NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Looking to further add competition to an area of strength, Seattle signed another wide receiver to its roster.

According to ESPN’s John Clayton, the Seahawks signed former San Francisco 49er Brandon Jones Sunday.  The report adds that Jones picked Seattle over Oakland and Minnesota.

Jones joins a crowded receiving corps in Seattle.  Headlining the group are T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Deion Branch, Golden Tate and Mike Williams.

Can't get enough NFLGridironGab?  Follow SeahawksGab Editor Devon Heinen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DevonHeinen.

It was the best of times, it was the worse of times.  Both Vince Young and Matt Leinart could have uttered those words during their respective pro careers to date.  In fact, the two have a lot in common.  One obvious similarity is that they both dominated during their college careers.  Each quarterback won a National Championship, with Leinart achieving the feat twice.  In addition, both quarterbacks had up and down starts to their respective pro careers, both on the field and off it.  There seems to be, however, one major difference between the two quarterbacks.  We'll get to that important distinction later.

After some early up and down performances through his first two seasons, which included a broken collarbone that ended his 2007 season, Leinart found himself sitting on the bench.  A 38-year old quarterback took his job in a flash during the 2008 pre-season.  That year, Warner would lead the previously hapless Cardinals to their first Super Bowl in franchise history.  In 2009, Leinart once again found himself trailing along in Warner's wake with the Cardinals making another playoff run.

Vince Young also had some early success in his pro career.  In 2006, he won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award and made the Pro Bowl.  The success, however, would be short lived as he battled through quad and knee injuries that limited his playing time throughout 2007 and 2008.  Like Leinart, however, Young found himself in the shadow of an aging but resurgent veteran, Kerry Collins.  When the Titans started the 2009 season by dropping their first six games, Vince Young got his chance to take the top spot back from Collins.  Young didn't squander the opportunity as he led the Titans to a 8-2 record as a starter down the stretch.  The Titans, however, missed the playoffs with an 8-8 record.

The first professional meeting between the two players came in Week 12 of the 2009 season.  Although Leinart played fairly well (21/31; 220 yards; 67.7% completion; 0 TDs; 0 INTs), Young clearly got the better of the two by leading his Titans to a 99-yard game winning drive with no time left for Leinart to retaliate; shades of the BCS National Championship game.

Not only did Young get the better of Leinart then, but he's arguably been the better pro quarterback to date.  Leinart has a modest 7-10 record in 10 career starts for the Cardinals.  Young, on the other hand, is 26-13 as a starter and has two Pro Bowl appearances, with the latter appearance as an alternate.  Their quarterback ratings, interestingly enough are quite close: Young – 72.3, Leinart – 70.8.  In addition, both quarterbacks have thrown more interceptions than touchdowns: Young – 32 TDs, 29 INTs, Leinart – 14 TDs, 20 INTs.  Finally, Young far eclipses Leinart in passing yards, but simply because he's started more games.

Statistically, therefore, the quarterbacks don't seem all that different.  So where's the major difference?  Well, it's already been stated, albeit not directly.  Vince Young has apparently turned the corner as a starter in the NFL.  He took an 0-6 team and turned it into a fierce competitor, almost making the post-season in the process.  Yes, Young had Chris Johnson running the ball, but Leinart has had plenty of offensive weapons as well.  We're still waiting for Leinart to turn the corner.

The worst part is that we may be waiting right up until Leinart's time with the Cardinals is over.  It's too early to tell what product we'll get on the field this year, but we can make some assessments of Leinart's mentality to date.

In that regard, one thing that's always bothered me about Leinart was his statements regarding Warner.  Specifically, Leinart would reference that it's hard to perform at his best when he had to "look over his shoulder" and worry about Warner taking his job.  In addition, when Warner retired, Leinart again mentioned that he's excited to know that he wouldn't have to look over his shoulder anymore.  It seems to me that a winner doesn't worry about looking over his should at all.  A winner, rather, is confident in his ability and doesn't look anywhere but straight ahead.

As much as Whisenhunt has tried to back Leinart (and he has) and as much as Leinart claims that he's ready to lead this team, something just doesn't seem to click for him.  You just don't get the feeling that Leinart is confident.  Perhaps it's his self-proclaimed laid back attitude.  Maybe he's waiting for the regular season to really turn it on.  Maybe the Cardinals just blew it with the 10th pick in the 2006 draft.  Maybe he'll shock everyone this year.

We'll get a look at both quarterbacks this Monday in Tennessee as the two continue to write their NFL tales.

Should we be concerned about the poor play of the first-team offense?

You'd hope that Joe Flacco and company would have made some progress and built on their efforts against Carolina. It didn't happen. It's no reason to hit the panic button but it's also the difference between playing a rebuilding team like the Panthers and a team like the Redskins who even though they have struggled in the win column in the past have a very good defense. A lot of focus for this season is going to be on the development of Flacco and last night you saw him fall back into some bad habits. He was quick to throw to checkdowns, and at times looked gawky and awkward in the pocket and a step slow. He did finish his night with an excellent throw in traffic to Anquan Boldin down the middle of the field – an area that has been neglected in his game. Here's hoping he shows better against the G-Men next week.

It didn't help that Ray Rice couldn't hold on to the ball and that the starting line looked better but still like it was trying to find itself due to injuries. They still have things to work on but don't we all.

Who looked most impressive and helped their case for a roster spot?

David Reed who has had an unimpressive camp had 4 catches for 38 yards and make a fine tackle on Special Teams. Jason Phillips who unfortunately for him has to compete in a crowded linebacker field, made a great play sacking Rex Grossman, forcing and recovering the fumble in the process. Jalen Parmele, who is already set as the team's kick returner, made a better accounting of himself in the run game. Cary Williams has been a pleasant surprise and his two game suspension at the start of the season now actually seems like a big deal as it takes away another potential player from the corner spot.

Does anyone else think Terrell Suggs will have the biggest year of his career in 2010?

He's appears to be in the best shape of his life and last night he showed off the whole package of his skills. He harassed the quarterback off the edge with pressure. He dropped McNabb on a Sack and stuffed Larry Johnson in the backfield. He looks fantastic and I have a feeling that he will atone for the perceptions that he wasn't the same player of a year ago. He should return to role as an impact player this year.

Who is going to win the Inside Linebacker spot?

I think it should be Dannell Ellerbee. It seems that no matter who is out there each player has certain deficiencies but all seem to have difficulty in coverage. So if that is the case I'd rather go with the player with the most potential to get to the ball quickly, shows toughness and can finish off tackles. That's Ellerbee.

Why did Jim Zorn get a "Gatorade shower" last night?

After a pre-season win who knows? It was hard to tell but I think the players were playing it up like a prank and having some fun. I'm sure it was interesting for Zorn to be on the other sideline last night and any time you can have success against a team that fired you is satisfying. But it just looked stupid and unnecessary. Sort of like the fake punt call on 4th and 6. I'm all for working on aspects of the game but honestly the game doesn't count. Then again the Skins have to stop it too.

The Jets continue training camp without CB Darrelle Revis, but it appears that they are going to get center Nick Mangold inked to a long-term extension.

ESPN New York reports that the Jets and Mangold are close to a deal that will make him the highest-paid center in the league. “It should be any day now,” a source close to Mangold said Sunday night to ESPN.

Mangold was not happy with his deal entering camp, but unlike Revis came in anyway. He is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

He’s due to make $3.3 million this season. GM Mike Tannenbaum is doing the right thing, getting the job done with Mangold while Revis and his people continue to be a long way away from a deal.

Details of the contract weren’t immediately available, but ESPN says the benchmark is believed to be Jason Brown of the St. Louis Rams. In 2009, Brown signed a five-year, $37.5 million deal that included $20 million in guarantees.

Those wanting to watch the development of rookie left tackle Russell Okung will have to wait till the start of the regular season.

According to the Twitter account of the NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora, the ankle injury Okung suffered in Saturday’s 27-24 loss at home to Green Bay will sideline the rookie for the rest of the preseason.

Whether or not Okung will be ready for Seattle’s season opener at home against San Francisco is still to be determined.

Can't get enough NFLGridironGab?  Follow SeahawksGab Editor Devon Heinen on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DevonHeinen.

Ben Roethlisberger saw his first action of the preseason last night and most felt that he played well as the team came out with a 7-point win over the New York Giants.

Roethlisberger completed six of eight passes for 76 yards and led the Steelers on a long drive that ended with a field goal. It was his last drive, and he hit consecutive passes of 13 yards to Heath Miller and 17 yards to Antwaan Randle-El to get Pittsburgh a first and goal.

Mike Tomlin following the game seemed pleased with the effort from his QB who will have to watch the first four games after being suspended by commish Roger Goodell.

“You know it was the first time out for him, I thought he did some nice things,” Tomlin said. “He moved good, it was a good start.”

Roethlisberger did throw a pick, and had to leave the pocket a couple of times and try to make throws due to some protection breakdowns. Other than that though, he looked like the same QB that has led the team to two Super Bowls the last five seasons.

As far as if Ben is going to play much next Sunday in Denver against the Broncos, Tomlin says there is a plan, but didn’t give many more details other than that.

“I'm going to look at the tape and analyze it and all the performances of the guys and give the group what we think the group needs,” Tomlin said. “Staying inside the framework that we have all been discussing since we checked in. We want to have a productive training camp and preseason and get the other guys ready to play.”

Byron Leftwich and Dennis Dixon also played in the Giants game, with again Dixon being the top performer, leading the team on a pair of TD drives. Leftwich though had a long touchdown throw to Mike Wallace, and seemed a lot better than the week before against the Lions.

Things were going all good and swell for running back LeGarrette Blount. He had a great season with the Oregon Ducks in the 2008-09 season, rushing for 1,002 yards along with 17 touchdowns. He also had a stellar 7.3 yards-per-carry average. However, Blount made a huge mistake that would he would probably regret for the rest of his life. Against the Boise State Broncos, Blount made a punch that made huge news all over the sports world.

From there, it seemed that his football career would be over. He would end the 2009-10 season with 22 carries for 82 yards and two touchdowns. The 6?2? muscular 240-pounder would enter the NFL Draft with interest. However, he went undrafted. This was most probably due to his character issues. Yet, a team came up and gave him a chance: The Tennessee Titans. They signed him to a contract and is battling at the third string spot for the team.

However, deja-vu happened to the tempered-back. After struggling through training camp, Blount expressed his feeling by punching another athlete again. But this time, it was his teammate. This was not good. Blount had anger in him and rage, and his temper rose up. He punched him. Luckily, the man that got punched had a helmet on. But it was not looking good for Blount. Not at all.

He could be cut and it gets worse. No team will have interest in him. If Blount wants to make something out of himself and not be failure in football-career standards, he needs to calm down and really think about the decisions he is making. First of all, punching a guy again after you nearly just made yourself look terrible by doing nearly the same thing about a year ago is a huge, yet dumb, move. Here is some advice: CALM THE HELL DOWN! I am just going to say what my father always tells me: Think about the consequences before you make your move. Obviously, Blount did not think about it. He just did it and did not realize that could affect everything.

Last time, Blount took it too far. Now he is taking it even farther.

LeGarrette Blount needs to calm down before his football career goes completely downhill.

Jclombardi reviews Packers preseason victory over Seahawks.

Guest senior writer jclombardi @ http://lombardiave.com 

Summary:  Packers QB Rodgers completed 8-of-11 passing for 116 yards and two touchdowns in an easy quarter, but the Packers had to rally on RB Jackson's touchdown for a 27-24 preseason victory over the Seahawks. 

Highlights: Breaking down Packers-Seahawks game.  Rodgers, offense stay hot while defensive lapses continue vs. Seattle.  Rodgers Sharp; Packers Rally Past Seahawks.  Thin defense has trouble with Seattle. Rodgers sparks Packers to win. Insider: Finley becoming go-to threat. Injuries cloud Packers' progress check at linebacker. Notebook: Top linebackers held out of Seahawks game. Offense scores TDs on two long drives. 

Quick hits:

1. No. 1 offense and QB Rodgers sharp–with great protection, QB Rodgers completed 8 of 11 for 116 yards and two touchdowns.  In his two games, Rodgers has 20-of-24 for 275 yards and three scores with an outstanding passer rating of 154.0.

2. Solid running game–Packers rushed for 174 yards.  RB Jackson looked solid having 11 carries for 80 yards and 1 touchdown averaging 7.4 yards.  FB Kuhn had six carries for 30 yards averaging 5 yards.

3. Backup LBs get experience–without key starting LBs Matthews, Barnett, Hawk, and Jones who were held out of the game,  the Packers started backup LBs Poppinga, Bishop, Francois and Chillar.  Backup LB Havner had a key interception late in the game.

4. Defensive lapses continue–Seattle veteran QB Hasselbeck completed 11 of 15 passes for 127 yards with one touchdown in the first half against a thin defense. Facing little pass rush, Hasselbeck had plenty of time and success picking apart the entire secondary for two touchdown drives out of 5 possessions in the first half.

5. Special teams up and down–Slocum's units looked awful with penalties, mediocre returns, and bad punts. Packers kickoff return coverage allowed 5 returns for 152 yards for a good 30.4-yard average including KR Wilson's 54-yard return immediately after Packers' first touchdown.  KR Blackmon made his season debut returning a punt for 12 yards.   RB Jackson showed great effort on a 32-yard kickoff return setting a go-ahead field goal in the first half.  K Crosby connected on two field goals of 34 and 51 yards.

6. Good players–QB Rodgers, RB Jackson, FB Kuhn, LB Havner, TE Finley, WR Jennings, OL Bulaga.

7. Improving players–FB Johnson is a solid bull blocker and caught one of two passes!  LB Zombo has pass rushing skills getting a sack, but he needs to improve on the edge.

8.Struggling (bad) players–CB Underwood and CB Lee struggled throughout the game.   Undrafted rookie CB Shields had an up and down game losing a fumble, getting one interception, and having a big hit on special teams.  Backup QB Flynn looked only marginally better in this game.

9. Ugly players–CB Bush (shocking!) had a rough game. Backup RT Giacomini had a really bad game in pass protection and a costly penalty at the end of the first half. Backup LT Barbre is just awful.

Commentary: “The bottom line remains that if the Pack can't find a way to generate a consistent pass rush and be respectable on special teams, they'll have a tough time realizing the lofty goals they've set for themselves in 2010.”

First step:

Get permission from the team to discuss contract terms with the player you covet.

Check.

Second step:

Agree with said team on what the proper compensation is for acquiring said player.

In progress.

The two most vital steps to any trade for someone who is contract-less are under away between the Seattle Seahawks and San Diego Chargers.

After the Chargers agreed to allow the Seahawks to discuss contract terms with restricted free agent hold out Vincent Jackson, new news broke last night that would appear to have thrusted things to another level.

Chargers executive Randy Mueller was in Seattle last night to take in the pre-season match up against the Green Bay Packers, and he wasn't just there to take in the view of the gorgeous stadium or downtown skyline.

His mission was to scout Seahawks players who the Chargers are targeting as return in a possible Vincent Jackson trade.

Teams don't give permission to teams to speak to their players and send top executives to scout players for sh**s and giggles, this latest development means some progress is being made on the Jackson trade front.

The Chargers are reportedly seeking a second round pick as a return for Jackson, which the Seahawks appear to have no qualms about meeting. Whether or not the players Mueller was scouting would be icing on the cake or would help bring down the pick needed to acquire Jackson remains to be seen.

The most desirable return in any deal would be help along the offensive line, an area the Seahawks don't exactly boast a bevy of pro bowl talent.

Position by position, here's my take on who the Chargers are most keen on obtaining and why.

Running Back

It wouldn't surprise me if the Chargers inquired about Seattles’ top three running back; more specifically Leon Washington and Justin Forsett.

It wouldn't surprise me if the Seahawks rebuffed them immediately.

The only running back who Seattle would part with in a Vincent Jackson trade would be Julius Jones, who to me represents nothing more than a capable backup who can do a little bit of everything and is spectacular at nothing.

Regardless. there is not much depth behind Ryan Matthews and Darren Sproles, if the Chargers show any interest in Jones, expect the Seahawks ready to deal him.

Wide Receiver

Considering the fact the Chargers would be dealing a wide receiver it's only plausible to assume they wouldn't mind taking one back in the process.

Houshmandzadeh is off limits, and Tate's definitely off limits. I don't seem them trading Mike Williams with the way he's been performing.

Considering the money they would have to pay Jackson ($8-10 million per), my paycheck would be on the Seahawks dealing the expensive and underachieving Deion Branch if the Chargers inquired about their receivers.

Not only does Branch get paid ridiculous money for his borderline No. 3 WR production, he is seven years older then Deon Butler and does not offer the long term potential he brings to the table.

If the Seahawks acquired Jackson and kept Branch, the average salary of their top three receivers would be an appalling $7.8 million.

Offensive Line

You can bet names along the Hawks offensive line are going to be tossed back and forth, regardless of their plausibility.

Okung and Unger are certainly off the table, and couple that with the injuries to Okung and Willis, I would find it hard to believe a name can come up that won't have a premium attached to it considering depth concerns.

Personally, I wouldn't mind them flipping Chris Spencer, how the man still has a starting job in this league when he doesn't even know his own snap count on occasion is appalling to me.

The scenario for replacing him isn't plausible currently with Chester Pitts still recovering injury.

The Willis injury certainly comes at a bad time; with the Tra Thomas retirement, the match would appear to be seamless with the Chargers needing a fill in with the Marcus McNeill fiasco.

Defensive Line

Not very sure the Seahawks would be amenable to dealing any of the prominent fixtures along the defensive line; Brandon Mebane, Chris Clemons, and Red Bryant are all off limits.

The Chargers will most likely target a nose tackle for their 3-4 scheme, and the object of their desire will most likely be Colin Cole.

Depending on the Seahawks confidence in Kevin Vickerson, Quinn Pitcock, and Craig Terrill, they may possibly view Cole expendable if it is necessary to facilitate a trade.

Kentwan Balmer, who played the three technique at North Carolina, also could be a viable replacement option for Cole depending on his progression.

I wouldn't bank on them being keen on dealing Cole, but regardless, it is one of the better matches for supply and demand between these two teams.

Linebacker

You can never have enough bodies at linebacker in the 3-4 defense and the Seahawks offer some premium depth at the position.

They would more then likely be willing to deal backup Will Herring in any deal; if he were on another squad, he would probably be a starter.

Herring is very versatile and would bolster what is already a very solid San Diego unit.

Defensive Back

Earl Thomas would be off limits but after that everyone is game except for Kevin Ellison, whom the Chargers cut after he was busted with a few too many painkillers.

The very versatile Jordan Babineaux would be the most likely target for them, and they would actually be able to immediately plug him in as a starter at strong safety opposite of Eric Weddle.

Kelly Jennings is another player I don't see the Seahawks putting in the off limits category, but considering the depth at safety in contrast to corner, I doubt they would be amenable to dealing a corner.

Conclusion

All in all, I see Colin Cole, Jordan Babineaux, and Deion Branch, as the three most likely trade candidates based on the Chargers most pressing needs and the Seahawks depth at defensive tackle, safety, and receiver (considering they would be acquiring one). Out of those first two, Babs is far more replaceable with Earl Thomas locked in at safety, Milloy penciled in as the starter opposite of him, and Ellison proving to be a viable starter while with the Chargers in his rookie campaign last season.

The depth behind Cole is much more questionable and unproven then the depth at safety.

On the offensive side in the ball, Branch is the most expendable name amongst wide receivers based on his salary and lack of long term potential in contrast to Mike Williams and Deon Butler.

As far as the results of Muellers scouting foray, I will have a post up on that soon.