Free agency will test Seahawks' connections

On debrief-and-depart day at Seahawks headquarters, it was time for the family members to go their separate ways after Seattle's 42-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the NFL divisional playoffs.

The Seahawks locker room is, as defensive tackle Chuck Darby often calls it, a brotherhood. And many in that close-knit family hope it can stay intact.

"It's not up to me, but I would like to see everybody [on defense] back," linebacker Julian Peterson said after Saturday's game. "I thought we did some great things. We have definitely a lot more room for improvement. Considering how we started off and how we finished, we did a great job."

It's certain — with free agency beginning in early March — that not every Seahawk from the NFC West championship team will be back next season. But the feeling after Saturday's loss was that the Seahawks are in a good place as a team, having gone to the playoffs five consecutive seasons, won four straight division titles and established themselves as not just a top football team but one with a solid foundation as an organization.

Big-name, big-money players like Peterson, Patrick Kerney and Deon Grant have come to Seattle and flourished. Players say their success and that of the team can only help the Seahawks attract more high-profile free agents.

"You start it with the quarterback. We have a good quarterback," said coach Mike Holmgren when asked what kind of team he thinks he has. "Offensively, I think we have a lot of good players. I think we have a good team. ... We have some youth, we have some experience. We have a couple of guys that have played a long time, and probably we've got to look at how that's going to go. But this is a good football team."

Before free agency begins, the Seahawks must either re-sign or reapply the franchise tag to kicker Josh Brown, if they want him back. If they re-sign him, the Seahawks will have to decide if they want to use the franchise tag on a player like cornerback Marcus Trufant, whose contract is also expiring.

Trufant had his first Pro Bowl season, and his quiet demeanor, hometown appeal and work ethic have made him a good fit on the team general manager Tim Ruskell has put together. Trufant said he thought about getting his contract extended earlier this season, but when it didn't happen, he moved on.

"You got to play ball regardless, so I just blocked it out all year and just kept playing ball," Trufant said. "Just trying to ride for my teammates and help out any way possible."

Asked if he'll give the Seahawks every opportunity to bring him back, Trufant was noncommittal.

"I think so, but you just kind of have to play it by ear. The business is the business," he said. "Really, I'm not committing either way."

There also are decisions to make with other starters who could become free agents, like wide receiver D.J. Hackett, fullback Leonard Weaver and right tackle Sean Locklear. Also, do the Seahawks hang on to players that are well-seasoned but perhaps not as effective as they were in the past, like right guard Chris Gray, tight end Marcus Pollard, or even running back Shaun Alexander?

Pollard likely played his way out of Seattle on Saturday, misjudging two balls in the snow, one going through his hands in the end zone. He also fumbled, and after the game Holmgren strongly indicated that he would address the position.

Brown is optimistic he'll reach a long-term deal with the Seahawks in the next month, before the franchise-tag deadline in late February.

"It's guaranteed money, so there's really no negative on the kicker's part," Brown said Sunday. "Typically, it's more money than you're asking for, anyway."

Locklear has been a mainstay at right tackle for most of his four-year career, but he admitted he's looking toward the next step in his life and career — the free-agency period.

He also made clear that he loves his Seahawks teammates and the atmosphere in the locker room.

"You hear about other people going everywhere, and the grass is not always greener," he said. "It's going to be a big decision."

His first choice is to remain a Seahawk.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com