The Seahawks still have one of the best defences in the NFL with stars like Richard Sherman, Bobby Wagner, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas and Michael Bennett returning but the offence could use some work. The biggest question on this team will be the offensive line again who have failed to protect Russell Wilson since trading Max Unger. In a weak division and with a strong defence the Seahawks should once again repeat as division champs.
Arrivals/Departures:
Arrivals: Oday Aboushi, Arthur Brown, Luke Joeckel, Dion Jordan, Eddie Lacy, Bradley McDougald, Blair Walsh, Michael Wilhoite
Departures: Garry Gilliam, Steven Hauschka, Christine Michael, Marcel Reece, Damontre Moore, Bradley Sowell, J'Marcus Webb, Brandon Williams
Offence:
Russell Wilson struggled for much of last season partly because of the offensive line and he also had an injured ankle but he needs to stop spinning around in the pocket and get the ball out quicker. The Seahawks did not have a running game with Marshawn Lynch gone so they signed Eddie Lacy to go from Beast Mode to Feast Mode. If Lacy can lose some wight his game from a couple years ago could come back but if not Thomas Rawls could start. CJ Prosise will also see some time but mainly as a pass catching running back. Doug Baldwin has turned into a very good receiver over the past couple seasons playing like a much bigger receiver than he actually is with his competitiveness. Jermaine Kearse will start with Baldwin while special teams ace Tyler Lockett will see time with Paul Richardson who dominated vs the Lions in the playoffs. The Seahawks could start a two tight end set with Jimmy Graham who improved to part of his Saints form last year after a shaky start in Seattle beside Luke Willson. The offensive line is probably the worst in football with Justin Britt being the only true starter on the line. The other four will be former college basketball player George Fant, Mark Glowinski, Luke Joeckel and Germain Ifedi. Without a running game or offensive line the Seahawks might have to rely too heavily on their passing game.
Defence:
The Seahawks have two very good edge rushers at defensive end in Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril who both wreak havoc on opposing tackles and guards trying to slow them down. The defensive tackle spot is weak though with Ahtyba Rubin starting while one of Jarran Reed or rookie Malik McDowell who's biggest concern out of college was effort.. Frank Clark will back up Bennett and Avril but because they are so good he might not see much action. Bobby Wagner may be the second best middle linebacker in the NFL leading all players in tackles not letting anybody run on him while also getting to the quarterback. KJ Wright is an underrated linebacker who works well with Wagner providing quality tackling. Cassius Marsh will make the full time leap to a starter this year but he is more of a special teams player. The Legion of Boom remains intact with star Richard Sherman still in Seattle despite trade rumors. Sherman may still be the best lock down corner in the NFL but when quarterbacks throw your way so little its hard to make plays. If DeShawn Shead is healthy for the regular season he will start but if not the position will go to Jeremy Lane. Kam Chancellor is still the hardets hitting safety in the league and with Earl Thomas beside him they form the best safety tandem in the league. When Thomas broke his arm last season the Seahawks defence was no where near as good as it was with him.
Special Teams:
Blair Walsh may be the worst kicker in football after a disastrous season where he ended up getting cut by Minnesota largely because of the missed field goal vs the Seahawks in the playoffs the year before. Canadian Jon Ryan is the punter again while one of the best returners in Tyler Lockett will return punts and kickoffs.
Starters:
Offence
|
Defence
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Doug Baldwin
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Michael Bennett
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Jermaine Kearse
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Ahtyba Rubin
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George Fant
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Jarran Reed
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Mark Glowinski
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Cliff Avril
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Justin Britt
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Cassius Marsh
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Luke Joeckel
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Bobby Wagner
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Germain Ifedi
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KJ Wright
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Jimmy Graham
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Richard Sherman
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Luke Willson
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Kam Chancellor
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Russell Wilson
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Earl Thomas
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Eddie Lacy
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DeShawn Shead
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35. Malik McDowell
58. Ethan Pocic
90. Shaquill Griffin
95. Delano Hall
102. Nazair Jones
106. Amara Darboh
111. Tedric Thompson
187. Michael Tyson
210. Justin Senior
226. David Moore
249. Christopher Carson
Top 10 Players:
10. KJ Wright
9. Cliff Avril
8. Jimmy Graham
7. Doug Baldwin
6. Russell Wilson
5. Michael Bennett
4. Earl Thomas
3. Kam Chancellor
2. Bobby Wagner
1. Richard Sherman
Season Prediction: 10-6 (1st in NFC West)
Last Year: 10-5-1
Photo credit for Eddie Lacy and Richard Sherman goes to https://www.usatoday.com/. Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner goes to https://www.si.com/.
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