Jun 20th 2008 2:01PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Seahawks, NFC WestIt’s not very often names like Shaun Alexander, Kevin Jones, Travis Henry, Cedric Benson and Ron Dayne — all first-round picks save Henry, a second-rounder — are still looking for gainful employment. As recently as a year ago, teams were clamoring for their services, and now, nothing.

Some combination of age, ineffectiveness, injury and off-field silliness led these players to their current predicaments, and while some of them will no doubt get second or third or fourth chances at redemption, Alexander’s career, whether he’s ready or not, looks to be over.

CBSSports.com’s Clark Judge polled NFL coaches and GMs for some insight into Alexander’s future, and here’s what he discovered: “First of all,” said a head coach who saw a lot of Alexander, “he had a reputation as being a ’soft’ runner. But when the scheme was blocked up, and he got to the second level he had the speed where he could be effective. The problem is: He no longer has the speed, so he no longer can be effective.” Hardly earth-shattering. Anybody who even briefly saw Alexander last season would readily agree. But how do you go from NFL touchdown leader to also-ran in two seasons?Continue Reading