TIMELINE: HOLMGREN AS GM (1999-2002)

By Mike Sando

The News Tribune

Jan. 8, 1999 – Mike Holmgren is hired as Seahawks’ coach, general manager and executive vice president of football operations. Team president Bob Whitsitt and vice president Randy Mueller had been reluctant to bestow a coach with total control over personnel, but owner Paul Allen was willing to do what it took to land Holmgren.

Feb. 11, 1999 – Warren Moon is released. Holmgren decides to go with youth at the most important position.

April 17, 1999 – Holmgren trades 17^th choice in NFL draft to New England for 20^th, 82^nd and 191^st choices. Pats select Boston College C Damien Woody. Holmgren then trades 20^th choice to Dallas for 22^nd and 140^th choices. At the urging of defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur, Holmgren selects Saginaw Valley (Mich.) State DE Lamar King with 22^nd choice. The 82^nd choice is used on Auburn WR Karsten Bailey. The 140^th choice is used on Penn State LT Floyd Wedderburn. The 191^st choice winds up being part of a trade that lands Tennessee CB Steve Johnson, who is quickly released.

June 24, 1999 – WR James McKnight is traded to Dallas for third-round choice in 2000. The trade pays off when Holmgren uses the choice from Dallas to select Florida WR Darrell Jackson.

July 31, 1999 – Contract disputes cause King and WR Joey Galloway to miss the opening of Holmgren’s inaugural training camp.

Aug. 12, 1999 – Three-time Pro Bowl DE Michael Sinclair receives a $6 million signing bonus as part of seven-year, $35 million extension. Whitsitt had promised a long-term deal long before Holmgren arrived.

Aug. 22, 1999 – Contract talks between Galloway and the Seahawks are called off amid much acrimony and gamesmanship.

Aug. 30, 1999 – Defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur loses three-month battle with cancer. Jim Lind takes over duties as defensive coordinator.

Jan. 12, 2000 – Veteran defensive coordinator Steve Sidwell is hired to replace interim coordinator Jim Lind, whose defense led the NFL in interceptions but ranked 23rd in yards allowed.

Jan. 25, 2000 – Mueller leaves for New Orleans, becoming Saints’ general manager while ridding the Seahawks of one of their last links to early days in Seattle.

Jan. 28, 2000 – Ted Thompson is hired from Green Bay to replace Mueller.

Feb. 12, 2000 – Galloway is traded to Dallas for first-round choices in 2000 and 2001. The first of those choices lands Alabama RB Shaun Alexander. The second choice will be used to trade down in the first round, with Seattle ultimately netting North Carolina State WR Koren Robinson, Auburn FB Heath Evans and Princeton OT Dennis Norman.

Feb. 12, 2000 – DE Phillip Daniels signs a lucrative free-agent contract with Chicago, depriving the Seahawks of their best all-around DL. Holmgren would later refer to letting Daniels get away as a “rookie mistake.” The defensive line is set back at least two years.

Feb. 21, 2000 – Free-agent S Reggie Tongue is signed away from Kansas City and receives a $3.5 million bonus. Tongue winds up being benched after his first six games in Seattle, but he bounces back with a solid season in 2001 and leads the team with five interceptions in 2002.

March 1, 2000 - Veteran S Darryl Williams is released.

March 17, 2000 – Free-agent C Robbie Tobeck is signed to a salary-cap friendly deal. Tobeck promptly suffers freak knee injury, but recovers in time for the 2001 season and becomes a team leader.

April 14, 2000 – RB Ahman Green is traded to Green Bay for CB Fred Vinson. Holmgren was fed up with Green’s fumbling and nearly released the talented runner before aides convinced him to work a trade with his former team. The trade backfires famously when Vinson suffers career-ending knee injuries while Green leads Packers’ revival.

April 15, 2000 – DT Sam Adams signs with Baltimore, depriving the Seahawks of their most talented DL. Holmgren wasn’t a big fan of Adams, but the Ravens get last laugh when Adams becomes Pro Bowl performer and Super Bowl winner.

April 15, 2000 – Alexander and Wisconsin OT Chris McIntosh are drafted in the first round.

April 28, 2000 - John Schneider leaves the Kansas City Chiefs to become Seattle’s director of player personnel.

May 10, 2000 - Scot McCloughan leaves job as area college scout for Green Bay Packers to become Seattle’s director of college scouting.

June 19, 2000 - Veteran MLB George Koonce is signed in free agency and becomes a starter for one of the NFL’s worst defenses.

July 19, 2000 - Veteran WR Mike Pritchard is released.

July 26, 2000 - Once-promising MLB DeShone Myles is placed on injured reserve, all but ending his career.

August 20, 2000 - Fred Vinson, the CB acquired in the Ahman Green trade, is placed on injured reserve.

August 27, 2000 - Record-setting PK Todd Peterson is released in favor of rookie Kris Heppner.

August 28, 2000 - Veteran backup QB Glenn Foley is released shortly after tossing six interceptions during an exhibition game.

Sept. 26, 2000 - Heppner is released after struggling. Former WSU PK Rian Lindell is signed to replace him.

Nov. 28, 2000 - Veteran CB Chris Canty is released.

March 1, 2001 - Veteran WRs Sean Dawkins and Derrick Mayes are released.

March 2, 2001 – QB Matt Hasselbeck and the 17^th choice in 2001 draft acquired from Green Bay in exchange for the 10^th and 72^nd choices in the 2001 draft. Green Bay uses the 10^th choice to select Florida State DE Jamal Reynolds and the 72^nd choice to select Oklahoma LB Torrance Marshall. Holmgren uses the 17^th choice for Michigan LG Steve Hutchinson.

March 3, 2001 – Former Minnesota Vikings DT John Randle is signed to a five-year, $25 million deal in free agency. Skeptics call the move risky, but Randle responds with an 11-sack season and seventh berth in Pro Bowl. In 2002, a knee injury can’t stop Randle from leading the team in sacks for a second straight season.

March 5, 2001 – Veteran S Jay Bellamy signs with New Orleans.

March 8, 2001 – Eight-time Pro Bowl DT Cortez Kennedy is released, ending his career.

March 8, 2001 – QB Jon Kitna signs a free-agent contract with Cincinnati. The Bengals show improvement in 2001, but Kitna becomes the only AFC starter with a lower passer rating than Hasselbeck that season.

March 9, 2001 – New England DT Chad Eaton is signed to a cap-friendly deal in free agency. The move pays off handsomely in 2001 when Eaton helps restore the run defense to respectability.

March 12, 2001 – Veteran LG Pete Kendall signs a lucrative free-agent contract with Arizona. Holmgren never made serious attempt to re-sign the former No. 1 choice.

March 23, 2001 – Legendary San Francisco WR Jerry Rice visits Seahawks headquarters after being granted permission to pursue trade opportunities.

April 9, 2001 – Pittsburgh LB Levon Kirkland is signed to three-year contract in free agency. Like Randle, Kirkland becomes a leader in locker room and an integral part of an improved run defense.

April 12, 2001 – Tennessee S Marcus Robertson is signed to a three-year contract in free agency. Robertson suffers a hamstring injury and is limited for much of season.

April 21, 2001 – Koren Robinson and Steve Hutchinson are chosen in the first round of a Seattle draft that also nets CB Ken Lucas, S Curtis Fuller and WR Alex Bannister.

June 5, 2001 – Rice signs with Oakland.

June 7, 2001 – Vinson is released, putting the finishing touches on one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history.

Aug. 3, 2001 - Veteran QB Trent Dilfer is signed as insurance for Hasselbeck.

Aug. 22, 2001 - Hasselbeck signs an incentive-laden contract worth as much as $22.6 million.

Aug. 29, 2001 – Having missed out in the Rice sweepstakes, Holmgren settles for veteran WR Bobby Engram, who had been released by Chicago. Engram becomes a clutch third-down option and a mentor for a young receiving corps.

Sept. 2, 2001 - Seahawks release WR Karsten Bailey, a third-round choice in 1999. Bailey caught six passes in two seasons.

Sept. 7, 2001 - Holmgren elevates Dilfer into the No. 2 role, ahead of Brock Huard.

Feb. 20, 2002 - After failing to reach a contract agreement with Pro Bowl LT Walter Jones, Seattle designates him as their franchise player. Jones refuses to sign the accompanying one-year, $4.92 million offer, then skips minicamps and training camp as the dispute wears on.

Feb. 22, 2002 - Former Pro Bowl DE Michael Sinclair is released after three disappointing seasons.

March 1, 2002 - Holmgren commits to Dilfer as his starter for 2002, and the sides agree on an incentive-laden contract.

April 10, 2002 - Veteran CB Doug Evans, a free agent from Carolina, is signed to bolster Seattle’s weak pass defense.

April 16, 2002 - Veteran DL Brandon Mitchell, a free agent from New England, is signed to provide depth.

April 19, 2002 - Backup QB Brock Huard is traded to Indianapolis for a fourth-round pick that becomes promising DT Rocky Bernard.

April 20, 2002 - Seattle selects Washington TE Jerramy Stevens in the first round of the draft after trading down from 20th to 28th. UNLV DE Anton Palepoi and Oregon RB Maurice Morris are chosen in the second round.

April 22, 2002 - Veteran DE Matt LaBounty is released.

May 21, 2002 - Free-agent QB Ryan Leaf is signed to a one-year contract after being released by Dallas. Leaf retires from football during training camp.

June 21, 2002 - CB Ike Charlton, a disappointing second-round choice in 1999, is traded to Jacksonville for a conditional draft choice.

July 12, 2002 - Veteran MLB Levon Kirkland is released after failing to fulfill his end of an agreement to lose weight. The move backfires when Seattle struggles against the run and Kirkland becomes an important part of Philadelphia’s formidable defense.

August 19, 2002 - Veteran QB Mark Rypien is signed after Dilfer suffers a knee injury.

August 27, 2002 - Veteran RT Jerry Wunsch is signed to provide depth on the line after Seattle fails to reach an agreement with franchise LT Walter Jones, who misses the first two games during a contract dispute.

Sept. 1, 2002 - Special-teams ace Fabien Bownes is released in part because Alex Bannister, a fifth-round pick in 2000, has developed into an oustanding player on special teams.

Sept. 2, 2002 - Rypien is released in favor of former CFL passer Dave Dickenson, who is claimed off waivers from San Diego. Dickenson is released after three weeks.

Sept. 3, 2002 - The Seahawks break off contract talks with franchise player Walter Jones, who promptly signs a one-year offer and rejoins the team for its third game.

Oct. 29, 2002 - Veteran QB Jeff George is signed as insurance after Dilfer is placed on injured reserve with a torn Achilles’ tendon.

Nov. 21, 2002 - OT Chris Terry is claimed off waivers from Carolina, providing instant stability to the right side of the line.

Dec. 26, 2002 - Against the backdrop of a 6-9 record, Holmgren meets with Whitsitt three days before the final game of the season. They continue ongoing discussions about Holmgren’s future, amid speculation that a change could be forthcoming. The Seahawks want him to step aside as GM, something Holmgren isn’t sure he’ll agree to do.

Dec. 29, 2002 - The Seahawks score 21 fourth-quarter points to force overtime against San Diego, then beat the Chargers on their way to a franchise-record 591 total yards. Hasselbeck breaks his own franchise record for passing yards in a game. Seattle’s pass offense finishes the season ranked third in the NFL. The more Holmgren thinks about things, the more he wants to stick around.

Dec. 30, 2002 - Holmgren tells players and coaches he might be willing to step aside as GM, but his future with the team remains in question.

Dec. 31, 2002 - With a four-year record of 31-33 and a defense that ranked last against the run in 2002, Holmgren agrees to remain coach while renouncing his titles as GM and executive vice president. Holmgren also fires his defensive coaching staff. Whitsitt begins the search for a new GM.

“I think the biggest title you can have is Super Bowl champion,” Holmgren explains. “When I thought long and hard about that and what’s important to me, (wife) Kathy, this football team and this organization, the titles take a back seat, they really do.

“It’s about coming together, winning, having fun doing it and getting to the Super Bowl.”

Mike Sando: 425-822-9504

THE NEWS TRIBUNE