Sidney Rice is not expected to be cleared for contact for most of the Preseason. It’s mostly precautionary and he should be out there week 1, but it’s definitely not a good sign. Neither is the fact that they’ve signed Antonio Bryant (eventually cut 10 days later), Braylon Edwards, and Terrell Owens in the last couple weeks.

He’s still got upside in fantasy football, if he can stay healthy, and he’s worth a late round flier, but his current ADP in the 9th round is too high. He’s had 3 concussions and 2 shoulder surgeries in the last calendar year. Meanwhile, while he had 83 catches for 1312 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2009, he’s missed a combined 23 games in his other 4 seasons and never gone over 32 catches, 484 yards, or 4 touchdowns in any of those 4 seasons. He’s almost definitely going to be a fantasy dud this season.

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DT Alan Branch

Largely a bust in the early part of his career in Arizona, as a 2007 2^nd round pick, the Seahawks got the most out of Branch last season, as he ranked as ProFootballFocus’ 5^th rated defensive tackle as primarily a run stuffer. However, while the defensive tackle franchise tag is relatively inexpensive (7.9 million in 2012), it’s unlikely the Seahawks would give it to someone who doesn’t do much in the way of rushing the passer. There is some precedent with that, with the Dolphins giving the tag to Paul Soliai in 2011, but he was a 3-4 nose tackle, not a 4-3 defensive tackle. More likely he’ll have to “settle” for a deal like Brodrick Bunkley’s (5 years, 25 million), a comparable two-down run stuffer in a 4-3.

Likelihood: Somewhat unlikely

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I don’t understand this signing at all. TO is done. We saw it in 2010 and he’s not going to be any better 2 years and a torn ACL later, after a year out of football. In 2010, he did catch 72 passes for 983 yards and 9 touchdowns, but he did that on 132 targets (54.5%) and 10 balls targeted for him ended up getting intercepted. Carson Palmer was just forcing him the football, which is why he led the league in interceptions that year and the Bengals went 4-12. He also dropped 8 passes.

Terrell Owens is one of the greatest receivers of all time, but father time is undefeated. Eventually, everyone is done and, heading into his age 39 season, TO is definitely done. Of the top 30 leading receivers of all time, only 3 others have played into their age 39 season or later: Jerry Rice, Charlie Joiner, Joey Galloway. Only Rice (83/1139/9) was productive in his age 39 season. Joiner caught 34 passes for 440 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Galloway caught 12 passes for 173 yards and didn’t score.

Unless Terrell Owens is secretly his former teammate Rice, he’s not going to have any positive impact this season at age 39. He may rank 2^nd all-time in receiving yards, but he’s 6961 yards back of 1^st place Rice, who is just on a completely different level. He’s actually closer to Mark Clayton and Fred Biletnikoff, who are tied for 51^st place, than he is to Rice.

All he’s going to for the Seahawks is steal reps and snaps from young receivers looking for a chance to prove themselves, guys like Golden Tate, a 2010 2^nd round pick, Kris Durham, a 2011 4^th round pick, and Ricardo Lockette, a talented 2011 undrafted free agent. It’s not like the Seahawks are contending for a Super Bowl or anything this season and even if they were, Owens wouldn’t be much help. On top of that, he could prove to be a locker room cancer as he’s been elsewhere in the NFL (and Arena League), which is not a good thing, especially on a young team with a young quarterback. He might not, like he didn’t in Buffalo, but even then, he’d be no help, especially coming in so close to the season.

This is a move that wreaks of desperation for a team who lacks proven receivers after Sidney Rice, who has yet to be cleared for contact. So far this month, they’ve signed Antonio Bryant (last catch 2009), cut Antonio Bryant, signed Braylon Edwards, and signed TO. I liked the Edwards signing because at age 29, he’s still got some bounce back potential. TO doesn’t. I’m going to say the same thing about this signing that I said about the Ochocinco signing. The best way this can end is if TO gets cut in camp.

Grade: D

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Seahawks’ right tackle James Carpenter tore his ACL last November and predictably will start Training Camp on the active/PUP list when it opens for the Seahawks. After that, he’ll almost definitely be transferred to the reserve/PUP list when the regular season starts, which means he’ll miss at least 6 games. According to ESPN’s John Clayton, Carpenter will likely then be transferred to IR and will not play a snap in 2012.

Clayton cites that the knee injury was really bad and goes on to say that “it hasn’t really had a full time to heal. I think he’s slow in healing. If they get four games out of him they’re lucky.” In his absence, career journeyman Breno Giacomini played alright and he will remain the starting right tackle at least until Carpenter returns, which it doesn’t sound like is going to happen any time soon.

Carpenter struggled mightily as a rookie before his injury, after going 25^th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, but rookies can struggle and still go on to have good careers. Missing his entire 2^nd season, however, does not help at all and could lead to 2013 being a make or break season for him. None of his 2014 salary is guaranteed so they can cut him without penalty after the 2013 season if he doesn’t get his act together. Carpenter looks as close to a bust as any player who is just 1 year removed from being a 1^st round pick can. Carpenter was a surprise pick in the 1^st place and has not validated himself or Pete Carroll for “reaching” for him.

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After getting arrested last week on DUI, Marshawn Lynch, who has 2 prior convictions and a prior 3 game suspension, is facing suspension from the NFL. According to the Sports Xchange’s Len Pasquarelli, the Seahawks are “holding their breath” as the NFL reviews the situation of their recently paid 31 million dollar back (over 3 years). He should get some sort of suspension.

Pasaquarelli also reports that Robert Turbin, a 4^th round rookie, would likely start for the Seahawks if Lynch is suspended. This makes sense because #2 back Leon Washington is purely a change of back/pass catching/return man type of a running back. Turbin, currently 3^rd on the depth chart, has the build and skill set to carry the load. He has definitely fantasy upside, especially as a handcuff for Marshawn Lynch owners.

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Marshawn Lynch was arrested today for drunk driving. This is major news because this is hardly Lynch’s first run in with the law. Lynch was accused of sexual assault in 2007. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to failure to exercise due care to avoid striking a pedestrian during a hit and run with a pedestrian. And in 2009 he was pulled over, and the cops smelled marijuana and found a loaded gun. He was eventually charged with 3 counts, avoided drug related charges, and pled guilty to a single misdemeanor weapons charge. Lynch was suspended for the first 3 games of the 2009 season.

Since then, Lynch had done a great job turning his career and his life around. He was traded from Buffalo to Seattle to get a fresh start and rushed for 1204 yards and 12 touchdowns on 285 carries last year, becoming a fan favorite in the process. This offseason, he earned a 4 year, 31 million dollar deal from the Seahawks, who can’t be happy about the recent news. Now he faces more legal discipline and could be given another suspension from the NFL. It’s painful to see someone be so stupid and risk ruining something so great that it took him so long to get back.

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According to the Seattle Post, none of Mike Williams, Ben Obomanu, and Deon Butler are locks to make the Seahawks’ roster. The report called Doug Baldwin, Golden Tate, and Sidney Rice as the only locks to make the roster, as the trio of Williams, Obomanu, and Butler will have to compete with youngsters Ricardo Lockette and Kris Durham. Durham was a 4^th round pick in 2011 that did nothing as a rookie, while Lockette is an undrafted free agent from that same year that Pete Carroll has spoken highly of. Mike Williams, meanwhile, is owed 3 million this year and questionable for the start of camp as he recovers from broken leg. He seems likely to be one of the odd men out.

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Chris Clemons was one of only a few players to hold out of his team’s mandatory minicamp last month and he was fined for doing so. He did so because he wanted a new contract, as he heads into a contract year, but, even though he has yet to receive one, a Seahawks insider talks Pro Football Weekly that Clemons will be there for the start of Training Camp with or without a new deal.

This might sound a little surprising, but perhaps Clemons has realized that the Seahawks won’t be giving him an extension or he’s decided to put this season ahead of his own financial interests. Since arriving to the Seahawks as a nondescript player before the 2010 season, Clemons has been one of the best defensive ends in the league, Clemons had 24 sacks, 18 quarterback hits, and 97 quarterback pressures over the last 2 seasons.

However, heading into his age 31 season and with no success outside of Seattle’s system, they are not interested in giving Clemons the Cameron Wake money (4 year, 49 million), he’s looking for, especially not after using a 1^st round pick on Bruce Irvin, a similar player and a potential replacement for Clemons long term. Clemons reportedly rejected a 3 year, 18 million dollar offer earlier this offseason.

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