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COPYRIGHT 2001 Sporting News Publishing Co.
Last season, they were the Sprint and MCI of the NFL. No team provided opponents with long-distance service as easy to use as the Seahawks and Broncos, who were rang up for 6.3 and 5.8 yards per play, respectively.
Instead of waiting for young talent to develop, both teams have sought the quick fix. Seattle G.M./coach Mike Holmgren and Denver coach Mike Shanahan dived into a shallow freeagent pool. It will be only a matter time before each realizes how refreshing the dip actually was. To date, the two teams have combined to sign 12 new defensive players, and more are likely to come after the June 1 leaguewide roster purge.
The following is a look into each organization's moves, how the new additions fit into the team's plans and what can be expected of each rebuilt defense.
Seahawks. When he took over the Seahawks, Holmgren insisted his new team would be built the old-fashioned way--through the draft. After two full seasons and watching hundreds of missed tackles, Holmgren has reversed field faster than his team's cutback specialist, Ricky Watters. Although Holmgren is hedging on an earlier promise, he had little choice in the win-or-else NFL.
Holmgren took the initiative to bring in capable leaders. Holmgren knows what he wants, and that's more people like Brett Favre and Reggie White--guys who lead by example, not just with their statistics. Desperate for better chemistry and catalysts, the Seahawks attacked free agency with more passion than they did any opponent last season.
The most substantial addition, at least in terms of leadership, is former Vikings defensive lineman John Randle. The secret hope inside the organization is that Randle's on-field energy will...
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