MVN - Most Valuable Network

Defensive Leader Locked Up For Life

The headline of this post could look pretty ominous if you were, say, a Bengals or Falcons fan. However, for the Seahawks, it takes on a totally different meaning. Lofa Tatupu, three time Pro Bowler, signed a contract extension yesterday that will essentially make him a Seahawk for the rest of his career. He is now locked up until the year 2015. Yesterday signified a landmark day in Seahawk history. As Lofa himself put it, “It isn’t just Good Friday. It is great Friday.”

While Lofa was technically under contract for two more years, the common perception was that his final year would have voided, making him an unrestricted free agent next year. Many Hawk fans groaned and gruffed as the offseason provided very little to get excited about. However, usually this was tempered with the “as long as they have enough room next year to resign Lofa it is OK” talk. Turns out, Seahawk fans didn’t have to wait, the deal got done now.

It isn’t just the fact that this deal got done, but how it got done that is equally important. Four important members of Lofa’s defense, and I phrase it that way because he is the clear leader, restructured their contracts to make it happen. Patrick Kerney, Deon Grant, Jordan Babineaux, and Craig Terrill all went out of their way to make sure their general would be leading them onto the field for the foreseeable future. It is just another fine example of how filling the roster with team first, character guys makes a difference. Kerney and Grant just signed their deals last year, but after only one year with Lofa, well, as Deon Grant put it in a text message “no worries homie.”

Simply put, it isn’t that much of a surprise. They are just following the lead of their captain. Lofa says things like “winning is more important to me… If it costs a couple of bucks, whatever, I am going to be more than taken care of.” Obviously he meant it. Maybe Marcus Trufant should take note. He too would be wise to follow Lofa’s lead. Marcus is a hometown kid made good, it would be a shame for him leave for the chance to make “a couple of bucks.”

Recently, at my primary website, Seahawkaddicts.com, I created a table of every Tim Ruskell transaction since he joined on with the Seahawks. Drafting Lofa Tatupu was the one move that earned the highest positive rating. Only one move was worthy of the highest designation, Lofa, and one for the lowest negative, Hutch. Tim Ruskell was probably the only one who knew how good he would be. Lofa has made Ruskell look awfully smart, and he proved all the critics who blasted the move on draft day wrong. As Ruskell states. “Lofa is a cornerstone of this team.” Between Tatupu and Hasselbeck, this team has a pair of leaders poised to make this a championship franchise.

This thought hasn’t escaped Lofa either. After getting his first big money contract he said, “now I need to get some jewelry, some rings for my fingers.” Seeing how this team has come together to take care of their own, the idea doesn’t seem so far fetched.

 

Michael Steffes writes primarily for Seahawks fan site, Seahawkaddicts.com. If you are interested in up to the minute news and analysis please visit the site and read more of Michael’s work.

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 22nd, 2008 at 2:09 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.