January 19, 2014
With 31 seconds on the clock, the Seattle Seahawks were up by six and the 49ers had the ball on the 18-yard line. With the ball in Colin Kaepernick’s hands, he sent it sailing into the corner of the endzone. The one whose hands it fell into? Malcolm Smith, Seahawks linebacker, thanks to a tip by Richard Sherman. As a result, the Seattle Seahawks would advance to the Super Bowl XLVIII where they would decisively beat the Broncos 43-8.
February 1, 2015
Just 364 days later, the Seahawks found themselves in the same position in Super Bowl XLIX. 27 seconds on the clock in the 4th quarter and down by four, the ball was on the 1-yard line. The play to come would be one of the most controversial play calls in history. Instead of handing the ball to running back Marshawn Lynch, Russell Wilson threw a quick pass to Ricardo Lockette, only to be intercepted by Patriots defensive back Malcolm Butler, handing the New England Patriots their 4th championship.
A year later, the Seahawks are still drowning in the lingering memory of that day, becoming a meme all over the internet. But can the Seahawks turn it around after two straight devastating losses in the postseason? They endured an up and down 2015 season, finishing 10-6, and had many notable positional losses in the off-season. And despite adding some new faces in free agency, the Seahawks need to look to the 2016 NFL Draft to rebuild their roster with fresh talent in order to become Super Bowl contenders once more.
The 2016 Seattle Seahawks: Going for Two
What it will take
The first step to building any great franchise is management. And the Seahawks have that. It’s no news that general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll have had the ability to sign and draft star talents that help create a threatening dynasty around the league. So there should be no worry that they can do it again.
How does free agency affect a franchise? Free agency is the period in the off-season where teams can negotiate and sign Unrestricted Free Agents.
Seahawks 2016 off-season additions:
RB Brandon Cottom
LS Drew Ferris
CB George Farmer
WR Deshon Foxx
WR Antwan Goodley
DT Justin Hamilton
CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste
WR Douglas McNeil
C Drew Nowak
G Will Pericak
DT Terry Poole
CB Trovon Reed
TE Ronnie Shields
DE Josh Shirley
QB Phillip Sims
WR Tyler Slavin
S Robert Smith
DE DeAngelo Tyson
Free agency is also a time when teams lose key players due to terminations in contract, or where players become free agents themselves and sign with another team.
Seahawks notable 2016 off-season losses:
OT Russell Okung (Denver Broncos, one year $5 million, four-year team option)
LB Bruce Irvin (Oakland Raiders, four years, $39 million)
OG J.R. Sweezy (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, five years, $32.5 million)
NT Brandon Mebane (San Diego Chargers, three years, $13.5 million)
OT Alvin Bailey (Cleveland Browns, three years, $6 million)
QB Tarvaris Jackson (Free agent)
LS Clint Gresham (Free agent)
HB Fred Jackson (Free agent)
DE Demarcus Dobbs (Free agent)
FB Will Tukuafu (Free agent)
But it isn’t just free agency that teams look to for rebuilding their rosters. There is also the annual NFL Draft when college football players graduate to a new level of play. It’s a crucial time in every off-season and often finds itself under a lot of scrutiny and analysis.
Check out a round-by-round breakdown of #Seahawks nine #NFLDraft picks. [https://t.co/OMV7VPbMvY]
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) March 30, 2016
Draft needs:
Cornerback, offensive tackle, offensive guard, defensive line.
Potential prospects:
OT Cody Whitehair (Kansas State)
OT Jack Conklin (Michigan State)
OT Le’Raven Clark (Texas Tech)
CB Eli Apple (Ohio State)
CB Mackensie Alexander (Clemson)
WR Will Fuller (Notre Dame)
WR Corey Coleman (Baylor)
WR Tyler Boyd (Pittsburgh)
RB Derrick Henry (Alabama)
The 2016 NFL Draft takes place April 28 – April 30.
Can the Seahawks restore their team to 2013 glory? What will it take for them to make their fourth Super Bowl appearance in 11 years? Can they go for two World Championships? Looks like we’ll have to wait for the new season in September to find out when the teams hit the gridiron.
