2007 Seattle Seahawks Preview

2007 Seattle Seahawks preview from MadduxSports.com. Once the NFL season underway be sure to purchase Maddux's Expert NFL Picks. We have also have a live NFL lines page so all visitors can compare multiple odds from the best sportsbooks on the net.

Boring Draft, but Same Solid Hawks
By Adam Barone

In an NFC that is still available to be taken by seemingly anyone who can put together a consistent season, the Seahawks are capable of being the best team. Shaun Alexander was either injured or playing while not quite healthy for almost the entire 2006 season, but will be ready to go for the start of '07, and almost single-handedly makes the Hawks one of the teams to beat in the conference.

Fortunately for Seattle, they have one of the deepest teams in the league and did not have a single glaring weakness to address in the draft. They did not have a first round pick, having traded it to New England last season for Deion Branch. With only two picks on day one, the Seahawks addressed defensive depth, using one of the picks on Maryland CB Josh Wilson, who should be the nickel back and compete for a kick returner job. Most of the choices on the second day were used on offense, strengthening the line and adding depth at receiver. Overall it was anything but flashy, but this year's draft certainly helped Seattle's chances of remaining in the upper echelon of the NFC for this coming season and the near future.

Shaun Alexander only appeared in ten games in 2006 because of a foot injury, but still got 252 carries and 896 yards. There's no reason to believe that he's not still one of the top three running backs in the NFL. He's backed up by Maurice Morris who was a mediocre fill-in for Alexander last year, but never made it into the end zone, neither running or on a reception.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is also one of the best in the NFC, although he missed four games of his own in 2006, only throwing for 2442 yards. TE Jerramy Stevens is gone to Tampa Bay, replaced by 35 year old Marcus Pollard. No one will miss Stevens' 22 catches or his antics. Hasselbeck will focus on throwing mainly to members of his loaded receiving corps, which includes WRs Nate Burleson, Deion Branch, D.J. Hackett, and Bobby Engram. Darrell Jackson and his 63 receptions from last year are gone to division rival San Francisco.

MLB Lofa Tatupu has made a name for himself in his first two seasons in the league, last year piling up 122 tackles. He's flanked by ROLB Julian Peterson, one of the most athletic players in the NFL, who, on top of his 89 tackles, managed to get to the quarterback 10 times in '06. The safety position will be solid as well, with the signing of former Jaguar Deon Grant to go along with Michael Boulware. Overall Seattle was an average defense last season, settling in the middle of the pack against the pass and the run. Expect that to improve some as long as Shaun Alexander is healthy, as giving him the ball will make the Seahawks better able to control the football and keep the other team's offense on the sideline.

2007 Seattle Seahawks Predictions

Though Seattle will probably be just about everyone's favorite to win the NFC West, they surely have enough question marks to make that anything but a certainty. All three of their division rivals should be solid this year, and odds are that none of them will be as disappointing as Arizona was in 2006. Handicapping the Seahawks could be dangerous, as they depend so much on their offense and Shaun Alexander. Be cautious with games where they are favored by more than 6 or 7, as their defense is capable of inconsistencies that their offense may not be able to make up for.

If you enjoyed reading our Seattle Seahawks preview read up on the rest of the NFC West division teams like the 49ers, Cardinals, and Rams team previews from Maddux Sports.

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