Training Camp and Injuries

Rookies report Tuesday. Vets report Thursday. I'm all excited, ready for the season to get going... and then I hear about Philip Daniels blowing out his knee on the first play of the first practice of training camp. Sure, the Redskins were able to pick up Jason Taylor, which is certainly an upgrade (though at the cost of a second round pick, and a 6th rounder in 2010, which means the Redskins will once again be low on draft picks), but they were lucky to have Taylor available. Most other teams won't be so lucky.

Somehow I happened to get the Oakland broadcast of the Seahawks-Raiders preseason game last year. More than anything else, the moment I remember from that game was watching #90 limp off the field, his weight resting on the shoulders of two accompanying teammates, and me thinking "oh crap, I hope that's not Tubbs." And, of course, it was. That injury hurt, but I certainly wasn't expecting Tubbs to be a major contributor, and ultimately it allowed Brandon Mebane an opportunity to blossom.

Still, other injuries didn't have as great of silver linings. As much as I like Leonard Weaver, he didn't adequately replace Mack Strong. Alexander's injuries kept him tentative. (that's a lot of problems with the running backs....). Anyway, injuries are bound to happen. So, I'm going to explore what injury risks the Seahawks will face this year.

Hasselbeck: Seneca Wallace is to Hasselbeck what Brady was to Bledsoe? I think not. Wallace, given an entire season, and with the help of the defense, could probably win eight or nine games. Super Bowl? No way. We need Matt if we're going to have any chance at the Super Bowl.

Running backs: I'm excited to see what Julius Jones can do with the chip he has on his shoulder. Losing him basically gives us what we had last year. Plus T.J. Duckett, but who knows what that's going to be. No concerns with the current crop of fullbacks.

Offensive line: The Seahawks could have a great line this year. Or, they could end up like the Rams line from last year. I'm most concerned about Chris Spencer, just from what I've heard/read about his lack of participation in the off season camps. And, of course, losing Big Walt would be a killer. The Seahawks have poor o-line depth, maybe the worst among any position group on the team (the linebackers aren't particularly stacked either), so any injuries here will really hurt.

Tight end: I don't know what to expect from John Carlson, but he has the potential to great help the offense. At this point, losing him means losing that potential. The rest of the bunch look fairly interchangeable.

Wide receivers: The major injury to this group occurred in Green Bay last January. A second injury, to either Burleson or Engram, would hurt, but there are four young receivers waiting for their chance. I'll be keeping an eye on the reps that they get in the preseason.

Defensive line: The Seahawks are stacked at tackle. I was excited when Larry Triplett was signed, and he may get cut because there are six other tackles that could play ahead of him. The ends are less stacked, but one major loss could maybe be schemed around (playing Peterson on the line, etc).

Linebackers: Great starting three. The back-ups are... back-ups. Losing any of the starters will be a major drop-off in talent and production.

Corners: Depth here all depends on how good Josh Wilson is. Trufant is great, and Jennings is (probably) at least good. Lose one and Wilson has to step in. Again, watch for it in the preseason.

Safety: Deon Grant is amazing. Brian Russell... he seems to get ripped by John Morgan and other bloggers whose opinions I respect. I certainly don't watch enough tape to give an informed opinion. Babineaux, the next on the depth chart, is equally ripped. Is Mike Green still on the team? Losing Grant would hurt significantly. Not so much the others.