FanHouse SeanLocklear

In anticipation of Cardinals-Steelers, FanHouse takes a look back at some forgotten storylines from past Super Bowls.

Much was made about Ben Roethlisberger's first half touchdown and Darrell Jackson's offensive pass interference -- which negated a touchdown -- in the aftermath of the Steelers victory over the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL. Those who follow the Zebra Report know that I refuse to ever claim the officials cost any team a game, however, there was one call in this game that cost the Seahawks a lot more than the above well-publicized calls.

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is right around the corner, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterback:One of the consistencies of Mike Holmgren's regimes has been strong quarterback play. Maybe Matt Hasselback never became the "next Brett Favre", but maybe, on a number of levels, that's actually a good thing. What Hassyback has become, though, is one of the most consistently underrated and, um, consistent signal callers in the league. He's not flashy but he doesn't need big name wideouts to post big stats either. He's got a bad back early this year though, and I'm automatically docking the Seahawks one "heat point" for refusing to use Seneca Wallace at wideout. Also: Charlie Frye. Heat Index: 7

Running Back: There's something to be said of your running back situation when neither Julius Jones nor Maurice Morris can perform at a high enough level in training camp or preseason to make Mike Holmgren name a starter. T.J. Duckett could still be cut, although with the recent Ben Obomanu injury, it looks like both he and Justin Forsett could be on the roster, with Duckett manning goal line carries and Forsett returning kicks. It's not a really attractive situation either way you slice it. Heat Index: 5

Teams don't just let great young corners walk away in free agency, so the Seahawks absolutely had to place the franchise tag on Marcus Trufant, one of the top three free agent cornerbacks this year. But the cost of retaining Trufant might extend beyond the hefty-as-is $9.5 million one-year deal franchised corners are getting this year (Trufant might want to break a piece of that deal off for Jim Mora, Jr., by the way).

The move places the Seahawks at right about the cap limit. But he wasn't their only important free agent; as a matter of fact, there are three more -- right tackle Sean Locklear, receiver D.J. Hackett, and kicker Josh Brown.

Not to say any of those three guys is as valuable individually as Trufant and, again, young Pro Bowl corners aren't easy to find. But as a collective that's a lot of talent to let walk away. Hackett is a young, emerging receiver with great size and hands. Locklear isn't a spectacular player, but he did start all 16 games last year on a team that has no depth behind him. And Brown, the Seahawks' franchised player last year, has proven to be one of the best kickers in the league despite the conditions he plays in.

The Seahawks could still negotiate a long-term deal with Trufant that frees up room to keep one or more of those guys. And even if not, it'll be easier to replace them than Trufant -- who they had no choice but to keep. But in a league where depth is so critical, the Seahawks are forced into a bad position with theirs.

Update: The Seahawks signed Locklear to a five-year extension, and, for some more detailed information on their salary cap situation, read commentor Peter's post below.

Taking into account that it's the preseason, many of the players sitting on the sidelines tonight would normally be on the field if it was a meaningful game. With that said, I'm sure most fans would like to know who they should expect to see this evening. For that reason, I've done by best to create an accurate injury report -- official reports are not posted until week one of the regular season.

Green Bay Packers:

Out: Running back Vernand Morency (knee), running back P.J. Pope (knee), running back DeShawn Wynn (quad) and fullback Brandon Miree (stinger).

Questionable: Cornerback Al Harris (back), guard Tony Palmer (undisclosed), defensive end Devon Hicks (groin), tackle Orrin Thompson (back) and cornerback Charles Woodson (hamstring)

Probable: Safety Marviel Underwood (knee), defensive end Aaron Kampman (knee), linebacker Abdul Hodge (knee), wide receiver Greg Jennings (hip), tackle Chad Clifton (knees), tight end Bubba Franks (cornea) and linebacker Nick Barnett (back).