Jun 4th 2008 12:44PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Seahawks, NFC WestMaybe the Falcons, Redskins and Lions were onto something: T.J. Duckett isn’t very good. Sure, it cost Washington a third-round pick to find out, but credit them for not immediately offering him a multi-year deal, all guaranteed.

Detroit chose not to re-sign Duckett after 2007 and a week into free agency Seattle inked him to a five-year contract that includes $4 million in bonuses. Now it’s just a matter of finding a role for the former first-round pick, something head coach Mike Holmgren isn’t in any hurry to do: Holmgren said he still does not know how he is going to use T.J. Duckett. He said Julius Jones and Mo Morris will get the bulk of the carries, and Leonard Weaver will start at fullback. He doesn’t really have a spot for Duckett, though. Short yardage? Third down? Is he a fullback or a halfback? Holmgren is not really sure just yet. More than one person has commented that Duckett seems especially slow. I think for now we have identified the odd man out in a crowded backfield. There’s a good use of four mil in salary-cap space.

Rotoworld.com’s Gregg Rosenthal writes that Holmgren’s comments make it appear that he wasn’t in favor of signing Duckett in the first place. Stats like this offer some indication as to why: Duckett rushed for 102 yards in a Dec. 23 game last season, his first 100-plus effort since 2003.

No idea if Holmgren preferred Shaun Alexander to Duckett, but it seems they’re interchangeable at this point. The biggest difference, as far as I can tell, is that Duckett is three years younger and much, much slower.