable, which may be of some benefit to its occupants given the number of preseason sacks collectively allowed.

    In any event, next Sunday, Seahawks fans will have the opportunity to root for an unprecedented amount of unfamiliar laundry.

    Seattle’s 53-Man Roster, By Position

    — Quarterback: Tarvaris Jackson (starter), Charlie Whitehurst, Josh Portis.

    — Wide Receivers: Mike Williams and Sidney Rice (starters); Ben Obomanu, Golden Tate, Kris Durham, Doug Baldwin.

    — Running Backs: Marshawn Lynch, Justin Forsett, Leon Washington, Michael Robinson.

    — Tight Ends: Zach Miller, Anthony McCoy, Dominique Byrd.

    — Offensive line: OT Russell Okung, OG Robert Gallery, C Max Unger, OG John Moffitt, OT James Carpenter/OT Breno Giacomini (starters); OT-OG Tyler Polumbus, OG-OT Paul McQuistan, C-OG Lemuel Jeanpierre.

    — Defensive line: DE Red Bryant, NT Brandon Mebane, DT Alan Branch, DE Chris Clemons (starters); DE Raheem Brock, DT-DE Junior Siavii, DE Dexter Davis, DT Pep Levingston, DT Clinton McDonald.

    Linebackers: OLB Aaron Curry, MLB David Hawthorne, OLB Leroy Hill (starters); OLB David Vobora, MLB Matt McCoy, MLB K.J. Wright, OLB Malcolm Smith.

    — Defensive backs: CB Marcus Trufant, CB Brandon Browner, FS Earl Thomas, SS Kam Chancellor (starters); CB Walter Thurmond, CB Richard Sherman, CB Byron Maxwell, S Atari Bigby, S Jeron Johnson.

    — Special Teams: K Jeff Reed, P Jon Ryan, snapper Clint Gresham.

    Final Cuts To 53 Players

    — Placed on injured reserve: TE John Carlson, WR Isaiah Stanback, DL Jimmy Wilkerson.

    — Physically Unable To Perform: WR Deon Butler, CB Roy Lewis, TE Cameron Morrah.

    — Waived/injured: DE Pierre Allen (hamstring).

    — Released: FB Dorson Boyce, WR Chris Carter, RB Thomas Clayton, DT Colin Cole, CB Kennard Cox, OG Paul Fanaika, DL Maurice Fountain, OL Mike Gibson, DE David Howard, LB Michael Johnson, LB/DE Jameson Konz, FS Mark LeGree, WR Ricardo Lockette, LB Mike Morgan, S Josh Pinkard, OT William Robinson, DE A.J. Schable, WR Owen Spencer, RB Vai Taua, WR Patrick Williams.

    SEAHAWKS 2011 SCHEDULE / RESULTS

    Date Opponent Line Result / Last Time Rec.
    Sept. 11 at San Francisco TBA 49ers 40-21, 2010 0-0
    Sept. 18 at Pittsburgh TBA Steelers 21-0, 2007 0-0
    Sept. 25 vs. Arizona TBA Sea 36-18, 2010 0-0
    Oct. 2 vs. Atlanta TBA Falcons 34-18, 2010 0-0
    Oct. 9 at N.Y. Giants TBA Giants 41-7, 2010 0-0
    Oct. 16 BYE WEEK
    Oct. 23 at Cleveland TBA Browns 33-30, 2007 0-0
    Oct. 30 vs. Cincinnati TBA Sea 24-21, 2007 0-0
    Nov. 6 at Dallas TBA Cowboys 38-17, 2009 0-0
    Nov. 13 vs. Baltimore TBA Sea 27-6, 2007 0-0
    Nov. 20 at St. Louis TBA Seattle 16-6, 2010 0-0
    Nov. 27 vs. Washington TBA Redskins 20-17, 2008 0-0
    Dec. 1 vs. Philadelphia TBA Eagles 26-7, 2008 0-0
    Dec. 12 vs. St. Louis TBA Sea 16-6, 2010 0-0
    Dec. 18 at Chicago TBA Bears 35-18, 2011 (P) 0-0
    Dec. 24 vs. San Francisco TBA 49ers 40-21, 2010 0-0
    Jan. 1 at Arizona TBA Sea 36-18, 2010 0-0
    Share. Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email

    Related Posts

    Thiel: A football Yoda has won over Seahawks

    June 18, 2021

    Thiel: New NFL rules make it hard to avoid a jab

    June 17, 2021

    Thiel: Adams not in camp, but no high drama yet

    June 16, 2021

    7 Comments

    1. Alex Gillis on September 5, 2011 7:13 am

      And even as of this blog post, K Jeff Reed was waived along with a others to make room for waiver pickups. Much like last year, I don’t think anyone really knows what PC and JS have planned. I’m not buying the Andrew Luck sweepstakes ideal anymore. I think they really believe their going to start winning with this roster.. as long as it doesn’t continue changing.

    2. Zandog on September 4, 2011 11:13 pm

      And even as of this blog post, K Jeff Reed was waived along with a others to make room for waiver pickups. Much like last year, I don’t think anyone really knows what PC and JS have planned. I’m not buying the Andrew Luck sweepstakes ideal anymore. I think they really believe their going to start winning with this roster.. as long as it doesn’t continue changing.

    3. Hawk Nut on September 5, 2011 6:27 pm

      Column sounds a little snarky there, Art.

      Here’s the deal: You win, you get to control your destiny.  You’re on a team that wins 9 out of 32 of the games that count over two years, NOBODY controls their destiny and almost everybody’s going to get fired.

      I’d rather lose while going in a positive direction than lose sticking with once-great players whose skills are clearly in decline, as if “continuity” could overcome lack of talent, durability and physical strength.

      And frankly, after years of watching Ruskell’s “little, high-motor” guys on the defensive line look like the French Army refereeing a damned track meet in second half after second half after second half — after the elephants they were playing against simply wore them out and overpowered them — I’m amazed Timmy can find a job in pro football where they let him anywhere NEAR talent evaluation.
      I love what PC and JS are doing with the Hawks even if it takes a while to get back to the Super Bowl.  Bigger, faster, stronger, younger works just fine for me, plus give me two guys with a clear vision of what they want to do — and the cred that says they know what they’re doing — and I’ll gladly indulge them and follow. 

    4. Hawk Nut on September 5, 2011 10:27 am

      Column sounds a little snarky there, Art.

      Here’s the deal: You win, you get to control your destiny.  You’re on a team that wins 9 out of 32 of the games that count over two years, NOBODY controls their destiny and almost everybody’s going to get fired.

      I’d rather lose while going in a positive direction than lose sticking with once-great players whose skills are clearly in decline, as if “continuity” could overcome lack of talent, durability and physical strength.

      And frankly, after years of watching Ruskell’s “little, high-motor” guys on the defensive line look like the French Army refereeing a damned track meet in second half after second half after second half — after the elephants they were playing against simply wore them out and overpowered them — I’m amazed Timmy can find a job in pro football where they let him anywhere NEAR talent evaluation.
      I love what PC and JS are doing with the Hawks even if it takes a while to get back to the Super Bowl.  Bigger, faster, stronger, younger works just fine for me, plus give me two guys with a clear vision of what they want to do — and the cred that says they know what they’re doing — and I’ll gladly indulge them and follow. 

    5. SpudzDP on September 5, 2011 9:11 pm

      Junior Siavii, Pep Levingston, Jeff Reed and David Vobora were all cut as four players were added – by the time I finish posting this a half a dozen other transactions will have probably taken place.

    6. SpudzDP on September 5, 2011 1:11 pm

      Junior Siavii, Pep Levingston, Jeff Reed and David Vobora were all cut as four players were added – by the time I finish posting this a half a dozen other transactions will have probably taken place.

    7. Mikerice32 on October 29, 2011 7:29 pm

      Fletcher Jenkins was a Tacoma native and went to Lake.  I played against him in little league and junior high. Holmes went to Timberline.

    • Follow @Art_Thiel on Twitter
    Use our affiliate link on Amazon

    Subscribe to Our Weekly Roundup

    Get the top stories sent to your inbox every Thursday.

    Art Thiel on KNKX 88.5FM

    Kirsten Kendrick's Q. & A. with Thiel can be heard every Friday during Morning Edition at 5:45am and 7:45am and again that same day on All Things Considered at 4:44pm. It also airs Saturday at 9:35am.

    Listen now!
    Latest Posts

    A few musings about sports journalism as the unwinding begins

    February 18, 2022

    Carroll’s staff makeover seeks to get Wilson back in the game

    February 16, 2022

    Arizona loss unmasks truths about Hopkins, UW hoops

    February 15, 2022

    Rams win a survivors contest called the Super Bowl

    February 14, 2022
    Twitter
    • Football
    • Baseball
    • NCAA
    • Hockey
    • Soccer
    • Basketball
    © 2025 Sportspress Northwest

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.