Sometimes a guy is better off when his reputation doesn't precede him. At one game under .500 (a 24-25 mark) after three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, coach Mike Holmgren continues to be the subject of much speculation. Pundits, both local and national, have suggested that Holmgren could be dismissed, or at least stripped of some of his authority, if the Seahawks don't go deep into the playoffs in 2002. But the talk is just, idle chit-chat, and neither Holmgren nor any of his several titles, seem to be going anywhere, which actually ought to be welcome news to Seattle fans.

To compete in a division as stacked as the new NFC West, the Seahawks are going to require a proven captain when navigating through the waters of realignment. And while the perception is that Holmgren has lost some of his luster the past couple seasons, he remains one of the best coaches in the league. Even if his evaluation of personnel and his record in the draft draw mixed reviews, Holmgren still has a fertile mind. What he does not have is the kind of talent he possessed in Green Bay.

That said, the Seattle roster is good enough to compete, although having St. Louis and San Francisco in the division makes things decidedly more difficult. The Seahawks might actually have suffered a setback in their move from the AFC West, a division that's a tad overrated right now. But this is the hand dealt Holmgren and the Seahawks and there is little they can do but try to match up to the Rams and the 49ers.

With such a daunting task, the battle-tested Holmgren isn't a bad guy to have around, even some of his critics might be forced to concede.

Where will this bring the Seahawks?

	CAMP AT A GLANCE
	Mike Holmgren is 24-25 in three seasons in Seattle.
	Location: E. Washington Univ., Cheney, Wash. Rookies report: July 26 Veterans report: July 26 Preseason schedule:    Aug. 10: Indianapolis    Aug. 16: at San Diego    Aug. 24: Kansas City    Aug. 29: at Denver

Were the Seahawks still in the AFC West, they probably would have competed for a playoff berth. In a realigned league, with four division champions and two wildcards from each conference, advancing to the postseason will be difficult for Seattle. There is enough talent here to probably duplicate last season's 9-7 finish, but getting beyond that mark may not be in the cards.

At least the Seahawks enter training camp minus the indecision at quarterback with which they concluded the 2001 campaign. Essentially conceding that the trade for former Green Bay backup Matt Hasselbeck was a failed experiment, at least for now, the club re-signed Trent Dilfer to a four-year contract and positioned him as the starter. Dilfer will not put up big numbers, and doesn't really care much about that aspect of the game, but he is a proven winner and believes the number in the left hand column of the standings is the only one that counts. Shaun Alexander takes over full-time at tailback, with Ricky Watters allowed to escape into free agency, and few backs in the league offer the kind of long-run potential he possesses.

The defense moved from last in the league in 2000 to 20th in 2001, hardly a modest jump up the statistical ratings, but one that must continue. The problem is some of the elder defenders imported as stop-gaps in 2001 have broken down or exited. The Seahawks cut middle linebacker Levon Kirkland last week and defensive tackle John Randle might not be ready to play, after offseason knee surgery, until late in the preseason.

Man in the spotlight
The departure of Kirkland opens up the middle linebacker spot and it appears that former Harvard star Isaiah Kacyvenski, a fourth-round draft choice in 2000, will get first crack at the starting job. Primarily a special teams player during his first two years in the league, Kacyvenski is largely untested from scrimmage. But he is heady, a solid tackler, and he impressed coaches this spring with his overall performance.

On offense, the Seahawks need wide receiver Koren Robinson, the team's first-round choice in 2001, to have a breakout season. Robinson has wondrous physical gifts, a big target with deep speed, but was held back by injuries as a rookie. This is once again a wide receiver corps that lacks experience, and Robinson must step up and take the lead position, on the field at least. Another former first-rounder, tackle Chris McIntosh, will assume the strongside starting position and he is long on potential and overdue, it seems, in fulfilling it.

Key position battle
Assuming that Shawn Springs is healthy, he is a lock at one cornerback spot, but the other will feature some competition. The staff has anointed second-year veteran Kenny Lucas the starter, but he will still have to solidify his hold on the position. A couple of wise, old veterans, Willie Williams and free agent acquisition Doug Evans, figure to be the "sub" cornerbacks. But if Lucas slips even a little in camp, one of them might make a move on his job. Both players still consider themselves starting caliber.

Injury update
Until he convincingly demonstrates that he is over his lingering hamstring problems, Springs remains a guy to watch. There aren't many cornerbacks in the league with his kind of talent, and certainly precious few with his confidence level, but his hammies are fragile and the Seahawks secondary isn't the same without him. Randle, who had a superb comeback effort in '01 after most people felt his steady decline would continue, is a major concern. So much so that the Seattle brass is entertaining thoughts of signing Sam Adams, a player they allowed to escape two years ago. The most optimistic report has Randle returning to full speed late in camp. A better guess is that he won't be ready until the start of the regular season.

Rookie report
Snookered out of getting tight end Daniel Graham, when the New England Patriots moved up in the first round and snatched the former Colorado star, Holmgren still filled the position, gambling on Jerramy Stevens of Washington. There's no denying the skills of Stevens, a man-mountain with speed, but his off-field record is disturbing. In spring workouts, though, Stevens stuck out and, to this point, has been a model citizen. No. 2 pick Maurice Morris could end up as the third-down tailback. The team's latter choice in the second round, defensive end Anton Palepoi, seemed like a reach three months ago, but has opened some eyes in minicamps.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.