Former Seattle Seahawks linebacker (and, ahem, "actor") Brian Bosworth is being hailed as a hero in Winnipeg, Canada after he came upon a car that crashed into a ditch and helped bring a woman trapped inside to safety.

The Winnipeg Free Press reports:

"It looked like she rolled at least two or three times because the car ended up facing the opposite direction of oncoming traffic, upside down in the ditch," Bosworth said. ...

"She was in shock and in pain and we couldn't really move her. Her legs were pinned. We had to cut the steering wheel off. She was screaming every time we moved her," Bosworth said. "It took five or six guys to get her into the ambulance. "

Bosworth was in the area because he and his son had gone on a fishing trip. The woman and her passenger were treated at a local hospital with injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

A writer named Shannon J. Owens had an article in the Orlando Sentinel this weekend that is so stupid that it would be offensive if it weren't so easy to dismiss.

Under the headline, "NFL's Shaun Alexander Seemingly Pays Price for Having Interests Other Than Football," Owens suggests that the reason former Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander is not currently under contract to an NFL team is that he's a devout Christian. Owens writes that Alexander's devotion to his church makes him "a pariah to some NFL general managers."

That is absurd. He's a pariah to NFL general managers because he's a bad player. He's averaged three and a half yards a carry the last two years, and he turns 31 before the season starts.

As Mike Sando of ESPN.com writes, Alexander was just as vocal about his Christian faith two years ago, when he got an $11.5 million signing bonus, as he is now. The difference between now and then is that he's not a good player anymore.

The majority of NFL owners, general managers, coaches and players are Christians. There is no anti-Christian bias in the NFL. There's an anti-bad player bias. If you're a bad football player, you can't get a job. That's Alexander's problem.

It'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?

Seahawks wide receiver Bobby Engram is still unhappy with his contract and still unhappy that the team hasn't offered him the kind of money he thinks he deserves. And now he's threatening to take that unhappiness to the next level and skip training camp:

"It's a possibility," Engram said. "We'll see what happens. ...

"I think that everyone is in agreement that I've outplayed that deal. I can't force (the Seahawks') hand, and I'm not trying to force their hand.

"I'm at peace with this decision, and it's not coming from a place of ego or pride. I'm just trying to get something done that will be fair. It's a business decision on both sides, and I understand where they're coming from. But I have to do what I think is best for me in my career."

As I've said before, Engram is right that at base salaries of $1.7 million a year, he was significantly underpaid last season and if he leads the team in catches again in 2008, he'll be significantly underpaid this season, too. But he agreed to his contract, and at age 35, he lacks the leverage to get a new deal. Given that he'll be fined a fortune if he skips camp, I think he'll report on time and play under his current deal, even if he doesn't like it.

Maybe the Falcons, Redskins and Lions were onto something: T.J. Duckett isn't very good. Sure, it cost Washington a third-round pick to find out, but credit them for not immediately offering him a multi-year deal, all guaranteed.

Detroit chose not to re-sign Duckett after 2007 and a week into free agency Seattle inked him to a five-year contract that includes $4 million in bonuses. Now it's just a matter of finding a role for the former first-round pick, something head coach Mike Holmgren isn't in any hurry to do:

Holmgren said he still does not know how he is going to use T.J. Duckett. He said Julius Jones and Mo Morris will get the bulk of the carries, and Leonard Weaver will start at fullback. He doesn't really have a spot for Duckett, though. Short yardage? Third down? Is he a fullback or a halfback? Holmgren is not really sure just yet. More than one person has commented that Duckett seems especially slow. I think for now we have identified the odd man out in a crowded backfield.

There's a good use of four mil in salary-cap space.

Rotoworld.com's Gregg Rosenthal writes that Holmgren's comments make it appear that he wasn't in favor of signing Duckett in the first place. Stats like this offer some indication as to why: Duckett rushed for 102 yards in a Dec. 23 game last season, his first 100-plus effort since 2003.

No idea if Holmgren preferred Shaun Alexander to Duckett, but it seems they're interchangeable at this point. The biggest difference, as far as I can tell, is that Duckett is three years younger and much, much slower.

Seahawks linebacker and all-around swell guy Lofa Tatupu was arrested on Saturday for suspicion of drunk driving. Not good, particularly with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell obsessed with cleaning up the league's image.

Here's the thing, though: even really good people lapse into idiocy every once in awhile. Most of the time, it goes unnoticed (I feel confident in writing that if everybody who ever drove drunk were arrested for it, we'd all have police records); last weekend, Tatupu got caught. But unlike those Pacman Jones/Chris Henry apologies-to-save-my-ass/job, Tatupu sounds legitimately contrite:

"I take seriously my role as a leader on this team, and in the community," the statement read, "and because of that I'm disappointed and embarrassed by the level of poor judgment I used last weekend. Thankfully nobody was hurt. This will never happen again, and I hope through hard work on and off the field to begin earning your respect and trust again."

Tatupu also added that if he ever has a hankerin' for Mickey D's after sucking down a few adult beverages, he'll have Kato Kaelin drive him. (Ah, yes, 14-year-old O.J. humor, that never gets old. And by "gets old," I mean, of course, "was funny." Moving on...)

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu has been arrested and charged with drunk driving, a black eye for one of the league's most respected young players less than two months after he signed a lucrative contract extension.

Multiple media outlets are reporting that Tatupu was pulled over as he went through a McDonald's drive-through after police saw him speeding and changing lanes without signaling. Police say he took two breath tests which revealed blood alcohol levels of .155 and .158, or close to twice the legal limit.

Tatupu was the Seahawks' second-round draft pick in 2005 out of USC, and he instantly became one of the league's top linebackers. In March he signed a six-year, $40 million deal to stay in Seattle, with the Seahawks' front office citing his character as one of the reasons that they wanted him to be one of the centerpieces of their franchise for years to come.

Seahawks wide receiver Bobby Engram skipped the team's voluntary minicamp practice yesterday because he's unhappy with his contract, the Tacoma News-Tribune reports.

Engram is correct if he thinks that based on his production, he deserves more money, but incorrect if he thinks he's going to get it.

Engram, who was by far the Seahawks' best receiver last year, has one year and $1.7 million left on his contract. Nate Burleson, who was the Seahawks' second-best receiver last year, will make $3.25 million in 2008. Deion Branch, who was the Seahawks' third-best receiver, will make $4.2 million. Who wouldn't be annoyed when co-workers who contribute less to the company are making twice as much money?

But the fact is, pay in football isn't a meritocracy. It isn't about what you accomplished in the past, it's about what the team expects you to accomplish in the future. Engram is 35 years old, and 35-year-olds just don't get fat new contracts. Engram will play this season under his current deal.

Running back Julius Jones left the Dallas Cowboys to sign a free-agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks this off-season, and he's now saying just the kind of thing that will endear him to Seattle fans and anger Dallas fans.

Jones told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer what it's like to play in Seattle's Qwest Field, and he said it compares favorably with the Cowboys' Texas Stadium:

"I like it here. This is one of my favorite places to play, so I was excited about it. ...

"This was definitely the best fit for me. ...

"I love playing here. The atmosphere, it's 10 times better than Dallas.

"It's intimidating. Before the game, raising the 12th Man flag, and then the 12th Man. It's a lot. It gives you the chills."

Jones just earned himself some love from the fans in Seattle, and he'll most certainly be reminded of those comments in Week 13, when the Seahawks visit Dallas.

Seattle Seahawks 2008 Draft Picks:

Round 1 (28): Lawrence Jackson, DE, Southern Cal
Round 2 (38): John Carlson, TE, Notre Dame
Round 4 (121): Red Bryant, DT, Texas A&M
Round 5 (163): Owen Schmitt, FB, West Virginia
Round 6 (189): Tyler Schmitt, LS, San Diego State
Round 7 (233): Justin Forsett, RB, California
Round 7 (235): Brandon Coutu, K, Georgia

The Good: The Seahawks found Mack Strong's replacement when they drafted Owen Schmitt in the fifth round. And Lawrence Jackson, possibly taken a bit early depending on who you believe, had 30.5 career sacks in college. John Carlson hopefully solves Seattle's never-ending search for a tight end, while kicker Brandon Coutu could spare fans the frustration of watching Olindo Mare honk field-goal attempts next season.

The Bad: Carlson fills a need, and moving back in Round 1 to get Jackson gave the Seahawks two additional late Day 2 picks, but you have to wonder if Dustin Keller is a better fit in Seattle's offense. Red Bryant is a value pick, but he's playing on bad wheels, which is why he was still available in the fourth round. I understand there were issues with the long snapper last season, but drafting one might be a tad overreactive.

The Grade: C-. Jackson was probably drafted too high and will be a situational pass rusher as a rookie, and the Seahawks might've been better off with Keller over Carlson. Owen Schmitt is the best pick of the weekend, and Coutu could be the slimmer, place-kicking version of Ryan Plackemeier.

Click here to read other Draft Grades.