Seahawks season preview: Will Seattle make it to the playoffs?
Will the Seattle Seahawks make it to the playoffs once more? If Russell Wilson has anything to say about it, then yes. If the rest of the team says something, then no.
The Seahawks are an average team that looks elite because of its quarterback. In his tenth season, Wilson is the best QB in the NFC West and one of the best in the NFL. However, his support team isn't as great as him.
Seattle Seahawks offense
The Seahawks offense is an ugly mix that works because of Russell Wilson. The offensive line was the fourth-worst in the league last season, yet the team managed to win 12 games and go to the playoffs. The reason behind this is the QB. In nine years, Wilson has missed the playoffs only once (2017). He's a great player who deserves better protection from the O-Line.
Of course, it's fair to highlight that even though the OL doesn't do a great job protecting Wilson, he also has his share of the blame. Historically, Wilson tends to hold the ball for too long.
However, it's important to say that Tyler Locket and DK Metcalf are speedsters; they need time to run their routes. So even though the QB tends not to be the fastest passer, he needs to hold a little longer than most to give his WR a chance.
Should the Seahawks have addressed this issue in the offseason? Absolutely, but they didn't, so Wilson will keep running for his life because of the porous OL.
The good news is that the team re-signed RB Chris Carson and has a new offensive coordinator. Carson brings a solid running game, and hopefully, Shane Waldron can maximize Wilson's talent.
Seattle Seahawks defense
Again, the Seahawks are an ugly mix that works. Carlos Dunlap and Jamal Adams, both re-signed after landing in Seattle during the last season. The addition of Kerry Heider and Aldon Smith also ensures the team has a solid pass-rush.
The linebackers may also be the best part of this defense. It's hard to say otherwise about a unity led by perennial All-Pro Bobby Wagner (maybe the best LB of the last decade, undoubtedly one of the best alongside former Carolina Panthers' Luke Kuechly).
The problem is the cornerbacks. Shaquill Griffin is with the Jacksonville Jaguars, while Quinton Dunbar is a free agent. The Seahawks brought Ahkello Witherspoon and Pierre Desir to replace them. The problem is, Seattle traded the former with the Pittsburgh Steelers for a fifth-round draft pick and released the latter.
D.J. Reed, Tre Flowers, John Reid, and Sidney Jones IV don't look like a group the Seahawks can fully trust. Pro-Bowl safety Quandre Diggs will have a lot of work covering the secondary.
Seattle Seahawks draft
With only three picks, there wasn't much the Seahawks could do in the draft. However, they could've done better than they did.
Their first choice was only in the second round, and Seattle picked a WR. D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan, is a speedster who brings to the table the same characteristics Locket and Metcalf offer. The team should've gone a different path. A CB or an OL would be the best pick.
The team's second pick came in the fourth round. The Seahawks drafted Tre Brown, CB, Oklahoma. Seattle drafted Stone Forsythe, OL, Florida, with their third and final pick. The last choices address the team's needs, but are the fourth- and sixth-round picks the solutions the Seahawks need?
Will the Seattle Seahawks make it to the playoffs once more?
Yes. Russell Wilson is talented enough to compensate for the team's flaws. He also has the support of one of the best WR pairs in the league and a new target that may take some pressure off Locket and Metcalf.
Is the team good enough to go all the way? Hardly. The OL and the CB are too big a problem for Wilson to mask in a deep playoff run. Unless, of course, Pete Carroll can transform below-average players into stars.