Wednesday, May 23, 2012 @ 1:47pm

Seahawks QB competition is still Matt Flynn's to lose

Russell Wilson has been front and center the last month, from being drafted in the third round to forcing his way into the team's quarterback competition after his impressive showing during a rookie minicamp.

For anyone forgetting about the other quarterback the Seahawks added over the offseason, Brock Huard has this to say: Matt Flynn is still the favorite to be Seattle's starting quarterback.

Huard explains why in Wednesday's Wrap Up video.

You can download Wednesday's podcast here.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012 @ 12:20am

What tight end Kellen Winslow brings to the Seahawks

John Schneider and Pete Carroll never rest when the opportunity comes to upgrade their roster, whether it's with draft picks, rookie tryouts, cap casualties, free-agent signings or trades -- like the one they made Monday night that sends a conditional seventh-round pick to the Buccaneers for Kellen Winslow Jr.

Winslow, who turns 29 in July, addresses a serious need for the Seahawks: a proven pass-catching target at tight end.

Turns out the Seahawks nearly addressed that need in the third round of the draft in April before deciding to take quarterback Russell Wilson instead. Yet their search for a complement to Zach Miller never ceased. The Seahawks' ability to continually monitor the market and keep ample salary cap space enabled them to pull off the Winslow move, which should pay dividends in many ways:

Kellen Winslow Jr. gives the Seahawks the receiving tight end they've been looking for since losing John Carlson. (AP)

2. Defensive conundrum. Tom Cable has talked about the eight- and even nine-man box counts opposing defenses threw at the Hawks a year ago. Putting two tight ends like Miller and Winslow on the field will force the defense's hand. Play base defense and Winslow is a mismatch; play nickel defense and expect Beast Mode to run off of Miller and set up the play-action pass.

3. Simplify defenses. There is a reason the Indianapolis Colts took two tight ends in the early rounds of their draft: a two-tight-end scheme can simplify an opposing defense for a young signal-caller. Two-tight-end packages can be diverse within their run game, provide ample play-action pass opportunities and even add to pass protection, all the while typically slowing down the amount of options a defense can throw at it. Both Matt Flynn and Wilson are inexperienced, and like Andrew Luck in Indy, the opportunity to simplify an opponent's plan can help a young signal-caller get comfortable.

4. Help the supporting cast. The addition of a pass-catching threat at tight end should benefit a Seahawks wide receiver core that still has plenty to prove. The run game should be aided by getting that extra safety out of the box. The play-action game should grow in its diversity with an H-back that has the speed and elusiveness of Winslow to stretch the field. The addition of Winslow also puts Anthony McCoy and Cameron Morrah in an incredibly competitive battle to make the team, exactly the position you want two young players who have flashed potential but never realized consistent success to be in.

I really like this move, especially in light of giving up a conditional seventh-round pick. The salary is a bit rich at over $3 million a year, but Winslow hasn't missed a game the last three seasons and in five of his eight years in the league he would have shattered the Seahawks' single-season record for receptions and yards by a tight end.

My bet is Winslow will be blown away by the first-class nature of the Seahawks organization, and further enamored with the culture that Carroll has built in the locker room. Making home in San Diego, the trip up the West Coast for OTAs and offseason work will be much easier for Winslow than the trek to Tampa Bay with a Buccaneers organization starting over at head coach.

The Seahawks have a top 10 defense, a bona fide run game, and now Miller and Winslow at tight end and H-back. If Sidney Rice can return to health and form alongside a bevy of young wide receiver talent, the script is being written for a Seahawks team that has vastly improved in two seasons. And now if Flynn or Wilson can step into the role of productive quarterback, 10 wins seems more and more likely.

Monday, May 21, 2012 @ 1:12pm

Tight end Kellen Winslow could help the Seahawks

The Seahawks are still looking for a tight end to complement Zach Miller after losing John Carlson in free agency, and a well-known veteran could be available.

Kellen Winslow appears to be on his way out of Tampa Bay after three seasons with the Buccaneers, who, according to Winslow, have informed the one-time Pro Bowler that they are looking to trade him.

Winslow, who will be 29 by the start of next season, caught 75 passes for 763 yards and two touchdowns in 2011. He played with a knee injury that limited him in practice, but hasn't missed a game since 2008.

In Monday's Wrap Up video, Brock Huard and Mike Salk discuss whether Winslow would make sense for the Seahawks.

You can download Monday's podcast here.

Friday, May 18, 2012 @ 2:34pm

Debating the merits of the Seahawks' QB approach

National football writer Jason Cole thinks the Seahawks have gone about their search for a franchise quarterback the wrong way.

He wrote as much in a recent column on Yahoo! Sports and joined "Brock and Salk" on Friday to elaborate.

Cole: "I think that it's really important when you bring in a new coach to start that marriage between a quarterback and a coach as soon as possible and then make a commitment to that guy, sort of like what happened with [the Panthers'] Ron Rivera and Cam Newton. Because if you don't, you're kind of toggling back and forth from one quarterback to the next. It becomes a problem, I think, for your team overall. I think you just have to solve that position as soon as you possibly can because it's the most important position on your team.

"Now what I'm seeing out in Seattle is they come in and it's [Matt] Hasselbeck for a year, with [Charlie] Whitehurst in the wings. Then Whitehurst doesn't look so good and then it's Tarvaris Jackson. And Tarvaris Jackson doesn't look so good so now it's [Matt] Flynn and now [Russell] Wilson. You've gone through five guys in three years, and that position requires commitment to make sure it can be as good as possible."

In Friday's Wrap Up video, Mike Salk defends the Seahawks' approach, saying that patience is a better strategy than panic when it comes to finding a quarterback.

You can download Friday's podcast here.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 @ 3:51pm

More proof that Marshawn Lynch is one of a kind

Marshawn Lynch's unique personality has already produced plenty of entertainment.

There was that time at Cal when he commandeered a trainers cart after a game and swerved around the field for a few seconds, his way of celebrating an overtime win over Washington. There's also his tendency to call reporters "boss," the alter ego that he refers to as Beast Mode, and his affinity for Skittles, a candy he's been known to eat on the sidelines and talk about in the huddle.

Marshawn Lynch

But that's what Seahawks quarterback Matt Flynn gave us when he joined "Brock and Salk" on Wednesday. Their conversation touched on the improvement Flynn has made since his rookie season, how he's handling himself while competing for a starting spot, and finally Lynch.

Flynn called Lynch a "pretty fun guy" and said they've spent some time together at the facility in recent weeks. Flynn was asked whether he's had any unusual encounters with his new teammate.

"No. He calls me Antonio, though, for some reason," Flynn said.

Antonio?

"I don't know. I'm in the locker room and I'll hear him yell from across the way, he just yells 'Antonio!' So, I don't know," Flynn said, sounding equally puzzled and amused. "I guess I'm Antonio to him."

Why does Lynch do that?

Good question. Flynn asked him, and he still isn't sure.

"I did, and he didn't really have a good explanation," Flynn said. "He just said I look like an Antonio to him. Next time [he's] on you've got to try to get an explanation for me."

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 @ 12:35pm

What the Mariners can't afford to do at the plate

Mike Salk says in Wednesday's Wrap Up video that the Mariners need to do a better job of not wasting at-bats.

You can download Wednesday's podcast here.

Related: Losing patience, hope in the hapless Mariners

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 @ 2:47pm

Comparing upsides of Matt Flynn, Russell Wilson

Three quarterbacks technically have a shot to win the competition to be the Seahawks' starter this season.

But only two of them -- free-agent addition Matt Flynn and third-round pick Russell Wilson -- are signed beyond 2012.

So which of them has more upside? Mike Salk tackles that question in Tuesday's Wrap Up video.

You can download Tuesday's podcast here.

Related audio: Is Tarvaris Jackson's roster spot in danger?

Monday, May 14, 2012 @ 9:13pm

What can Eric Wedge try next?

Eric Wedge is running out of patience – and it's hard to blame him.

He has called out Shawn Kelley for a hanging slider, then he sent the reliever to Tacoma. He has called out Chone Figgins – asking for more (or even some) production – and then he took his well-paid leadoff man and stuck him on the end of the bench. He named names when Michael Saunders squeezed on his own. He has called out Brendan Ryan for a couple of sloppy defensive plays and even benched his best defensive player here and there.

Wedge said, in no uncertain terms, that this year was going to be different. He may have sat back and observed in his first season, but that was clearly a temporary state of zen, and the bubbling anger that he kept below the surface may have come back in spades in his second campaign.

Ichiro is hitting for average this season, but hasn't shown the power of a prototypical No. 3 hitter. (AP)

Is it working?

That's hard to say. The team is 16-21. They are, depending how you look at it, either five games below .500 or on pace for just 70 wins. If you prefer the former, it's impressive considering how little they have gotten from Dustin Ackley and Justin Smoak. If you focus on the latter, it is the start of another 90-loss season.

For Eric Wedge, the truth is likely somewhere in between. He, better than anyone, understands the requisite inconsistencies with a young baseball team. He'll exercise a little extra patience with Smoak, whom he publicly supported last week despite the horrible numbers. He'll quietly bunt Ackley with the game on the line then offer his young second baseman a mental health day without drawing attention to it. His reprimand of the Saunders squeeze was gentle, toned down, and did not include any loss of playing time.

But Wedge is not going to suffer through veteran struggles. Why should he? If you are over 25 years old and can't hit your weight, you probably aren't part of the future here.

"He needs a day," Wedge said of Ryan on Saturday, once the shortstop had drifted below .150. "I need a day."

He went on to suggest that Ryan has been unable to even defend himself at the plate!

With Figgins relegated to a bench role and Ackley and Ichiro ensconced in the first and third spots in the lineup (for now), Wedge has been hard-pressed to find an acceptable hitter between them. Kyle Seager makes sense, but he is left-handed and right now is too valuable as a run producer in the middle of the lineup. As a righty, Ryan would be ideal. But with him struggling, Wedge has tried to avoid becoming overly left-handed in the top of his order – especially when facing lefties like Andy Pettite and Jon Lester.

Casper Wells was an inspired choice on Sunday – but his presence keeps Carp, Saunders or John Jaso out of the lineup.

The question is this: how young can the Mariners go?

Could you use this lineup regularly?

1. Ackley 2B
2. Wells DH
3. Ichiro RF
4. Montero C
5. Seager 3B
6. Carp LF
7. Smoak 1B
8. Saunders CF
9. Kawasaki SS

Or are your ready to experiment?

1. Ackley CF
2. Liddi 3B
3. Ichiro RF
4. Montero C
5. Seager 2B
6. Carp DH
7. Smoak 1B
8. Wells/Saunders platoon in LF
9. Kawasaki SS

Hmmm.

I have always believed that Ackley's long-term value is maximized at second base. But is that coming at the expense of playing time for quality young infielders? If you believe that the M's absolutely must determine what they have in Carp, Liddi, Seager, Smoak and Saunders, this may be the best way to get them each the maximum number of at-bats. It improves your defense at second base and potentially in left field.

It also does not account for the potential return of Franklin Gutierrez, but that seems like an afterthought at the moment.

Then there's Ichiro.

Wedge has now noted that his highest paid player is not doing any "damage" hitting third. Essentially, he admitted that the experiment has failed. Could Ichiro return to his familiar leadoff spot?

Of course he could. But should he?

I'm not so sure.

In talking to dozens of former teammates, coaches and managers, there is a recurring belief that Ichiro does what he wants when he wants and without regard for what is best for the team. Some use the word selfish, but others have gone so far as to suggest that he will sabotage a manager that won't let him get his way.

Is that what is happening now?

I don't think so. Ichiro has hit, but not for power. He has been Ichiro. Is that because he chooses not to swing for the fences or because he isn't capable of doing so? We won't know.

But if he is to be moved, I'd prefer he try out the second spot in the order. We'll see which direction Wedge opts to move. He's got a lot of options.