Ben Obomanu
Seahawks Release Ben Obomanu
In a move that should surprise no one, the Seattle Seahawks today released wide receiver Ben Obomanu. Obomanu was due $2.3 million this season, and was going to be the teams #5 (at best) on the depth chart at wide receiver. His release saves the team $2.3 million against cap as well.
Much of Obomanu’s value in the past came from his work on special teams, but that is no longer the problem it once was. The last couple seasons has seen a great improvement in the talent on special teams, and there was no drop off in play quality when Obomanu was placed on injured reserve last season.
Cutting Obomanu does not necessarily mean that the Seahawks will sign anyone else. They are already well over the cap, and are living on the cap space the rolled over from last season. To make sure they don’t face a major cap crunch a year from now, they’ll need to once again roll over some cap space in 2014.
That also doesn’t mean the Seahawks are done. I expect them to add a 3-technique defensive tackel in the coming days. Most likely that’ll be re-signing Alan Branch on a very team friendly deal.
Dec 12, 2011; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin (15) leaps over wide receiver Ben Obomanu (87) while running with the ball during the 2nd half against the St. Louis Rams at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated St. Louis 30-13. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Tags: Ben Obomanu, featured, football, nfl, ppular, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks
Posted in: Seahawks | No Comments »
Ben Obomanu Placed on IR; Kearse Signed
The Seattle Seahawks have lost wide receiver Ben Obomanu for the remainder of the season to a wrist injury. Obomanu was injured in the Sunday’s game vs the Lions and saw a specialists yesterday.
Dec 12, 2011; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin (15) hurdles receiver Ben Obomanu (87) and St. Louis Rams cornerback Rod Hood (26) at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks defeated the Rams 30-13. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE
Jermaine Kearse is a name that many in Seattle will recognize. The University of Washington product was signed by the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent before training camp, and then landed on the Seahawks Practice squad.
This is a tough loss for the Seahawks, who are already thin at WR. Obomanu was the only player on the roster who played all 3 receiver positions, and was also the most consistent blocker of all the receivers on the roster. It was Obomanu’s blocking in the secondary help spring Marshawn Lynch for his 77 yard TD run last Sunday.
Kearse is a interesting choice for the Seahawks. He certainly didn’t stand out in training camp or the preseason, and had trouble getting open even against 3rd and 4th string corners. Kearse does know the offense though, so that might be the motivation for promoting Kearse at this point, rather than finding a more talented player.
This certainly will add to the pressure for the Seahawks to acquire a WR soon, either by trade or by signing one of the free agents out there.
Tags: Ben Obomanu, featured, football, nfl, Popular, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks
Posted in: Seahawks | No Comments »
Training Camp Report
Hello 12th man! I’m pleased to report the Hawks are alive, well and totally awesome!
I know there’s been a lot of talk about the quarterback controversy from the local media. After watching this morning’s practice I think the only controversy is how to play Flynn, Tjack and Wilson in every game. They are all that good. I only saw one ball intercepted today, thrown by TJack. The throw was great, but he waited too long and Earl Thomas got under it. I also saw Tjack throw multiple long, tight spirals that made me want to weep, they were that beautiful. Flynn looks fluid, and quick. He also has a beautiful spiral and looks to be working well in the system. Wilson looked surprisingly comfortable and contrary to other reports I’ve read, is able to roll out of the pocket with no sign of panic and gets the ball down field! He threw a beautiful touchdown pass to Golden in the very corner of the end-zone. It was awesome!
I also saw quite a bit of Portis and was especially pleased to see him throwing some nice out routes to Rice on the far practice field. Rice himself looked strong, not only running long routes, but tossing the ball back to Portis. I think the Seahawks are right to be cautious with him, but I think his shoulders are well rehabbed.
Sherman again stood out with his speed off the line and his presence in drills and practice snaps.
Saw Braylon Edwards catch an extremely athletic, over-the-back catch in which he was fully arched backwards in the air and came down totally vertical with feet in bounds looking sharp! Dude is impressive.
Also impressed by Kregg Lumpkin who is sporting Forsett’s former #20. Good size and quick off the line. Marshawn looks strong and capable, running upright and smooth through the opposing defense. At one point he put his arm out like he was going to do a stiff arm but pulled it back at the last minute. He’s ready!
Tate, Lockette and Obomanu also looking good running routes for the QB’s in early drills. I’m very optimistic about our wide receiver corps even if we don’t have the stand out, no-brainer wide receiver everyone thinks we should have.
What we do have is a team. And instead of relying on “this one guy”, Pete and John have built a team of possibilities and depth. Knock one guy out; the next one is just as capable.
I can’t wait for this season!
Tags: Ben Obomanu, featured, football, Golden Tate, josh portis, Kregg Lumpkin, Marshawn Lynch, matt flynn, nfl, Ricardo Lockette, Richard Sherman, Russell Wilson, Seahawks, Sydney Rice, Tavaris Jackson
Posted in: Seahawks | No Comments »
Fisticuffs In Seahawks Practice
It's not wise to mess with Earl Thomas, even in practice. Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE
visit site to read more]
Tags: Ben Obomanu, doug baldwin, Earl Thomas, featured, football, nfl, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks
Posted in: Seahawks | No Comments »
Seahawk’s Greatest Late Round Picks
How soon until Kam Chancellor belongs on this list? Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE
visit site to read more]
Tags: Ben Obomanu, featured, football, Kam Chancellor, kj wright, nfl, Popular, Richard Sherman, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks
Posted in: Seahawks | No Comments »
Seahawks Roster Analysis: Receivers
Doug Baldwin flew above all expectations in 2011 Credit: Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE
visit site to read more]
Tags: Ben Obomanu, Deon Butler, doug baldwin, featured, football, Golden Tate, kris durham, Mike Williams, nfl, Popular, Ricardo Lockette, Roster Moves, Seahawks, Sydney Rice
Posted in: Seahawks | No Comments »
Is Baldwin Already The #2 Receiver
Before week 1′s game against the 49ers, I made what I thought was a fairly bold prediction that undrafted rookie Doug Baldwin would take over as the team’s #3 receiver and would take the place of Ben Obomanu. At the time, I actually thought that Baldwin would make Obomanu expendable, and that this end up being his last season as a Seahawk.
Well, it didn’t take very long for that to happen. In week 3, Baldwin was on the field for for almost 3 times as many snaps as Obomanu, so it’s clear that Baldwin is already #3 on the depth chart. The thing is, it might not be Obomanu that becomes expendable after this season. Mike Williams might be the guy who ends up unemployed. … [visit site to read more]
Tags: Ben Obomanu, doug baldwin, football, nfl, Popular, Previews, Roster Moves, Seahawks
Posted in: Seahawks | No Comments »
Seahawks Score Low in Week 2
Jackson's conservative play will not be enough for him to keep the job all season.
There’s really nothing nice to say about this entire game. It was first time the Hawks have been shutout since 2007, which happened to be in Pittsburg. I would have rather spent the day getting a pedicure with my grandma. Wait. That’s not bad enough… how about giving my grandma a pedicure? Ya. That about sums it up.
Offensive Line Grade: F
I refuse to give this line a passing grade until they can muster over 50 yards rushing in a game. The fact is that they have barely managed that number the past 2 games gaining only 53 yards as a team. Watching Marshawn Lynch hit the line of scrimmage reminded me of a line from a great comedian.
“I like tennis, but I will never be as good as the wall.” –Mitch Hedburg
It’s not so funny now.
At times the pass protection wasn’t terrible, but it was still pretty bad. The fact is that it’s just a young line and will struggle this year. I imagine the coaching staff knew what they were getting into and would label this line a work-in-progress. Fans, on the other hand, are losing patience quickly. My opinion is that we are just going to have to wait to see as the dice are still up in the air for all the O-line guys but 1. This sure does blow if you have season tickets though, especially in the preseason. Anybody need a pair to Arizona? … [visit site to read more]
Tags: Aaron Curry, bad, Ben Obomanu, defense, fail, football, grades, Mike Williams, NFC, NFC West, nfl, offense, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks, tarvaris jackson
Posted in: Seahawks | No Comments »
Bad Injury News For the Seahawks
The Seahawks received two pieces of bad news on the injury front today.
- The groin injury that (apparently) has been slowing down Robert Gallery will require surgery. He’s expected to be out for 6 weeks. At least we know who he played so … [visit site to read more]
Tags: Ben Obomanu, football, nfl, robert gallery, Seahawks, Sydney Rice
Posted in: Seahawks | No Comments »
Was That Pass Interference on Ben Obomanu?
It was hard telling through binnoculars, but on the replay it looked bad. I would be the first to admit that objectiveity sometimes becomes irrelevant during the heat of the moment, and this game was a super nova. Just wondering what everybody else thought about that play.
And just for the record, I have heard many fans complain about his key drop in the 4th qrt. This was a clutch catch that could have costed the Hawks the game. I would like to point out the fact that Obomanu seperated his shoulder, had it put back in place, and finished the game.
It was a big drop. I will grant you that, however, you can’t fault the moxxy of the guy. In the end, and after the win, I say we give him that one. He has outperformed expectations all season long and I highly doubt that it will ever happen again in such a crucial moment.
Obo-Wan-Kenobi remains a jedi in my book.
Tags: Ben Obomanu, drop, football, nfl, Opinion, Pass interference, playoffs, Seahawks, seperated shoulder, wide receiver
Posted in: Seahawks | No Comments »
Still Waiting for Carlson and The Beast
Everybody has shown flashes of it: Mike Williams, Ben Obomanu, Matt Hasselbeck, Justin Forsett, Deon Butler, but two guys that seem to be missing are Carlson and Lynch.
Carlson has had only 2 games with at least 5 catches. In fact he only has 25 receptions so far and a meager 254 total yard. The most troubling stat is 1 touchdown. That touchdown needs a friend just like John Carlson does right now.
I have to be careful because I do like the guy, and keeping up with Williams, Butler, and Obomanu can be tough, but as of the last few years, he really has been about average at best. I associate him with more drops than the occasional big play.
He’s not the go-to-guy you’d like him to be, but you still like having him on the team. I wanted John Carlson to be a leader, but he is not. He’s a great guy and a tight-end who still has to live up to his potential. Can he get there by the end of this season? I hope so for his sake. Pete Carroll has shown that he’s not afraid to replace a guy who is better than what he’s got, and there are a lot of tight ends better than Carlson out there.
Marshawn Lynch is a different story. His carries have diminished and he had an absolute meltdown against New Orleans, however, he runs harder than any Seahawk back in recent memory. He consistently has been turning what are sure to be 5 yard losses into 1 yard gains. He moves piles of men from the center for yards at a time.
He’s the guy that I point to when people don’t understand what it was I didn’t like about Alexander.
Marshawn runs angry with a blatant disregard for anything but moving forward. He doesn’t run hard close to the end zone or for a big game, he runs hard on every play, every down. Every time he touches the ball, he runs as though it were his last. Beast Mode.
Unfortunately the Beast has been shackled by his own offensive line. I cannot wait to see what Lynch can do beyond the line of scrimmage for a change. But he sure looks great in the back field.
Good luck to both Carlson and Lynch in Sunday’s home match up with former AFC West rival, Kansas City Chiefs. This is absolutely a winnable game for Seattle. It sure would be nice to see Lynch have a day, I feel, he deserves. I am predicting 103 and 1 td. Go Hawks
Tags: Ben Obomanu, football, John Carlson, Kansas City Chiefs, Marshawn Lynch, Matt Hasselbeck, Mike Williams, nfl, Rushing, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks, Tight End
Posted in: Seahawks | No Comments »
Despite the Score, Seahawks Showing Singns of Improvement under Carroll
Despite what looks to be a lopsided victory, the Seahawks offense had a great outing against one of the premiere defensive units in the league.Hasselbeck quieted his critics for the second week in a row throwing for more than 360 yards with a qb rating of 104.9. Mike Williams looked great until suffering an injury. Williams still finished with 6 catches totaling over a hundred yards. Obomanu continued to impress collecting 87 yards and 1 td. Obomanu made a great leaping catch that demonstrates just how truly far this seventh round draft choice has come.
Unfortunately absent was the running game… again. Marshawn Lynch looked to come on strong early, but fell victim to 2 dropped passes, one of which may have been big, and worst of all 2 fumbles. This was hard to take. Especially when one capped a 9 play drive.
The Defense was hard to take. The Saints went 11-15 on 3rd down. Most of which seemed like they were right up the middle. It should be noted that Trufant went down early with a head injury. His replacement W. Thurmond III got burned more times than there are guys he’s been named after. Although, sometimes Thurmond has been known to make really amazing plays, you are first defined by the number of mistakes you make. Nobody notices the great plays until you eliminate the bad ones.
Chris Ivory seemed to have his way with the Seahawks early in the game. He looked like a glacier at times, slowly churning the defense only to pop out and gain another 5-15 yards. I believe it was stated that Ivory was leading all rookie running backs and was an undrafted free agent. Had he dropped the ball twice in the game, I might have compared his style to Lynch’s.
Don’t get too discouraged. Remember how young this team really is and how much roster change has taken place. The offense looked absolutely amazing at times. Cranking out one big play after another. Although penalties, turnovers, and an inability to finish drives in the endzone still haunt the Seahawks offense, they look to be getting better. Players look more confident in their understanding of the offense and ability to make plays.
The Seahawks didn’t look terrible today. Well, the defense looked pretty bad. But remember, the Saints have one of the most high octane offenses in the NFL. Brees is a HOF, record setting machine. It is what it is. However, had the Seahawks been able to finish off drives in the endzone and perhaps avoid a few penalties, this would have been a different game.
Pete Carroll still has a ways to go, but the effect of his presence is beginning to take hold of this team and fans across the North West. He is starting to shake the dust off a team who has been in a downward spiral since the announcement of Mike Holmgren’s replacement by he who shall not be named. It seems to me that Pete has a recipe people are starting to believe in. His ingredients are starting to simmer and show signs of improvement. I don’t think the Saints game was a s terrible as the score might seem. There were some really great moments in this game. Which ones jump out at you?
Tags: 3rd down conversion, Ben Obomanu, Drew Brees, football, John Carlson, Justin Forsett, Marshawn Lynch, Matt Hasselbeck, Mike Williams, New Orleans Saints, nfl, offense, passing, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks
Posted in: Seahawks | No Comments »
Seahawks: Terrell Owens to Seattle? Not So Fast
Last week, I posted a short piece about Houshmandzadeh’s feelings towards bringing Terrell Owens in Seattle. According to T.J., acquiring Owens wouldn’t be such a bad thing:
“I have no problem with it whatsoever. You know, it’s the NFL. [They're] gonna bring guys in and if they feel like T.O. can help us, bring him in. I’m sure he can help us.”
But of course, T.J. has been wrong before. In fact, he was wrong about another wide receiver – at least, so far – in the same radio interview.
The Seattle Seahawks parted ways with wide receiver Mike Jones last week, who was praised by Houshmandzadeh for his efforts during offseason minicamps and OTAs.
“Nobody even knows who a guy like Mike Jones is, but I think he’s done well, in my opinion,” Houshmandzadeh said last week. “And in the OTAs and camps everybody’s nobody until you get a chance to show that you’re somebody, you know? And so, if a guy can get an opportunity to say, ‘Okay, I’m gonna give Obo, Ben Obomanu, a chance to play,’ either you’re going to sink or swim. And if you swim, you got something there. And if he doesn’t, okay, let’s try the next guy and somebody’s gonna swim and make a name for them self. That’s what the NFL is about. You wouldn’t even know who a Tom Brady, Wes Welker, you wouldn’t even know these guys had they not got that opportunity. And so it’s just a matter of how you take advantage of it.”
Of course, I can say I disagree with everything Houshmandzadeh said. Actually, I agree with most of it. As a former seventh-round draft pick, T.J. knows about making the most of every opportunity in the National Football League.
But comparing Mike Jones’ situation to Wes Welker’s development may be a stretch.
This isn’t the first time Houshmandzadeh has been wrong in predicting the success of himself or teammates.
About a year ago, T.J. boldly predicted that he and Matt Hasselbeck would have a very productive year together in 2009:
“I just want to let everyone know that Matt Hasselbeck and I will be leading the Seahawks to the playoffs this season. And we’ll be going to the Pro Bowl as a tandem. We’re both goign to have top five seasons: He’ll have a top five quarterback season, and I’ll have a top five receiving season. I’ll put up stats I’ve never had before yardswise because they’re allowing me to be a complete receiver.”
Recently, T.J. maintained his confidence and forecasted a 100-catch season in 2010, despite a disappointing first season in Seattle:
“I think 100 catches, to me, should be the minimum I get this year just because of the offense we’re in.”
T.J. Houshmandzadeh is a good receiver in the NFL, and I love his confidence. But sometimes he gets ahead of himself when attempting to put his self-confidence into words.
So before we assume a vote of confidence for Terrell Owens from T.J. Houshmandzadeh makes the potential acquisition fool-proof, remember that Housh has a history of getting things wrong. Maybe he is right about Owens, but he sure wasn’t about Jones (not yet, anyway).
Shaun Dolence: dolencesm@gmail.com
Follow 12th Man Rising
Tags: Ben Obomanu, football, Matt Hasselbeck, Mike Jones, National Football League, nfl, Pete Carroll, Pro Bowl, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Terrell Owens, Wes Welker, wide receiver
Posted in: Seahawks | No Comments »