Everyone got a good laugh over Golden Tate’s maple bar whodunit, and he certainly set himself up to be the veterans’ doughnut gofer for the rest of his rookie season. Plus, he’d better make sure he’s catching at least one ball a game or else he’s surely going to hear how he put up a doughnut.

Come to think of it, maybe Tate was just preparing for the baseball draft this week, in which he was chosen in the 50^th round by San Francisco. Everyone knows baseball players need donuts for their bats in the on-deck circle.

Yeah, it’s all sappy fun and games for Tate — because he wasn’t arrested. Not so for Leroy Hill.

It’s crazy how quickly Hill has turned himself from a promising linebacker with Pro Bowl potential into an injury-prone loser who is about to go to jail, be suspended by the NFL and possibly be released by the Seahawks.

The Seahawks have told him to stay away while he is dealing with his legal issues, and his future with the team is in serious doubt as he prepares to go to trial for domestic assault around the time the Seahawks convene training camp in late July.

It is safe to say Hill does not figure to be with the team until after the legal proceedings, if he is still on the roster at that point.

Last month, ProFootballTalk speculated that the team is waiting for the NFL to suspend Hill so it can release him and not owe his $6 million salary, which apparently is guaranteed unless he is suspended.

Of course, that is secondary to the possibility that Hill will end up in jail for violating his Georgia probation for marijuana possession in 2009 with an arrest last month for domestic assault.

The Seahawks expect to hear from the NFL about Hill’s status by the end of this month. In the meantime, they are keeping him out to avoid distractions as they rebuild and to avoid owing him $6 million if he were to get injured. General manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll have said no decision will be made until the team knows Hill’s standing in the legal system.

Although, Carroll sounded slightly ominous when he told reporters this week that Hill has fallen behind in learning the new defensive scheme.

“It’s certainly hindered his opportunity without question,” Carroll said. “The other guys have just rocketed ahead with their chances and taking advantage of that. That’s part of the competition. You do what you can with your opportunities.”

It would be hard to argue with cutting Hill, who has turned out to be a moronic thug, but it also is worth considering keeping him if he’s able to play at least 12 games in 2010.

By cutting him, the Hawks would get nothing in return except a refund on their $6 million. (Hell, they’re wasting over $5 million on Deion Branch. What’s another $6 million?)

If, however, Hill misses only four games and comes back and plays well after that, he would have trade value for 2011.

If he’s suspended for at least half the season, Hill wouldn’t be worth keeping. But if it’s four games or less, it’s worth keeping him and seeing whether he can play well enough to make him worth something in the offseason.