DK Metcalf is one of the many key players that the Seahawks have chosen in recent years. (Getty)
For the first time since 2016, the Seattle Seahawks are champions of NFC West. But, with the exception of eight players, the squad essentially changed completely during that period.
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Stars like Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner, KJ Wright, Tyler Lockett and Jarran Reed were on that team, as were current training team members Alex Collins and Luke Willson, as well as captain Neiko Thorpe, of injured teams, but beyond these eight, it’s basically a new list.
Now Seattle is full of young talent, will win at least 11 games in 2020 and looks set to be more successful in the long term under coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider. That happens when the rest of NFC West also amassed young talent and seemed to be prepared to take the division out of Seattle.
Danny O’Neil Danny and Gallant, from 710 ESPN Seattle, said it is remarkable that Seattle has been able to retrofit and rebuild the list without actively “tanks” and accumulating the best draft choices like others in the division have done in recent years.
“Whatever the word for it, that’s what the Seahawks have been doing for the past two or three years, in which they basically handed over almost their entire list without having a record loss and are now back to the point where I believe they have the best youth team in the category, ”he said.
The San Francisco 49ers, for example, summoned the top 10 from 2016 to 2019, summoning three defensive attackers and an offensive tackle. Seattle is drafted regularly at or near the end of the draft due to successful seasons. The Seahawks have won at least nine games every year since 2012.
“The Seahawks were not called up near the top of the first round, yet you look around the division and say ‘who is the best team prepared going forward?’ and I think it’s the Seahawks, ”he said.
Former NFL receiver Michael Bumpus called what the Seahawks did “slow and steady grinding” that paid off.
“They didn’t choose the easy way. They didn’t take it and it shows personality, ”he said. “They are going to get the best out of what they have and that is what they have been doing, and then, along the way, they are going to add some pieces that, hopefully, will be successful in the future. They realized that this is a marathon, not a sprint … It is a long process and the Hawks have a very good process. “
O’Neil said it’s easy for teams to start giving up after paying their quarterback, but the Seahawks seem ready to show that they are one of the top four teams in the NFL, despite Wilson being the league’s second highest-paid player entering in 2020 season.
“But what becomes a challenge … is that the quarterback is expensive, and Russell has been expensive for four or five years now, and they have reached the point where it can weigh (but it hasn’t),” he said.
Despite having these later choices and less money due to Wilson’s salary, the Seahawks added impact players like DK Metcalf, Damien Lewis, Jordyn Brooks, LJ Collier, Ugo Amadi and others just in the past two seasons. The 2017 and 2018 drafts also added important players like Chris Carson, Shaquill Griffin and Will Dissly. The initial defensive attack Poona Ford was added as an unpaid free agent in 2018 as well.
“I feel like they have a young core,” he said.
Bumpus added that this off-season will be difficult with Griffin and Wright set to reach the free agency and Carlos Dunlap and Jamal Adams are likely to seek new business.
“They have some young people, but the base of this team, the older ones, what are you going to do with them?” he said.
Paul Gallant noted that this off-season will be especially critical, as the salary cap is likely to be decreasing due to the loss of revenue from COVID-19.
“There is a part of me that wants to keep everything together, but there is a part of you that has to realize the limitations of the salary cap and I wonder how many players are going to convince themselves that it might be worth taking less in the long run,” he said .
Listen to Wednesday’s conversation on this link or in the player below.
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