Wednesday, May 23, 2012 @ 12:47pm

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 @ 2:50pm

What's not to like about the Kellen Winslow trade?

A Tampa Bay beat writer who covered Kellen Winslow during his time with the Buccaneers describes the Seahawks' new tight end as a hard worker, competitive, accountable and someone who cares about winning and his legacy.

"He's got -- for whatever reason and I'm not sure why -- he's got this image out in the public of being a trouble maker or not being a conformist or anything like that," Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune told "Bob and Groz" on Tuesday.

With potential concerns about Winslow's attitude eased, Bob Stelton and Dave Grosby say in the video below that there isn't much to dislike about the trade that sends him to the Seahawks.

You can download Tuesday's podcast here.

Monday, May 21, 2012 @ 11:20pm

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 @ 12:12pm

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.

Saturday, May 19, 2012 @ 8:02pm

One game still sticks in Doug Baldwin's craw

Wide receiver Doug Baldwin would naturally point to the Seahawks' Week 5 win over the Giants as one of the games that stood out for him during his stellar rookie season.

After all, the Seahawks' upset of the eventual Super Bowl champions was arguably the most impressive of their seven wins. It was statistically Baldwin's best individual performance as well. He caught eight passes for 136 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The Cleveland Browns were the only team to hold Doug Baldwin catchless during his stellar rookie season. (AP)

It was also for a different reason.

"One of the games that really stood out to me which we actually lost -- and I actually played pretty decently assignment-wise but there was just something about the defense and the player that I was going against and I just didn't have a good game statistically -- it was against the Cleveland Browns and Dimitri Patterson.

"I'll never forget it because I didn't have a catch that game, and I'll remember Dimitri Patterson for the rest of my life because of the fact that he held me to zero catches."

The fact that a bad game is still on Baldwin's mind despite plenty of positive personal moments speaks to his competitiveness. That attribute was evident on a few occasions, including the end of Seattle's Week 9 loss to the Cowboys. With 23 seconds remaining and the Seahawks trailing by 10 points, Baldwin leapt over the back of a Dallas defender and appeared to simultaneously catch an underthrown pass from Tarvaris Jackson. When officials ruled it an interception, ending any chance of a Seahawks comeback, an irate Baldwin vehemently argued to no avail. Winning seems to matter a great deal to him.

Baldwin caught 51 passes for 788 yards and four touchdowns last season, becoming the first undrafted rookie to lead his team in receiving since the AFL-NFL merger. That loss to the Browns was the only game in which he was held without a catch (he actually caught a pass, but the 10-yard gain was negated because he was flagged for offensive pass interference).

Baldwin credited the entire Browns defense -- not just Patterson -- for the degree to which they were prepared for the Seahawks. Cleveland won the game, 6-3, and held Seattle to 137 yards of total offense.

"I was very impressed, and that only motivates me more to do better," Baldwin said.

Related: Doug Baldwin hoping to build off breakout '11

Friday, May 18, 2012 @ 3:13pm

New offseason rules have long-term benefits for players

The NFL's new collective bargaining agreement included a significant reduction in offseason programs, a change that was designed to curb injuries by reducing wear and tear on players' bodies.

Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson sees another long-term benefit: players will be better prepared for life after football.

"I think it's awesome. I think it gives guys time to focus on something other than football," Robinson told "Bob and Groz" this week. "You look at things that have happened with retired players and things like that. We talk about it all the time, you just can't make football your life.

"At some point everybody's going to get cut. At some point everybody's going to have to give this game up. And you don't want -- when football [ends] -- you don't want to feel like your life has been ended. You want to have something that you're still passionate about."

Bob Stelton and Dave Grosby share their thoughts on that topic in the video below.

Listen: Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson on "Bob and Groz"

You can download Friday's podcast here.

Friday, May 18, 2012 @ 1:34pm

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 @ 2:51pm

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."