Seattle Seahawks 2004 schedule | 2003 results | 2003 stats More Teams 49ers Bears Bengals Bills Broncos Browns Buccaneers Cardinals Chargers Chiefs Colts Cowboys Dolphins Eagles Falcons Giants Jaguars Jets Lions Packers Panthers Patriots Raiders Rams Ravens Redskins Saints Seahawks Steelers Texans Titans Vikings

Shaun Alexander Otto Greule Jr. /Getty Projected starting lineup Offense No. Player Pos. 82 Darrell Jackson WR 71 Walter Jones LT 76 Steve Hutchinson LG 61 Robbie Tobeck C 62 Chris Gray RG 72 Chris Terry RT 88 Itula Mili TE 81 Koren Robinson WR 8 Matt Hasselbeck QB 37 Shaun Alexander RB 38 Mack Strong FB 3 Josh Brown K Defense No. Player Pos. 56 Chike Okeafor LE 98 Cedric Woodard LT 95 Rashad Moore RT 96 Grant Wistrom RE 94 Chad Brown LLB 50 Solomon Bates MLB 51 Anthony Simmons RLB 25 Bobby Taylor LCB 23 Marcus Trufant RCB 28 Michael Boulware SS 26 Ken Hamlin FS 16 Tom Rouen P 2004 Draft Rd. Player Pos. School 1 Marcus Tubbs DT Texas 2 Michael Boulware SS Florida State 3 Sean Locklear OL NC State 4 Niko Koutouvides LB Purdue 5 D.J. Hackett WR Colorado 6 Craig Terrill DT Purdue 7 Donnie Jones P LSU Outside the Huddle Mr. Dependable Despite almost annual plans to go in another direction, the team keeps plugging veteran offensive lineman Chris Gray back into the starting lineup. Gray has started the Seahawks' last 74 regular-season games, more than any player on the team. He has played center and both guard positions during that time. Jack on track A flurry of dropped passes briefly shook Darrell Jackson's confidence last season, but he finished strong and the team rewarded him with a lucrative long-term deal. The more people remind him of those eight drops in three games, the more determined Jackson seems to prove his doubters wrong. Jackson has more catches for more yards and more touchdowns than any other receiver drafted in 2000. Alexander for six Shaun Alexander ranks third on the Seahawks' all-time touchdown list after only four seasons. His 52 scores trail only Steve Largent (101) and Curt Warner (62) in team annals. Alexander has at least 20 more rushing touchdowns than any running back in his draft class, including Jamal Lewis. It's about time The selection of Marcus Tubbs marked the first time since 1994 (Sam Adams) that Seattle used a first-round draft choice for a defensive tackle. 2003 Revisited The Prophecy: "[Mike] Holmgren finally has the offense he needs to win, led by an emerging quarterback and a dynamic fleet of receivers." The Lie: "[Linebacker] Anthony Simmons is the undisputed leader of this group after signing a $24 million contract." --Athlon Sports Pro Football 2003

Head coach Mike Holmgren is conservative by nature, but his Seahawks will roll the dice with a young defense in 2004. Gone are the days when the coach known for offensive acumen plugged that "other" side of the football with aging warriors such as John Randle or Levon Kirkland.

"You get young guys going 100 miles an hour, guys who are willing to be coached, and that's a pretty good situation," says Holmgren. "Then, hopefully, we can score some points."

The league's sixth-ranked offense returns intact. It's the freshly overhauled defense that must step up in Ray Rhodes' second season as coordinator. A No. 19 ranking (14th run, 27th pass) was enough to win 10 games and earn a playoff spot last season, but not enough to satisfy Rhodes.

"I am one of those guys that wants everything fixed right now," says Rhodes. "What we accomplished last year is not enough for me. It didn't do anything but basically piss me off."

Matt Hasselbeck's first full season as an NFL starter ended with his appearance in the Pro Bowl. He set a franchise record for passing yards in a season while ranking among the league's top-rated passers. There is every reason to expect another outstanding season from Seattle's 28-year-old starter. Hasselbeck now has the experience to go with his trademark confidence. Teammates respond to his leadership; they loved his brash comments after the overtime coin toss at Green Bay in January ("We'll take the ball and we're gonna score.").

As much as the Seahawks love playing for Hasselbeck, there's no drop-off when backup Trent Dilfer comes into the game. Dilfer is the most respected player on the team, a former Super Bowl champion whose courage through personal trials has made him a revered figure.

Shaun Alexander is entering the final year of his contract. That's a scary thought given the way Seattle's former No. 1 draft choice has responded to various incentives in the past. After topping out just shy of 1,500 yards last season, Alexander should finally surpass that milestone in what could be his final year in Seattle.

The team has gone into past seasons with designs on using Alexander more in the passing game. That hasn't happened. Alexander, with 44 rushing touchdowns during the last three seasons, should remain what he has always been: a productive runner who takes his game to another level in the red zone.

Fullback Mack Strong will likely remain Alexander's underrated blocker.

Darrell Jackson established himself as the leader of a solid three-man rotation.

The big question this year is whether Koren Robinson can rebound from a disappointing season. He has more raw ability than some of the best receivers in franchise history -- Hall of Famer Steve Largent among them -- but Robinson has yet to make himself into an elite player. He needs to take that next step for the offense to realize its potential.

Jackson seems to have overcome the rocky three-game stretch that defined his 2003 season. He remains a big-play threat with deceptive speed. Bobby Engram returns as one of the league's most dangerous third-down receivers. Alex Bannister has yet to crack the top three, and now he'll have competition from rookie D.J. Hackett.

At tight end, former first-round pick Jerramy Stevens has so far served no useful purpose beyond inspiring starter Itula Mili. While the selection of Stevens in 2002 lit a fire under Mili, the team still hopes Stevens can prove he wasn't a colossal bust.

The chronic inability to re-sign Pro Bowl left tackle Walter Jones might be the only concern up front. It's a minor concern at that. Jones still has the talent to play at a high level even after skipping training camp. Plus, the money he earns as the team's franchise player is enough to prevent him from holding out into the season.

Jones and left guard Steve Hutchinson played in the Pro Bowl after last season. There might not be a better left side in the game.

Robbie Tobeck is coming off his best season at center. Chris Gray, Floyd Womack and rookie Sean Locklear give new line coach Bill Laveroni viable options at right guard, while right tackle Chris Terry has played well despite a history of off-field troubles.

Rhodes and line coach Dwaine Board deserve credit for turning unheralded tackles Cedric Woodard and Rashad Moore into effective starters. The line will only improve now that tireless veteran Grant Wistrom and first-round draft choice Marcus Tubbs have joined the mix.

The front four lacks a truly dominant player at any position. The line will succeed only by outhustling opponents. Wistrom and fellow end Chike Okeafor can't do it all. Seattle needs 2003 slackers Antonio Cochran and Rocky Bernard to produce. Rhodes will employ every tactic short of blackmail to make sure that happens.

Wistrom becomes the new starter at right end, meaning Okeafor will move to the left side. Those two should combine for 15-plus sacks. Whether or not Tubbs starts as a rookie, he'll contribute as part of the core rotation at tackle. Early indications are that Tubbs will respond favorably to the coaching of Rhodes and Board.

The Seahawks went another offseason without identifying a clear answer to their nagging void at middle linebacker. Second-year pro Solomon Bates, rookie Niko Koutouvides and injury-prone Orlando Huff are the leading candidates to start unless the team finds another veteran stopgap in free agency.

Former starter Randall Godfrey signed with San Diego. Outside linebacker Anthony Simmons was a disappointment in his first year after signing a $24 million contract. He feuded with position coach John Marshall and proved he's too selfish to become a leader. The team now must hope Simmons' considerable talents make the financial investment tolerable.

The Seahawks need 34-year-old Chad Brown to shake off the foot injury that made him an average outside linebacker for much of last season. If the foot remains too painful for Brown to practice consistently, he'll probably never approach Pro Bowl status again.

The biggest roll of the dice on defense comes in the secondary. Second-round pick Michael Boulware played linebacker at Florida State, but Rhodes is convinced he will make an outstanding strong safety. Numerous players have made the transition in the past, and Boulware's 4.4-second speed will help. That said, there's risk plugging a rookie into a starting position, particularly one Boulware has never played. Alternatives include slow-footed but dependable veteran Damien Robinson, or Terreal Bierria. The rest of the secondary should be solid. Bobby Taylor is more than adequate as a replacement for injury-prone former starter Shawn Springs. Corner Marcus Trufant and free safety Ken Hamlin flashed Pro Bowl potential as rookie starters; both should only improve.

Punter Tom Rouen and kicker Josh Brown were better than expected. Rouen made an unlikely transition from power to placement punter. The team thanked him by drafting LSU punter Donnie Jones, who should push Rouen for the job.

Receiver Alex Bannister is coming off a Pro Bowl season on the coverage teams, while the reliable J.P. Darche ranks among the top half-dozen snappers in the league. Engram remains a sure-handed punt returner. The kick-return game could use some new blood, but there's no clear favorite to displace Maurice Morris.

The Seahawks are a playoff-caliber team coming off their first 10-win season since 1986. The pieces are in place to push the Rams for supremacy in the NFC West.

Questions remain on defense, but the changes should bring renewed energy to that side of the ball. That's something the defense has needed in recent years.

The offense should again rank among the NFL's top 10. Hasselbeck, Alexander, Jones, Hutchinson, Jackson and Robinson possess Pro Bowl potential. And each has been in Holmgren's system for at least three years, about the time it takes to get over the top.

The defense, having already made gains under Rhodes, should move into the top 15 for the first time in memory. And that should be enough to push Seattle beyond the first round of the playoffs

• Click here for a complete list of 2004 Team Previews from Athlon

To Purchase the 2004 NFL Preview from Athlon Sports, click here.