Seattle exec helps scout the Falcons

KIRKLAND – When it comes to evaluating the opposition, the Seattle Seahawks couldn’t hope for a better source of information.

Tim Ruskell, who took over as Seahawks team president in February, served as assistant general manager of the Atlanta Falcons last year. With a background in scouting, Ruskell prides himself on player evaluation.

“He knows their personnel very, very well,” Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. “We’ve had meetings already. As thorough as he is about evaluating players in the draft or anything, he did that for us with the Atlanta players, and it’s very helpful.”

Ruskell’s familiarity could help Seattle prepare for the game, but it could also eat at his emotions. Yet he’s treating Sunday’s game just like any other.

“This is my job, and I want to win as bad as anyone in this building,” Ruskell said from the Seahawks’ Eastside offices Wednesday. “I’ve got some friends on the Atlanta team, and they’ll always be friends. So it really doesn’t mean that much (emotionally). The emotion part comes with the players and coaches.”

Although he spent just one year in the Atlanta organization, Ruskell has been close friends with Falcons president/general manager Rich McKay since 1976, when they were both ball boys with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Ruskell served as McKay’s assistant general manager last season, when Atlanta won the NFC South and made an improbable run to the NFC Championship game.

Rhodes limited

Defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes will assist in preparations, and will likely be in attendance Sunday, but he’s being limited to a support role this week.

“To be honest, he overdid it a little bit (Tuesday) and didn’t feel so hot (Wednesday) morning,” Holmgren said Wednesday afternoon. “He feels better now. The plan right now is, he is going to be at the game, upstairs, in a support role to (linebackers coach) John Marshall. So John is acting as the coordinator this week, (and) will call the defenses again on Sunday.”

Notes

Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick cited Steve Young, Randall Cunningham and Warren Moon as the players he patterned himself after. “Warren was just a passer,” Vick said. “Very accurate with the ball, an Afro-American quarterback, made plays. Houston was one of my teams growing up.” … Holmgren said that tight end Itula Mili is unlikely to play Sunday following an intestine disorder that hospitalized him last week, and his return date is still uncertain.