Seattle Seahawks: 5 offseason needs
By John Buhler
The Seattle Seahawks had some vulnerabilities exposed in the NFC Playoffs. Here are the five ares of need the Seahawks have to improve on this offseason.
2016 was an up-and-down year for the Seattle Seahawks. At times, they looked like the team to beat in the NFC, poised to get to their third Super Bowl in four seasons. However, attrition had its way with its team down the stretch, ultimately losing in the NFC Divisional round to the Atlanta Falcons.
Seattle isn’t as deep as it once was under head coach Pete Carroll. Undervalued stars had to get paid and several key position groups have paid the price for it. While Seattle doesn’t have a ton of cap space, roughly $26,618,640, general manager John Schneider will have six draft picks to get better. Add in that most of their best players won’t be hitting free agency this spring anyway.
Here are the five areas that Schneider and his scouting department will have to work at making the Seahawks football team better this offseason.
5. Consistency at running back
As much as it may pain the 12th Man, Seattle has not been the same football team since Marshawn Lynch retired after the 2015 NFL season. Admittedly, he had a bit of a Super Bowl hangover from the year before. After how Super Bowl XLIX went down, could you blame the Seahawks?
Either way, Schneider needs to figure out another plan of action with his running backs. Thomas Rawls had his moments in 2015, but health has been a major issue with the guy since essentially taking over for Lynch. Christine Michael was cut by the team and Alex Collins hasn’t impressed.
While Seattle will continue to win with its defense and Russell Wilson at quarterback, the Seahawks desperately need to get back to pounding the rock with conviction if they want to get back to the Super Bowl.
A stout running game chews up the clock while ahead and keeps the defense off the field. The ground game opens up easier throwing lanes for Wilson and his middle of the pack to sub-par Seattle wideouts. A free agent could be coming to help on the ground. However, a late-round draft pick on a running back seems to be the right course of action for Schneider.