Tis' the Season for this
year's Aros Awards. Now admittedly the first and only Aros Awards was long before
NET was on the Scout network, the entire interface was blue (with white font!)
and the retro jerseys weren't even retro yet. So without further delay, it's
time to get down to it.
SEAHAWK OF THE YEAR: Olindo Mare
Who knew at the start of
2008 that the veteran kicker and Josh Brown replacement would be the most reliable
and clutch player on the team? Mare's stats are better than Josh Brown's this
season and makes President Tim Ruskell's decision to carry an extra kicker -
at the cost of a premium roster spot - look all the more absurd and foolish.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE
YEAR: John Carlson
Carlson has already broken
the franchise record by a tight end for most receptions (51) and yards (601)
with two games to play. Sure he's made rookie mistakes along the way but that
is expected out of any rookie in the much faster-paced NFL. With each game Carlson
showcases the solid play and excellent position skills that will have Seahawks
fans smiling for years to come.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE
YEAR: Marcus Trufant
Every great player has a
game where he plays poorly. Don't let Trufant's game against Miami fool you.
Marcus is playing at a high level coming off his pro bowl season. Teams show
their respect for his talent by how many times they don't throw his way. He'll
miss the trip across the pond in February but that is more a reflection of the
Seahawks poor season than anything Trufant has - or hasn't done - all year.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: John
Carlson
(See: Offensive Player of
the Year.)
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
AWARD: Julius Jones
This award is not a reflection
on Jones' abilities, but more a reflection of the organization bringing Jones
in only to have him largely relegated merely as backup duty for Maurice Morris.
Now giving Morris his due, he's had some fine games for the Seahawks in 2008
but Mike Holmgren's running back by committee approach doesn't seem to be the
best thing for Jones nor the Seahawks.
Julius Jones is a better
running back than Maurice Morris. Like most backs, he needs his reps to get
into the flow of the game. By taking the ball out of his hands except for sprinkled
moments here and there, it's doing nobody any favors and it is just one in a
list of examples that suggest a power play and differences in philosophy in
the front office and coaching staff in 2008.
DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT
YA ON THE WAY OUT AWARD: John Marshall
Perhaps no other person
in the Seahawks organization has a target on their back for a long overdue pink
slip by the fans other than defensive coordinator John Marshall. His inability
to scheme a defense loaded with talent effectively has been a primary reason
for the collective rise in fan's blood pressure over the past two years.
DON'T LET THIS GUY GO
AWARD: (TIE) Leonard Weaver and Leroy Hill
Weaver has done nothing
since taking over for the great Mack Strong other than help fans forget about
Mack Strong. Not that the fans will ever forget Strong and all he meant to this
franchise but he has certainly eased the pain during the transition.
Weaver has become such a
dominant blocker with a penchant for making plays that one almost forgets the
brief period of time he struggled to learn the position. The Seahawks would
be best served to get him signed to a long term contract so there is no need
to worry about using the franchise tag on him.
Leroy Hill has suffered
through some injuries but any diehard Seahawks fan knows this guy's worth. A
vicious hitter and blitzer (when utilized properly), Hill could very well be
- as perennial pro bowlers Peterson and Tatupu insist - the best linebacker
on the team.
Now that's really saying
something.
PLEASE LET THIS GUY GO
AWARD: Courtney Taylor
All talk and no action comes
to mind here. Courtney possesses the over confidence that seems to be a prerequisite
for NFL wideouts these days but little else. While perhaps not a complete waste
of a spot on the practice squad, Taylor may better be served finding a new career.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR
ME LATELY AWARD: (TIE) Brian Russell and Kelly Jennings
Jennings has flat out been
a disappointment since being drafted. Sure he shows flashes of why Ruskell drafted
him but his lack of size - a maddening fetish of Ruskell's for his cornerbacks
- is a detriment pure and simple. Jennings needs to start producing or find
someone who can.
Russell has regressed from
last year. Perhaps he never was that great of a safety from an athletic and
talent perspective but he had the smarts that the team lacked in 2006. He helped
fill a position that was in serious need of overhaul and exceeded in 2007. In
2008 he has been the poster boy for a defense that was supposed to be great,
and instead just a big disappointment.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTING
PLAYER: Lofa Tatupu
From his DUI arrest and
conviction to his injured hand and disappearing act in most games, no other
high profile, talented player on the Seahawks has been more of a disappointment
than Lofa Tatupu. I have a good feeling Lofa will come back in 2009 with a vengeance.
BEST PLAY OF THE YEAR
AWARD: Deion Branch's 63-yard scamper.
Against the Patriots, Deion
Branch looked every bit the player we hoped for when we traded our first round
draft pick. Branch took a short pass by Seneca Wallace and turned it into a
63-yard play - thanks to textbook blocking by Koren Robinson, John Carlson and
others - by far the most exciting play of 2008. On the same drive, Branch finished
with a truly exceptional one-handed grab for a touchdown.
THE TRUE LEADER AWARD:
Seneca Wallace
On the road against the
Rams, the Seahawks - and especially Seneca - were getting pummeled in the first
half. After taking an especially brutal hit, Seneca got up and started screaming
at his teammates, pumping his fists and really letting them have it. He did
it in a way that showed everyone that the sleepwalking was inexcusable and it
was time to wake up. In the second half, the team responded coming back to win
the game.
THE SAD TO SEE YOU GO
AWARD: Mike Holmgren
Nobody wanted to see Mike
Holmgren go out this way. However, not even a lost season will tarnish the history
of Holmgren and what he meant to this franchise. While some fans may be quick
to want new, less conservative blood, most fans will miss this man and what
he brought to this team. I know I will miss him tremendously.