Charlie Frye is a failed quarterback. Seattle moved a sixth round pick for Frye hoping to rectify a botched start to his career. Frye, always a project, never a plug and play quarterback, cut his teeth behind some miserable offensive lines. His style inflates sacks and he struggled mightily in Cleveland, suffering 66 sacks over 557 pass attempts. Adjusted for opponent and down and distance, Frye recorded Kriegian adjusted sack rates of 10.7% (2005) and 9.8% (2006). For comparison, his tackle dummies in arms Trent Dilfer and Derek Anderson suffered but 6.4% (2005) and 6.0% (2006) adjusted sack rates, respectively. After a five sack slip and slide in week one, Cleveland cut bait, shipping Frye to Seattle for a sixth round pick. Behind a revamped offensive line, Anderson's rate improved from good to excellent: 3.5%.

Anderson, inaccurate but big, mobile and with a quick release, could survive if not thrive behind a worm-eaten line. Frye became a worse quarterback by the snap. Seattle has attempted to decondition Frye's sack induced spasms by teaching him to make quicker reads, check down to his tight end and running backs and fit him with the red shirt aegis. If only the latter worked during the season. They also, theoretically, assembled a line that could give him the kind of time to remain plumb. That's out the window on Saturday, as the white rat's back and the boom returns.

The goal of the preseason is not to win, but to develop. To assess talent and execute plays against unfriendly opposition. If Mike Holmgren expects execution and an accurate display of skills on Saturday, he's not only mistaken, he may be making one of the fundamental mistakes of management: overmatching new employees and positioning them to fail.

The Bears will play their starters into the third quarter. Seattle will not reciprocate. Seneca Wallace or Frye will start, but, either way, Frye will see extensive action. Should he start, Frye may be bookended briefly by starting tackles Walter Jones and Sean Locklear. That'll be nice for Charlie. The cheery arrival before the turn of the screw, because after those ten snaps or so, Jones and Lock get to squat and the Kyle Williams/Ray Willis Happy-Birthday-of-Death B unit are scheduled to escort Mark Anderson, Adawale Ogunleye and Mike Brown about Frye's head and shoulders. Clench that mouthguard, Frye Guy, Tommie Harris is swooping in with a cape shaped like Steve Vallos. But Chicago's front six are no children and Frye no innocent, in fact, he's about to be downright violated.

So "double-u tee ef?" as my wife would say. Why put Frye in the fryer? Why take a battered quarterback and marry him to Rocky? Holmgren seems like the old school type that demands accountability in a tornado. In that sense, he doesn't expect Frye to beat the disaster, just keep his head. And if he can't, at least lick his wounds and build up from the breakdown. It's not a sure-failure strategy. Some thrive on adversity. Sometimes nothing can be a pretty cool hand, just probably not for Frye, who's had his share of nothing and not too many cold drinks.

Just in time, Seahawks Insider checks in with a lengthy and detailed rundown of Seattle's receiver. Mercifully free of wrongheaded editorializing. Wrongheaded editorializing is my job!

The star performer of the day was the silent but deadly Ben Obomanu, who caught everything during practice, including a fade ball over Marcus Trufant for a score from Hasselbeck, and another great play on a deep post route from Hasselbeck with safety Kevin Hobbs on the coverage.

"Receiver seems to be the focal point now obviously," veteran receiver Bobby Engram said. "And Ben is stepping up. He’s getting his opportunity, and he had a tremendous practice today."

The leader continues his run, and not only is he ahead but he's stepping up at just the right time. Obomanu was sort of Jordan Kent before Jordan Kent. The athletic, burner with a good attitude but a lot to learn. Obomanu is slower, smaller but also much more experienced. Entering his third year, it sounds like the gears are meshing, the skills are catching up to the talent and something good is emerging.

Obomanu's college teammate, Courtney Taylor, also returned to full go after nursing a hamstring injury the last few days. Taylor looked good as well, making a nice catch on a sideline route and running with speed after a catch on a slant inside. He caught some balls on the jugs machine after practice.

However, Taylor did drop a ball in the end zone on an inside slant route against Kelly Jennings, letting the ball get into his pads.

That run after the catch ability is what separates Taylor from his competition and why he's Seattle's best bet for the starting flanker spot should Branch be PUPed.

Jordan Kent, the other receiver competing for a spot along with Logan Payne (still sitting out with a cracked rib), caught a 20-yard touchdown pass during red zone drill, getting cornerback Josh Wilson to bite as he geared down like he was going to run a square out, then running past Wilson on an inside seam route.

Jordan Kent...with a football move? Yeah, that's cool. Now to do it in a game. If only Charlie Frye wasn't passing to him.

And now for the twist:

Walter Jones (left tackle), Mike Wahle (left guard), Steve Vallos (center), Rob Sims (right guard) and Sean Locklear (left tackle) ran with the first unit, which looked solid in both run and pass blocking during team drills.

Walter Jones starts in place of Floyd Womack and the offense comes alive? Wha?

Talkin' Hawks offers a little more on Obo

Obomanu had an over-the-shoulder grab of a Matt Hasselbeck pass off a fade route in the end zone and later got open deep behind cornerback Kevin Hobbs to make a nice adjustment in catching a slightly under-thrown ball from Hasselbeck.

"If Hasselbeck is not comfortable with how you're getting into your route and where you're going, you're not one of those guys he's going to call upon during the season," Obomanu said. "I think it was a pretty good day to be in the right spot and to make those catches."

Three cool things: First, fade routes are among Beck's best weapons in the end zone. If Obo can produce on those, he'll become a red zone threat. Second, Obomanu often ran deep last season, but he rarely made adjustments. That's the kind of knowledge growth he needs to replace Hacks. Third, it's kind of charming how serious Obo is. It's all business with him. Sounds like he learned from some mistakes last season.

Seahawks Blog on, y'know, someone other than Obo

Lance Laury made two tips in a seven-on-seven passing drill. Laury is a big, physical run-stopper and improving the pass defense is important because Laury must be ready to step up for an injury with the departures of Niko Koutouvides and Kevin Bentley in free agency.

Tips are nice, but not something I would count on. The tips matter because it means he might have been in the right spot and he was aware of the pass. Otherwise, let's wait till gametime. Laury must step up because Will Herring is...not able to play.

Samuel Gutekunst -- the team's international-squad allotment -- is also not practicing because of an undisclosed injury.

Gutekunst: "Don't make me run, I'm full of chocolate."

Uter schoki im bauch (via Darkgringoger)

With the second overall pick in the first ever Seahawks All-Time Fantasy Draft, Dave Krieg's Super Happy Fun Time Factory selects...

via seahawks.com 

Offense/Defense

Split End	Slot	Left Tackle	Left Guard	Center	Right Guard	Right Tackle	Tight End	Flanker
Nate Burleson Ben Obomanu Jordan Kent	Ben Obomanu LoganPayne	Walter Jones Sean Locklear FloydWomack	Mike Wahle Rob Sims MansfieldWrotto	Chris Spencer Chris Gray Steve Vallos	Rob Sims Chris Gray RayWillis	Sean Locklear Ray Willis SteveVallos	John Carlson Jeb Putzier Will Heller	Bobby Engram Courtney Taylor DeionBranch

Fullback	Quarterback	Running Back
Leonard Weaver Owen Schmitt David Kirtman	Matt Hasselbeck Seneca Wallace Charlie Frye	Julius Jones Maurice Morris TJ Ducket JustinForsett

Walter Jones

Stats

Highlights

Lowlights

Outlook

Blown Blocks: 16

Good Blocks: 4

*Includes all games minus Week 10, Divisional Round and the second half of Week 3 and the first half of week 1.

Highlights

9/16/07

Most importantly, Walter Jones looked himself, dominating defenders and cutting off the edge rush.

12/9/07

The next drive starts with a really nice block by Jones. We talk so much about blown blocks, or pancake blocks, but the best block is the doin' your job block. Joe Tafoya (remember him?) attempts a spin move and Jones freezes him halfway, so that Tafoya is neutralized and the two make a very short conga line.

1/5/08

Walter Jones looked fleet, spry.

Lowlights

9/9/07

Both of Seattle's sacks allowed on Sunday were unequivocally Walter Jones' fault. In my Matchupalooza preview I mentioned he would be facing a very quick young pass rusher, Gaines Adams, and that if he had lost some lateral agility that Adams would be well suited to expose it. The good word is that Jones had no problem with the speedy young end, nor did he look at all overmatched against the rest of Tampa Bay's various ends and tackles that he squared off against. Athletically, Jones looked tip-top, mirroring well on his slide steps, pulling with ease, purpose and velocity and generally looking like the franchise left tackle we have come to know and love. How is it that he allowed two sacks then? Counter-intuitively, not because the 11 year veteran has slowed a step or lost some explosiveness, but because he blew his assignment. They were mental errors.

The first occurred on Seattle's drive stalling flea-flicker in the second quarter. The play looked pretty sloppy to start, with Alexander badly selling the run and lateraling a sloppy pitch back to Beck. Needless to say, the Bucs weren't fooled, but Jones was. Marcus Pollard was deigned to cut off the outside pressure along the left while Jones was working the stop-the-free-rusher job often assigned to centers. In other words, Jones had no set defender to block, but instead was assigned Alexander's rushing lane (that turned into a pass rushing lane after the pitch back). Jones spied the hole for a split second and then got distracted by something happening to his right, at this point Jermaine Philips flew right behind him and had Hasselbeck dead to rights. The whole play was botched, Pollard didn't stop the edge rush, Alexander didn't sell the run, Beck couldn't find a free receiver and hesitated to throw but the sack falls squarely on Jones who simply blew his assignment.

The second sack allowed is simpler but more troubling. On third and three of the Hawks second drive of the third quarter Greg Spires made an outside move and though Jones shaded him well Spires froze him and simply darted around his outside shoulder untouched. You don't see Walter Jones freeze up like that and I can't help but think he might have been protecting his left shoulder. Once Spires had a step on Jones to the outside it looked as if Jones just didn't want to risk sticking his left arm out there and potentially being reinjured.

A combination of caution and cluelessness might be expected from a player who missed most of the preseason because of an ailing left shoulder. I'm not too worried about the blown assignment, but if Jones is favoring his left shoulder so badly that he fears putting an arm on Spires one must worry about Jones' health. This is a developing story worth watching.

12/6/07

Walter Jones and Rob Sims are still working on their chemistry. Sometimes I'm not sure if Jones is simply blowing his assignment or if he just expects Sims to do something else. Jones completely missed pass blocking the outside against Mike Rucker, nearly leading to a sack and/or turnover. I have to credit Jones with the gaffe, because, that's how it looks. I can't know if Sims was supposed to pop outside, but can say if he had, about three rushers would have poured through untouched inside.

Outlook

In my soaring, many-buttressed vision of the 2008 season, a crack exists that spans roof to foundation. Best as I try, through faith and historical precedent, to patch that crack, it won’t mend. And the ghouls that peak through, hungry, quick-footed and relentless, keep me awake at night.

Walter Jones is no longer the great left tackle he once was. The pattern of his failings makes me fear that injury, swift decline or an amalgam of each is very possible. Throughout 2007, when a defender reached the end range of Jones’ left arm, the point at which should he wish to maintain the block he’d be forced to hyper extend his arm, even slightly, Jones would bail. He’d disengage the block, sometimes attempt to reassume a comfortable position by moving his legs and then reengage the block, sometimes simply accept he was beat.

Unlike his enshrined peers, Jones is not capable of receiving in-game wonder cure, Cortisone, much less rank and file painkillers like Vicodin, Codeine, Anaprox, Indocin, Percocet and Percodan. Combined with his age, 34, his history of shoulder injuries and his gingerly, almost protective play...a bad, bad feeling wells up inside.

The good news is that the shoulder injury and intolerance for strong medicine are old news. Trials Jones endured, conquered for many seasons now. His play is no longer the once in a generation, freak-nastiness of the early Oughts, but his combination of solid pass blocking and sturdy, sometimes dominant run blocking still places him among the league’s best offensive tackles. He’s more than championship caliber. Healthy. Healthy, he’s more than championship caliber.

Good news can breed dread. Let’s run with that. This is the first in a series of articles exploring what can go wrong for Seattle in 2008.

Walter Jones Decline/Injury Decline/IR

Walter Jones turned 34 a week after Seattle’s season ended. He is, by any measure, one of the greatest left tackles to ever play football. Even in his football dotage, he’s one of the most valuable and least replaceable players on Seattle’s roster. It’s difficult to project a player as unique as Jones. Many great players enjoy a respectable late career plateau after declining from their peak. Others do not. Others suffer a performance altering injury and never recover. In an attempt to create an analog to Jones, I started at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. How did other legendary offensive tackles perform late in their careers? When did the end come and in what form?

Anthony Munoz

Munoz played 13 seasons, missing only 3 games. Munoz retired, signed with the Bucs, was injured in the preseason and then retired again. We can be sure that Jones will not be injured in the preseason. Munoz represents a positive outlook for Jones’ future. Munoz stayed in top condition throughout his career and stayed a top tackle until retiring. The two compare in total contributions, but Munoz was the better athlete and enjoyed better overall health than Jones.

Jackie Slater

Played an astounding 20 seasons, retiring at 41. Should I put a an exclamation point there? “!” There, there it is. Slater wasn’t the same player by then, but he stands as another point of evidence that offensive tackles defy traditional age curves.

Gary Zimmerman

Zimmerman’s career looks deceptively short thanks to a two year stint in the USFL. Zim played just 12 seasons in the NFL, but was 37 when he retired. His career ended after mounting shoulder injuries. Given his age, build, play and shoulder injuries, Zimmerman is another player that represents a positive outlook on Jones remaining career. In 1997, Zim’s final season, the Denver Broncos had the best offense in football (17.3% DVOA) and won the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the following season the team would repeat and their offense was even better (28.0%).

It’s a very select group, but longevity and a graceful decline are standard. Willie Roaf merits as a future Hall of Famer and his late years were likewise. Jonathan Ogden is thought to have slowed a bit, but his conditioning and will were long in question.

The end is near for Jones, but there’s little reason to think he’s any more likely to be injured this coming season than he was in 2006 or 2007. 34 sounds ancient in the sports world. It sounds especially ancient for football. But offensive tackles do not fit the standard aging curve. Concerns about Jones inability to take a pain killer stronger than Tylenol are no more valid today than they were last year or the year before. Jones has prospered despite that handicap. It is a handicap, no doubt, but we must conclude sometime in the last 12 seasons Jones has adapted. He’s involuntarily missed but two games throughout his career. Discovery, it’s one of the top 10 reasons I write this site. I think I just discovered Seattle won’t need a new left tackle until 2011.