Hastily Written NFL Previews: Seattle Seahawks (2018)
Legion of Whom?
AUTHOR’S NOTE: My name is Nicholas Sheldon. I work in television as a freelance producer/editor, formerly with the NFL Network and Tennis Channel. If you’re at all curious, you can view some of my TV work at nsedit.com
I am currently producing a documentary podcast about the recent history of the San Francisco 49ers called Document 49, exploring the rise, fall, and rebirth of the franchise from 2004 to the present day (please listen and subscribe!). I also write about gambling on the NFL during the season and do my best to pick winners against the spread each week. That effort should continue in 2018, time permitting.
With the 2018 season rapidly approaching, I’ve decided to write short previews for each of the 32 NFL teams prior to kickoff on September 6. I currently do not have a great deal of time to dive deeply into these articles, so take it for what you will. Thanks and enjoy!
The Seattle Seahawks: 9–7 in 2017, second place in the AFC East.
Can they win the Super Bowl? That window has all but closed.
What’s stopping them: The Seahawks have officially entered NFL limbo. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Russell Wilson, a handful of talented players on defense, and not much else. This is because they’re broke and also paying nearly $15M in dead money to players that are no longer on the roster.
How did this happen? Mostly because many of the players who won Super Bowl XLVIII and dominated in the years after hit the contract jackpot at one point or another. Take linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright for example; they’ll make a nice sum of $13M & $8M respectively this season. Seattle will also pay Russell Wilson about $24M this year for his services, and that price will only go up in the near future as 2019 is the final year of his current deal with the Seahawks.
The only way to solve this problem is to simply draft well, replacing older/more expensive players with younger/cheaper ones. The Hawks actually made good on one part of this equation, as cornerback Richard Sherman and tight end Jimmy Graham were not resigned by the club this past spring. Yet Seattle’s recent draft classes have not kept up their end of the bargain with their poor overall performace, which has left the Seahawks in a weird middle-ground between being playoff contenders and being competent.
Also strong safety Kam Chancellor retired, and free safety Earl Thomas has yet to report for camp due to his desire for a trade or a new deal. This all seems fine.
All Eyes On: Head coach Pete Caroll, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, and defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. By most accounts, this season marks the beginning of the end of Caroll’s tenure as head coach of the Seahawks. He’s now 66 years old (the oldest head coach in the league) and will probably retire sometime in the next five years. Then add all of this insanity into the mix as reported by ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, and it’s easy to see how the curtain will soon fall on the Caroll-era in Seattle. And it’s possible Pete could make one more run at a Lombardi trophy in the near future, but it won’t be this season.
The Hawks also fired offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell after last season, the eternal scapegoat for the 12’s whenever the team would falter in spots or stretches. Last time I checked, Bevell didn’t play offensive tackle, but take a peek at any Seahawks message board posts from the past six years and he’s more or less depicted as the worst human on the planet. Defensive coordinator Kris Richard was also fired in January, even though last time I checked, Richard didn’t play cornerback.
But progress must be made, and thus, now in their place are Schottenheimer and Norton, two men generally known around the NFL for being subpar at best at their jobs. While I think Schottenheimer gets somewhat of a bad rap as a play caller (he had a few nice moments with the New York Jets and Mark Sanchez), Norton could very well be the worst defensive coordinator in the league. Did I mention I’m a 49er fan and Norton played seven seasons for San Francisco? Norton was a great player, but he’s not so great at calling NFL defenses.
Intrigue Rating: 3 out of 10. Wilson is always fun to watch when he’s running for his life and chucking 50-yard bombs downfield to his receivers, but otherwise I’m good. However, I am interested in watching the Griffin brothers, Shaquill and Shaquem, suit up on defense (Shaquem will be the first one-handed player in NFL history, no JPP does not count).
Fantasy Player Worth The Price: I know wide receiver Doug Baldwin is out until week one with a knee injury, but his discounted price may be worth the investment. If he falls to the late-third or fourth round, think about scooping up Angry Doug, but also know lesser receivers like Robert Woods or Jarvis Landry just may be able to match Doug’s output this season (wide receiver is very deep this year). Otherwise, running back Chris Carson has been knighted as Seattle’s workhorse for now, but I wouldn’t overpay for him. The Seahawks struggled to run the ball with any kind of consistency last season due to their terrible offensive line, so it would be misguided to expect Carson to suddenly be a mega-beast in 2018.
Over/Under Wins Prediction: Under 8, but let’s call it a push at eight wins.
Currently Overrated or Underrated by Vegas: Slightly overrated. It’s possible the sports books will grant the Seahawks a bit of inflation due to name recognition and CenturyLink Field remaining a difficult environment for visitors to play in, yet I don’t think Vegas is pretending the Hawks’ regression is a big secret either.
Week One Pick (subject to change): Broncos (-2.5) vs. Seahawks. This one seems too easy, with Denver pass rushers Von Miller and Bradley Chubb no doubt frothing at the mouth to get a piece of Seattle’s porous offensive line. Add the Mile High Stadium thin air into the mix, a regressing Seahawks roster on the road, and the Seattle offense having to readily adjust to the play calling habits of their new coordinator… the Broncos seem like the best side here.
