We’ve done team checklists for the 49ers, Rams, and Cardinals this week. Last up: Last year’s improbable NFC West champions, who may have the most work to do of anyone in the division.
Here’s our to-do list for the Seahawks for when the lockout ends:
1. Find a starting quarterback.
It could be Matt Hasselbeck returning. We have a hunch the Seahawks will look elsewhere. The team showed interest in Kevin Kolb in 2010 and could do so again. Carson Palmer would make sense if the Bengals were open to the idea. Vince Young would make a fun wild card, although that seems unlikely.
With only Charlie Whitehurst on the roster, the Seahawks need to add two players to the position. One of them would ideally be a candidate to stick around for a while because Whitehurst isn’t a long-term solution.
2. Get numbers on the defensive line.
Defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, who we ranked as the team’s top priority, may be difficult to keep. Veteran Raheem Brock is also a free agent. The Seahawks should be in the mix for a top free agent defensive lineman, like Cullen Jenkins.
This was a big need not addressed during the draft. There simply aren’t a lot of players to build around on the outside or inside. The Seahawks did a nice job getting a lot of production from a defensive line pu pu platter last year and may have to take the same approach again.
3. Find a potential starting cornerback and possibly a safety.
Cornerback Kelly Jennings is a free agent. He has plenty of experience, but never excelled and the Seahawks seem tired of him. At safety, it was a bad sign that Lawyer Milloy was starting for this team last year. Seattle needs to try to add numbers to the position.
4. Take look at Robert Gallery.
The Seahawks drafted James Carpenter and John Moffit to start on the right side of the line. With Tom Cable in town to coach this group up, grabbing Gallery to play left guard could quickly re-make Seattle’s troubled line into something rather powerful.
5. Cut Stacy Andrews.
Not a hard decision, considering his salary.
6. Try to be patient.
Seattle arguably has the worst roster in a division full of them. They overachieved last year but can’t fill all these holes in one year.
Coach Pete Carroll and G.M. John Schneider overextended themselves to get Whitehurst last year. They need to be careful not to overpay in free agency or a trade for a quarterback because it will take time to make this group a Super Bowl contender.