Friday Northwest Sports Update

Northwest Sports – Seahawks Signing Rookies Up For 2012, Plus An MLS Round-Up

If your soccer blog is covering Major League Soccer, it would tell you about an excellent start to the season for two of the three teams from the Northwest, although one is being left behind. But we’ll start in the NFL, where Seattle is trying to get all their housework done before training camp starts.

Seattle Seahawks

A Bodog review may state that under the CBA, rookies aren’t allowed to make as much as they were before, which makes trying to sign them much easier, so the Seahawks have set out to lock up their kids before they head into workouts and camps. Eight of their 10 draft picks have been signed to deals, including first-round pick Bruce Irvin (four years, $9.34 million) and third-rounder Russell Wilson (undisclosed). These two will earn the most attention coming into the season as Irvin is being tabbed to play defensive end or outside linebacker, and really, his only mission is to rush the passer. The Seahawks were tied for 19^th in the league in sacks with 33.0, but they could stand to put a little more pressure on the quarterback. Speaking of that position, Wilson was brought in to battle for the backup role, which means the Seahawks could get rid of Tarvaris Jackson, who is due to make $4 million this year. Anyone familiar with price per head sportsbook services knows that Jackson isn’t a starter, and he may not even be worthy of a backup role if Wilson can make good on the potential he showed at North Carolina State and Wisconsin.

MLS Round-Up

Seattle has been on fire to start the 2012 MLS campaign and online betting sharps would point to their defense, which has allowed three goals in their first eight matches of the season after a 1-0 win at home over Philadelphia. The Sounders are now sitting in third place in the Western Conference, just three points behind first-place San Jose ahead of a trip to FC Dallas. Meanwhile, Vancouver Whitecaps FC defeated FC Edmonton 2-0 on the road in the first leg of their 2012 Canadian Championship semifinal, and are going back home for the return leg on Wednesday before a visit to New England. However, the win in Edmonton followed a huge 2-1 win at home over San Jose and Vancouver is now in fourth place, two points behind the Sounders. As for Portland, they could only manage a 0-0 draw at home against Columbus and are entrenched at the bottom of the West with eight points from nine matches. Next, the Timbers head to Houston and it doesn’t look good for their sports book (which you can find here) odds.