KIRKLAND, Wash -- The past five Super Bowl losers crashed and burned the following season. A combination of injuries, contract problems and numerous mistakes were among the maladies that have led to losing seasons for these runners-up.
Well before the 2006 season gets underway, the Seahawks show symptoms of encountering trouble. Coach Mike Holmgren is entering the final year of his contract. The front office botched negotiations with guard Steve Hutchinson by giving him the transition tag instead of the franchise tag and watched him take an offer from Minnesota it couldn't match. And MVP Shaun Alexander is the cover boy of the upcoming Madden NFL '07 videogame, a surefire jinx.
Despite those concerns, the Seahawks feel they found the perfect antidote to the Super Bowl blues. They believe they got better as a team.
"I think we have a chance to be better because I think on paper you can make an argument we are better," Holmgren said. "But you know, that's not really enough. You have to come back and have a good attitude and you have to be hungry to go back there again. We have good chemistry, and I think we have added a couple things that have made us better."
After losing Hutchinson because of the poison-pill laden seven-year, $49 million deal with the Vikings, the Seahawks got focused and aggressive. They signed linebacker Julian Peterson to a seven-year, $54 million contract. They countered Minnesota's deal with Hutchinson by signing former Vikings wide receiver Nate Burleson to a seven-year, $49 million deal. Former Patriots offensive lineman Tom Ashworth was signed. They upgraded the safety position by trading for Mike Green of the Bears. They added speed to the defense in the draft, grabbing cornerback Kelly Jennings and defensive end Darryl Tapp in the first two rounds. And prior to Hutchinson's departure, they signed former Cardinals defensive tackle Russell Davis. On paper, the Seahawks do look better on both sides of the ball.
"I feel pretty good how we filled those holes," Holmgren said. "A big key for us is if [Floyd] "Porkchop" Womack can stay healthy because I think he can do a fine job at left guard. Steve Hutchinson was a great football player, but I'm hopeful having Porkchop next to Walter Jones will work on the left side of the line. I don't want to put any limitations on what we can do on the left side of the line."
Still, it makes you wonder how good the Seahawks would have been had they franchised Hutchinson, the game's best left guard. The difference from a $6.3 million tender for a transition compared to the $6.9 million for a franchise tag doesn't sound like a lot. Still, $7 million a year is a lot for a guard, and keeping him would have forced the Seahawks to be less aggressive in free agency during the offseason.
Having Hutchinson and Jones on the left side of the line was money. Matt Hasselbeck could audible to a weakside run to the left and Jones and Hutchinson would bulldoze defenders, clearing the way for Alexander. Jones is the game's best left tackle.
"We have good players, and the thing with the guard position, you can adjust a game plan around your talent with the inside guys," Alexander said. "We got about four months to decide what's best for our new inside line. We could get in there and find out that we got guys good enough to just handle it. That's the good thing about young, talented players. You just don't know."
The beauty of the current roster is that it has options. Womack has started at guard and tackle before. If that doesn't work, the Seahawks could try Ashworth, who's had Super Bowl experience with the Patriots. They also have the option of going to Chris Spencer, who's a first-round center working behind Robbie Tobeck, who went to the Pro Bowl in February.
"We are definitely more talented than last year, but even better we have a lot more confidence in understanding who were are," Alexander said. "I think that's why New England went on the great run. They just knew who they were and they were really good at it. We are a team that is good enough to get to the Super Bowl and win it."
The Seahawks have found their swagger as a team. Offensively, Hasselbeck has evolved into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFC. Holmgren's West Coast offensive system has allowed the team to rank among the top eight for the past four years, but it ranked second last season even though Darrell Jackson, its best receiver, missed most of the season with knee problems. Losing Joe Jurevicius to Cleveland was a blow, but the signing of Burleson actually could provide a better fit.
Last year, slot receiver Bobby Engram was used at split end, trying to beat man coverage on the left side of the field. Engram is a pro's pro, but speed isn't his game. Route running and getting open is what he does best. Burleson adds the speed and size at split end the Seahawks lost when they released Koren Robinson.
"I'm not here to fill in any blank spots because they are a great team. I'm just here to add on," Burleson said. "I think the plays I'm able to make are the run-after-the-catch. I'm a lot heavier than last year when I was a little light in Minnesota. I'm about 10 pounds heavier."
The biggest improvement on the Seahawks is on defense. They got faster and more talented with the additions of rookie linebackers Lofa Tatupu and LeRoy Hill. Now, they add former Pro Bowl Peterson on the weak side.
In San Francisco before blowing out his Achilles tendon in 2004, Peterson had the speed and bulk to manhandle some of the league's best tight ends in man-to-man coverage. He has the speed to rush the quarterback. Last year, Peterson played the entire season but he didn't have the explosion. Plus, he had to adjust to a 3-4 scheme.
Holmgren plans to use him at a weak-side linebacker in their 4-3 and let him make plays. Jennings, the team's first-round pick, will challenge Kelly Herndon for the starting left cornerback job, but Peterson is still trying to make another play.
He's trying to talk Seahawks management into signing for Pro Bowl cornerback Ty Law. Law, represented by the same agents (Carl and Kevin Poston) as Peterson, still is talking to the Seahawks, Chiefs and Titans. The Seahawks have the cap room to sign Law, so it's not out of the question.
As for the Super Bowl runner-up trend? Holmgren disregards the notion. He lost a Super Bowl in Green Bay and bounced back to go 11-5 and make the playoffs in 1998. On paper, he feels this team is better than last year's.
Now, the biggest thing his players are hoping for is for him to put his signature on paper for a contract extension.
"I'm in conversations now with the team, and we'll just have to wait and see," Holmgren said. "I like it here very much. I'm always staying optimistic. After each season, I always sit back and evaluate my value to the team. I don't want to shortchange anybody if my heart's not in it. I would expect we would have some idea of what's going to happen in the next couple of weeks."
Optimism prevails in Seattle. The team will announce plans Tuesday for a new team headquarters in Renton. The facility should open in 2008 and will play host for its training camps as well.
John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com.