| | By John Clayton
ESPN.com
SEATTLE -- Mike Holmgren pleased Seahawks fans, to a degree, by taking the franchise to the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. But he didn't please himself.
|  | | Starting quarterback Jon Kitna is one of the holdovers from last season's playoff team. |
Holmgren made the playoffs with Dennis Erickson's players. As it turned out, it might have been the unhappiest team in the playoffs. The Seahawks lost six of their last seven games, including a 20-17 playoff loss to the Dolphins in the Kingdome finale. On offense and defense, they ranked among the nine worst teams in football.
Instead of popping champagne, Holmgren uncorked a major roster bloodletting. He traded receiver Joey Galloway and cut receiver Mike Pritchard. He sacked the right side of the offensive line, lost defensive line starters Sam Adams and Phillip Daniels. He cut safety Darryl Williams and traded backup halfback Ahman Green, who had fumbling problems.
"I'm not surprised by the changes at all," halfback Ricky Watters said. "He's a new coach, and it's a coach who knows what he's doing. He knows how to win. He saw what he wanted to see last year, and he understood where he wanted to go with this team.
"Actually, I thought there would be more changes."
Everybody seems happier, but happiness may not translate in the win or loss column. Their 9-7 playoff season earned the Seahawks a first-place schedule. After a 28-16 exhibition victory over Indianapolis Saturday night, Holmgren said he likes his starters and worries about his depth.
"We can't withstand too many injuries," said Holmgren, who's already lost cornerback Fred Vinson and linebacker DeShone Myles for the season and guard Robbie Tobeck for half a year.
Holmgren vows the Seahawks will be better even though some are saying the team could fall from first to worst in the AFC West. Listening to the players, though, they say their trip to the playoffs last season was almost nightmarish.
"I would say that was a fair assessment," Pro Bowl linebacker Chad Brown said. "Every player has a picture in their head of what they do best and how they should be used. The Green Bay move to Seattle was tough. Guys were playing out of position. It made for a rough year, an unhappy experience. This is the happiest I've seen everything."
The smiles are coming from the presence of two new coordinators -- Steve Sidwell on defense and Gil Haskell on offense. Sidwell thrives on putting 300-pounders on the defensive line and then aggressively turning loose fast linebackers and quick cornerbacks. Haskell is a master of the West Coast offense who works well with Holmgren.
Simply put, Holmgren didn't like some of the players on last year's team.
|
“ |
I
don't have to deal with players who don't want to
be here. I don't want selfish people who are
playing here just for money. I also don't want
players who are paid too much money who can't
play. ” |
|
|
— Mike Holmgren, Seahawks head coach |
"I don't have to deal with players who don't want to be here," Holmgren said, possibly referring to Galloway, who held out in a bitter contract dispute. "I don't want selfish people who are playing here just for money. I also don't want players who are paid too much money who can't play."
Citing salary cap reasons, Holmgren wanted to clean up what he thought was a bloated payroll for its achievements and go young.
"The only real changes will be at right guard (Floyd Wedderburn replacing Brian Habib) and right tackle (Todd Weiner or holdout first-rounder Chris McIntosh replacing Grant Williams), and we will be better than last year," Holmgren said. "I don't care how young those guys are, we will be better. The wide receivers are almost the same and will be better. The running back situation (adding first-rounder Shaun Alexander and keeping Ricky Watters) is better. Quarterback Jon Kitna should be better. Defensively, Sidwell makes us better, and Reggie Tongue (free safety) makes the secondary better."
Kitna went as far as to say that he is stunned how talented the team is. Outsiders are surprised to hear a comment such as that.
"I look around and say, my goodness, we have a lot of talent," Kitna said. "He's got players coming in here buying into what coach Holmgren is trying to say. I'm a big believer that chemistry and cohesion go further than talent."
Still, young talent has growing pains. Talented receiver Darrell Jackson, a third-rounder challenging for a possible starting job, dropped a first-half pass he could have turned into a touchdown against the Colts. In the second half, Jackson caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Glenn Foley.
Promising defensive tackle Antonio Cochran, himself fighting for a starting job, was neutralized by double-team blocking during a 17-play, 94-yard second-quarter Colts drive. Cochran came back in the second half to set up a score by overpowering Colts rookie guard Joel Davis, sacking the quarterback and forcing a fumble.
Alexander, making sharp cuts that avoided tacklers, scored two touchdowns on runs.
"Maybe I'm naive, but I see everything pulling together in the right direction and everybody knowing who is in charge," Kitna said.
No doubt, this is Holmgren's team. Even he is having some fun with it.
"I think he's much more reserved than in past years," Watters said. "He's saying some things here and there, but that's what coaches do. He's been fun. He even put on a bandana during one of our meetings. I think he's more comfortable with his team."
However, Holmgren wasn't comfortable enough to wear the bandana to the preseason home opener at Husky Stadium.
John Clayton is the senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
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