We hear often about the necessity of good drafting and good cap management, but aren't they really two sides of the same coin? And if they are, which came first?
The 2008 Seattle Seahawks: a team in decline. After five straight playoff appearances, peaking with the dreaded second place finish in the 2005 Super Bowl, the team had steadily weakened. As key players like Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselback aged and faltered while others like Steve Hutchinson left for new teams, the Seahawks bottomed out with a crash at 4-12. 2009 was not much better at 5-11, and Mike Holmgren was sent packing.