Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks The 2008 Seahawks season was a disaster and a 4-12 record will surely not be the way fans will remember departing head coach Mike Holmgren in Seattle. Holmgren's Hawks have dominated the NFC West for most of the decade and will look to bounce back under new head man Jim Mora in 2009.

Odds makers like the Seahawks chances to show some improvement in the up-coming season by giving them about 2.5/1 odds to win the NFC West. Vegas is also calling Seattle 50/1 long-shots to win the Super Bowl and a 25/1 shot to win the NFC.

There are not many experts that would expect the Seahawks to win it all in 2009, however, at 50/1, the Hawks would not be a terrible bet to take as a flier. If quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is healthy and completely recovered from the back injury that kept him out for most of the 2008 season, the Seattle offense could be dangerous.

The health of their signal caller will certainly dictate how the season will go in the Emerald City, but the offseason definitely helped Jim
Mora's crew. The signing of wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh was huge and along with a great draft, Seattle has the opportunity to find themselves right back in the hunt for the division.

The Hawks had an impressive draft, selecting one of the best prospects available when they took linebacker Aaron Curry from Wake Forest with the fourth overall pick. They also selected center Max Unger in the second round and wide receiver Deon Butler in the third.

In the NFC West, the Seahawks are very capable of being in the mix, but it won't be easy.

The Arizona Cardinals have now proven that they are winners. The 49ers have some very good talent and could be better than their 7-9 finish of a season ago. The Rams may be a team in transition and banking on a young offensive line with rookie Jason Smith replacing Orlando Pace, but with Steven Jackson in the backfield and Marc Bulger under center, anything could happen in St. Louis.

As we head into 2009, the Seattle Seahawks could be a good sleeper pick at 50/1, with a small investment that could lead to a big return.