ESPN NFL

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.

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