The realism of 2019 free agency has hit as a slew of players have signed with their new teams. It’s also a bit of a bittersweet time for Seattle fans as the Seahawks have said goodbye to the last remaining member of the Legion of Boom.
Inevitably, it was going to happen at some point, but fans would rather believe it would come in part due to retirement rather than free agency.
End of the Legion of Boom Marks A New Era
They Made an Everlasting Impression
Fans will remember Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor as the most notable, and prominent, members of the Legion of Boom. Others such as Brandon Browner, Walter Thurmond, Byron Maxwell, and Jeremy Lane came and went over time.
The L.O.B was only one part to the Seahawks empowering defense. With credit due to Pete Carroll and former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, they built a defense that has been regarded as one of the best in NFL history. Alongside the L.O.B, the Seahawks defense consisted of other star players such as Bobby Wagner, Bruce Irvin, K.J. Wright, Malcolm Smith, Cliff Avril, and Michael Bennett. This defense was credited for the Seahawks successful 2013 season and Super Bowl win over the Denver Broncos.
The greatest part about the L.O.B is that two of it’s most memorable players, Chancellor and Sherman, were drafted in the fifth rounds of the 2010 and 2011 draft, respectively. Two of the greatest defensive players in Seahawks and most likely NFL history were passed on by all 32 teams a handful of times.
When Sherman decided to leave the team after the 2017 season, it was clear the Legion of Boom was coming to an end in more ways than one. It was also Kam Chancellor’s final season after sustaining a neck injury in week 10 that same year. To make matters worse, it also became Avril’s final season due to a similar neck injury.
March 13, 2019 marked the official end of the Legion of Boom after Earl Thomas signed a four-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens. Even after some questionable incidents with Thomas, fans were quick to thank him for his accomplishments with the team.
What The Future Holds for the Seahawks Defense
With Earl Thomas’ departure, it really marks the end of an era for Seattle’s defense. But it also marks the beginning of a new one. Seattle may no longer have their Legion of Boom, but they do have a new prominent group of young rising stars on the defensive side of the ball.
In 2018, the defense didn’t need to overwork themselves to salvage the season because Seattle’s offense had successfully established a ground-and-pound philosophy they so desperately needed since Marshawn Lynch‘s (short-lived) retirement. Even so, Bobby Wagner, Bradley McDougald, and Shaquill Griffin combined for over 205 total tackles. Frank Clark and Jarran Reed together had 23.5 sacks and McDougald and Griffin combined for five interceptions. This alone should have fans excited for the future of football in Seattle. It leaves the door wide open for the defense’s success in 2019 and beyond.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
