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2008 Seattle Seahawks NFL Picks & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

Despite winning their fourth straight NFC West title and advancing to the playoffs for the fifth season in a row, president Tim Ruskell felt it necessary to give his team a facelift in hopes of making a Super Bowl run. Find out if Jimmy Boyd thinks the moves will pay off in his 2008 Seattle Seahawks predictions and season preview.

Offense

QB Matt Hasselbeck is coming off his second-best season as a starter and was rewarded with a trip to the Pro Bowl. But he would gladly trade in all three of his Pro Bowl selections for a Super Bowl ring. The running game fell apart last season and Hasselbeck did not disappoint when called upon to make even more plays. There is supposed to be a major emphasis placed on the running game again which will take some of the pressure off of Hasselbeck.

The 2005 MVP Shaun Alexander will no longer be in the backfield for the Seahawks as team president Tim Ruskell kindly said it was time for him to go. The Seahawks acquired Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett in the offseason to re-tool the running game. Jones showed some talent in Dallas but has been criticized for not running hard enough. He has never averaged more than 4.2 yards per carry in his career. Duckett is an oversized tailback who will be looked upon as a third down specialist and short yardage guy.

The wide receiver position is looking a little thin with D.J. Hackett leaving via free agency and with Deion Branch suffering a knee injury in the playoffs that is likely to keep him sidelined through the first half of the year. That leaves the starting jobs to the inconsistent Nate Burleson and 34-year-old Bobby Engram. The Seahawks did draft Notre Dame tight end John Carlson. Head coach Mike Holmgren is very excited about this kid and would like him to step in and start immediately.

Walter Jones is one of the best left tackles in the game and right tackle Sean Locklear is solid. The signing of left guard Mike Wahle is expect to strengthen the interior of the line – a place where the Seahawks were vulnerable in 2007.

Defense

Pro Bowl left end Patrick Kerney, right end Darryl Tapp, and rookie Lawrence Jackson will he a three-headed monster up front. Both starting tackles return and also get a rookie to spell them – Texas A&M’s Red Bryant.

Lofa Tatupu, Julian Peterson, and Leroy Hill make up one of the finest linebacker units in the league. Tatupu was named to the NFL’s All-Pro team.

The secondary used to get picked on by opponents, but they’re not doing it anymore as this unit has really improved. Cornerback Marcus Trufant made his first Pro Bowl team last season, and cornerback Kelly Jennings will likely follow suit. Deon Grant and Brian Russell start at the safety spots.

Special teams

The Seahawks could be in a little trouble at the kicker spot after losing Josh Brown to St. Louis in free agency. Veteran Olindo Mare and rookie Brandon Contu will compete for the job. Nate Burleson remains one of the leagues best kickoff and punt returners but he doesn’t get much air time because of all the Devin Hester talk.

Prediction – 1st NFC West

The West is still weak so I have no reason to believe that the Seahawks won’t win their fifth straight division title. With that said, I’m not sure the offseason moves will be ones that will give Holmgren another shot at a Super Bowl in his final season.

Check out all of Jimmy Boyd’s NFL predictions to see who he likes to win all eight of the NFL’s divisions. Futures bettors swear by Jimmy’s predictions and so does his long list of clients who are getting geared up for another profitable season of his NFL picks.

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