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.

USC defensive end Lawrence Jackson is a good pass rusher who had double-digit sacks as a senior and who had an impressive showing at the scouting combine, but I'm not a big fan of this selection, made with the 28th pick in the NFL draft by the Seahawks.

In my view, Jackson looked a little better than he really is because of the players he was surrounded by at USC. And I also think that there are better defensive ends still available than Jackson, especially Clemson's Phillip Merling.

The Seahawks view themselves as Super Bowl contenders, and maybe they think Jackson is a guy who can help them win now, but they could have made better use of the 28th pick in the draft.

Let this be a cautionary tale for us all this NFL Draft weekend: for most players, professional football will be the highlight of their otherwise tedious existence (unless they start blogging, of course). Sure, there might be an opportunity to work as a sideline reporter, or maybe even star in a marginally popular sitcom, but for most, life after football is a little less glamorous than what Bob Golic would have you believe. (Although, sipping mashed potatoes helps ease the pain.)

Some guys have delusions of making it as an actor once the NFL thing is done (like this dude, for example), but, look, there's only one Brian Bosworth.



And thankfully, "Stone Cold" didn't have a sequel (shocking, I know).

Bosworth was a supplemental pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 1987, but only lasted three seasons before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. Luckily, he had his acting chops to fall back on. And his mullet. That helped soften the fall too, I imagine.

Hat tip: Can't Stop the Bleeding

This actually makes a lot of sense: the Seahawks need a tight end, and Jeremy Shockey, should he become available, fits the description. And I don't mean that in a felony-waiting-to-happen Jerramy Stevens, or an over-the-hill Marcus Pollard sorta way. I mean a legit pass-catching option who makes the offense better.

During the 2002 draft, the Seahawks took Stevens with the 28th-overall pick, the third tight end selected after Shockey and Daniel Graham. Hindsight being what it is, Seattle might've benefited by trading up, or taking a player like Matt Schobel or Chris Baker, both third-round picks that year.

Whatever, it's done; now the Seahawks are trying to finally land a tight end who catch passes AND not get arrested. Novel idea, for sure.

Seattle has joined New Orleans in pursuit of the unhappy tight end, according to multiple NFL sources. And while it's not clear what the Seahawks are willing to give up, they know the Giants have already rejected the Saints' offer of a second-round pick, but that didn't scare them off.

Even though Shockey says he wants to go to New Orleans, the Daily News' Ralph Vacchiano makes a good point: "Seattle could be an intriguing destination ... Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren likes to feature the tight end in his offense", which is something Shockey's apparently looking for.

This is all speculative, of course, but the Seahawks do need a tight end. So if they don't land one via a trade, they just might have to draft one. Purdue's Dustin Keller would be the obvious choice, but the team is also in the market for an offensive tackle. We'll know one way or the other in three days.

I'm not sure this'll make Shaun Alexander feel better about losing out on $4.5 million he was scheduled to make in 2008, but it's a nice gesture by the organization nonetheless. Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell releases statements:

"This was an extremely difficult decision. We thank Shaun for his commitment both on and off the field over the last eight years. He played a huge role in the renaissance of football in Seattle and for that we will always be grateful."

ESPN.com's Mike Sando, a long-time Seahawks beat reporter, does a good job of putting the Alexander's swift downfall in perspective. He writes that the 2005 NFL MVP's exorbitant salary, age, lack of physicality, unwillingness to pass protect and inability to catch passes all led us to this point. But that's really just half the story:

The Seattle Seahawks are expected to announce today or tomorrow that they have cut running back Shaun Alexander, the NFL's 2005 Most Valuable Player.

Alexander was once among the NFL's top running backs, but in recent years he's been one of the NFL's most overpaid and under-productive players. The eight-year, $62 million contract Seattle gave Alexander in 2006 stands out as one of the prime examples in NFL history of a team rewarding a player for what he's done in the past at the expense of building the team for the future.

There are conflicting reports about exactly when Alexander will be released, but it should come by the end of the day Wednesday at the latest. He will then be a free agent, but he'll have a hard time finding any NFL team willing to sign him. He could try to make a team in training camp, but the best bet might be retiring.