Chris Gray Retires
by John Morgan
on Aug 4, 2008 5:09 PM PDT
in Seahawks News
A spine injury has forced Chris Gray into retirement.
A finesse pass blocker, Gray never received his due. Something about doing your job, keeping the franchise healthy and blocking for a string of top passing offenses just doesn't translate to the highlight reels. But that's what he did for 15 seasons, 11 with Seattle. A hell of a guard and a true Hawk, I wish him the very best health and happiness for the rest of his life. It might not feel like it right now Mr. Gray, but the best part of your life is just beginning.
For the team, losing Gray is another hit to an offensive line already without depth. Last season, Gray wasn't good, by the end of the season he was outright awful, but he was tenable. I'm not sure Seattle has another second string guard we can say that about. Or tackle. Or center.
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Seahawks Training Camp Report: 8/4 (AM)
by John Morgan
on Aug 4, 2008 1:54 PM PDT
Seahawks Insider is first in with, uh, well...
There is another new player on the field, though this one is an old player. With Chris Gray announcing his retirement (officially he was placed on the IR) -- which must make Ben Claxton feel a bit more secure...
Chris Gray: Ben Claxton, come over here man. Doctors told me I have to retire. Said I have a spine injury; that if I play any more it could lead to paralysis. When they told me Saturday, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Playing football has been my life. Anyway, kid, sounds like you've got a good chance to make the club. That's my spot you're taking. Do me proud.
Ben Claxton: You're debilitating injury makes me feel a bit more secure about my job.
Gray:
Claxton: Sorry about the spine.
Howard Green had another nice play, slipping a block and getting into the backfield to stop Maurice Morris.
I'm not wild about Green, but without Red Bryant, he's the team's best backup 1 tech tackle. That is, assuming nothing from Marcus Tubbs. At 29, and with better quicks than strength, for a right DT anyway, Green could enjoy a late career peak as his strength and speed hit an optimum equilibrium: being strong enough to make his speed count and not having lost enough speed to suffer.
D. D. Lewis quickly showed why Justin Forsett’s size is a liability: After Forsett caught a pass and tried to sprint away from Lewis, Lewis took his jersey with just one arm and flung him to the ground with a look of disdain.
Being tackled by the jersey, even decisively, does not make a player a liability.
I have to say, Jason Babin is having a pretty good training camp. Babin bullrushed Joe Newton on one play and pushed him into the backfield, right into Owen Schmitt, who was coming up to the line for a block. The play fell apart. It is the one concern with Newton: he is a very good receiver but his lower body is too small to sustain blocks. Later, Babin beat Kyle Williams to the quarterback.
In other words, Babin schooled a tight end that can't block and a developmental tackle that's hanging on by his fingernails. As much as I want Babin to produce, this is all but meaningless. Good God I can't wait for Friday.
WORD OF THE DAY
Defense. As in, the pads came back on, and the defense came out pounding.After two practices in shells and shorts Sunday, the players worked this morning for 1 hour, 45 minutes in full pads – and defensive players were popping theirs, and then popping off.
"Guys were just making plays," Pro Bowl middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu said. "And you get to jawing a little more when you're making plays."
That the defense was doing, to the rumbling displeasure of coach Mike Holmgren – whose practice barometer is an indication of well the offense performs.
Seattle's defense is clearly more talented than its offense. Especially the offense it assembles for practice. Full of holes on the line and largely without its top quarterback. So, though the story has been about how the defense has dominated the offense throughout training camp, it's really no reason to panic. The defense is playing at or near full strength. It should be dominating Seattle's patchwork offense.
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Seahawks All-Time Fantasy Draft (45)
by John Morgan
on Jul 21, 2008 2:00 PM PDT
With the 45th overall pick in the first ever Seahawks All-Time Fantasy Draft, the Skid Row Sliders select...
Chris Gray, Auburn
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When an offensive linemen is said to be able to play multiple positions it is often code for this player cannot play any position well. Chris Gray can play any interior offensive line position well. When Hutch went down in 2002, he even played some left guard. That’s because Gray is very polished blocker, with good feet and great awareness. It’s easy to allow last season’s craptastrophe to totally eclipse his good times, but while Gray never had the power to be a truly great guard, he was a good - very good pass blocking - guard for the 8 years. All in Blue. The Sliders will move him to center, where his awareness can be best exploited and his relative weakness hidden, but, should the need arrive, I’d happily slot a youthful Chris Gray into the right guard spot. He’s the rare do-all lineman that can actually do most. |
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Seahawks Depth Chart: Offense
by John Morgan
on Jul 5, 2008 9:50 AM PDT
in Everything You Need To Know
Offense/Defense
End |
Tackle |
Guard |
Guard |
Tackle |
End |
|||
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 |
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|
Burleson Ben Obomanu Jordan Kent |
Obomanu Logan |
Jones Sean Locklear |
Wahle Rob Sims |
Spencer Chris Gray |
Sims Chris Gray |
Locklear Ray Willis |
Putzier Will Heller |
Engram Courtney Taylor |
Back |
||
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Weaver Kirtman |
Hasselbeck Seneca Wallace Charlie Frye |
Jones Morris Ducket |
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