This has been a slow month in Seattle. Really, it has been about as fun as waiting for ink to dry on a NFLPA v. NFL managers council lawsuit. Now we are just waiting for all the signings to flood in and make sure that Seattle’s last two players get into camp tomorrow. More than likely that will happen by the end of today. DE Lawrence Jackson and TE John Carlson are the only players Seattle is waiting to sign. No issues are reported with either contract, they are just waiting for the backlog of signings to make it through.

QB –

QB Matt Hasselbeck’s lack of support in the receiver ranks will continue to affect his performance. He held up well last year, but his numbers will be in question even more since Seattle will actually have a running game this year. I would like to have him on my fantasy team, but would not draft him high.

RB –

RB Julius Jones looks like a great fantasy pick. He is a good fit for this offense and the new line coach should bring additional strength to this pick. RB TJ Duckett looks to be the backup, but watch preseason to see if Duckett may be used in goal line situations which would reduce Jones’s value.

WR –

WR Bobby Engram continues to sit out wanting money that correlates with being the only guy on the team that can catch a ball. WR Deion Branch’s injury looks to keep him out for the beginning of the season and the rest of the group have no experience or are underperformers. I still think that pulling a random young guy from Seattle as a late fantasy pick is a good idea. No one really stands out at this point.

TE –

TE John Carlson should sign today and end up being the starter. Should he end up being able to crunch through the playbook and be ready to start the season, he may well be the best receiver on the field. He should be watched through preseason, but would be a good late fantasy pick.

K –

PK Olindo Mare comes into camp with a leg up on rookie PK Brandon Coutu. Mare looks fully recovered from the injury that lowered his recent stats. Coutu is inconsistent short and mid range. I would pick up Mare late in fantasy rounds if drafting this early.

D –

DE Lawrence Jackson should sign today and move into rotation. DT Red Bryant should challenge for a starting spot. All in all, this defense looks very strong and the team defense should be drafted with confidence. Individual performers will be more difficult to predict, but August should provide plenty of information about whether or not last years performers look likely to continue their stats into this year.