<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The folks in Seattle have been raving about the terrific spring performance of the Seahawks' new safety tandem, unrestricted free-agent acquisitions Deon Grant (Jacksonville) and Brian Russell (Cleveland). They gush about what a difference the pair will make in a secondary that didn't perform as well as the statistics indicate it did a year ago.But everyone seems to agree that someone else will make an even more profound difference in the unit: assistant head coach Jim Mora, the former Atlanta Falcons' head coach.Mora earned his stripes as a secondary coach in the league before being elevated to defensive coordinator in San Francisco and then subsequently earning the Falcons' head coach position. He flat-out knows secondary play, the Seattle defensive backs attest, even after just a short exposure to him.Many coaches in Mora's situation who are back as a position assistant after being a head coach for three seasons might find it difficult to return to the daily hands-on teaching aspect of the game. Mora, though, seems to be thriving in his role. And while he acknowledged this week he wants a second shot at a head coaching gig, Mora is more concerned right now with rectifying the Seahawks' deficiencies in the secondary.Already, the sense is that Mora will make the Seattle secondary sounder, but at the same time, he'll make it more turnover-conscious. He'll get people lined up in the right place and, hopefully, into position to make plays."He's really sharp," said cornerback Marcus Trufant, a former first-round pick coming off a disappointing 2006 campaign. "And he expects us to be the same way."Seattle ranked 16th in pass defense last season, up from No. 25 in 2005 when the Seahawks went to Super Bowl XL, but the improvement seems misleading. The Seahawks had only a dozen interceptions and had a takeaway/turnover differential of minus-eight. Neither of those numbers, obviously, is good enough, and Mora's presence will make an impact on the field and in the secondary's mental approach.So, too, should the additions of Grant and Russell in the middle of the secondary.Grant has just 18 interceptions in seven seasons and only once posted more than three thefts in a season. Russell has 15 career pickoffs, but nine of those came in 2003 in Minnesota, and he's had just five in the three ensuing seasons. Still, both veterans are better athletes than the safeties Seattle was lining up.Losing the big-hitting Ken Hamlin in free agency removes a physical presence, for sure. But Hamlin, who signed a one-year contract in Dallas, was more an in-the-box safety. He might be missed if the Seahawks are as soft against the run as they were in 2006, and that's an area where Seattle desperately needs an upgrade. But the overall safety play, it appears, should still be enhanced.Mora also needs to get Trufant back on track at one cornerback spot and must push the curve for second-year corner Kelly Jennings, the team's first-round pick in '06. The early signs, though, are certainly encouraging.</div>
