NFL power rankings: Vikings, Eagles top the board

2018 Key Additions: The times are changing in the Pacific Northwest and apparently the Seattle Seahawks did not take kindly to the fact that they missed the playoffs this past season for the first time since 2011. As for who joined the team this offseason, the club put an emphasis on the defensive line with addition such as Tom Johnson and Shemar Stevens, both via the Minnesota Vikings. Wide receiver Jaron Brown also joined the club after spending the last few seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. And Pete Carroll’s club has a new kicker in veteran Sebastian Janikowski. The former Oakland Raiders’ specialist missed all of this past season due to injury.

Offseason Review: A year ago, the then-defending NFC West champions never quite seemed like their old dominating selves. Yes, the Seahawks jumped out to a 5-2 start (before dropping 5 of their final 9 contests) but with very few exceptions were far from dominating. From afar, it looked like a distracted football team and now some of those issues have possibly been resolved over the past few months. Meanwhile, the division-rival Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers look like improved football teams. It will be interesting to see if Pete Carroll’s club can get its swagger back. And that may be easier said than done these days.