Seattle Seahawks: 5 burning questions in 2018

4. Is the Legion of Boom officially over?

Unfortunately, the majority of crew that earned the nickname Legion of Boom are either on different teams or now retired. The Seahawks dominance of the NFC in the last five years came primarily from their defense. Will the young guys be able to step up and usher in a new era?

Richard Sherman and Malcolm Smith now play for the 49ers, Michael Bennett is now in Philadelphia, and Cliff Avril and Kam Chancellor have both retired due to injuries. These players were not only supremely talented, but also great veteran leaders who kept the team pointed in the right direction. With all of them now gone, it is up to the young talent to step up and fill the holes left behind.

Second year cornerback Shaquill Griffin needs to take a huge step to be the shutdown corner that the team now needs. Frank Clark, Dion Jordan, and Malik McDowell will all need to combine to replace the pass rushing production of Avril and Bennett. And finally, Bradley McDougald and/or Delano Hill will need to step up and fill the void left at the strong safety position. If the younger guys aren’t able to fill the shoes of their predecessors, the Seahawks will struggle mightily.

In a division with the Rams and Cardinals, defense is a huge priority. If the defense cannot do it’s job and get the talented offense back on the field, the Seahawks will find themselves in a tough spot. A huge key to this defensive transition is Earl Thomas, who will actually be discussed in the next slide.