The start of the 2020 NFL season is less than a month away and the Seattle Seahawks believe they have taken the necessary steps in the off-season to become a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Of course, to stay on track and achieve this lofty goal, the Seahawks will need strong leadership in the locker room and on the football field. Thankfully, the team already has two great leaders in Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner on the roster. But a recent trade with the New York Jets has brought in another strong (Jamal Adams) voice into the fold. Together, these are the faces of 2020 Seahawks.
Faces of the 2020 Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson
To be fair to the other 31 NFL franchises, each had an opportunity to draft Russell Wilson. But every time their pick was on the clock, they went in another direction. Then out of the goodness of their heart, the Seahawks took one of the top quarterbacks of the 2010s with the 75th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.
Wilson wasted little time securing the starting quarterback job as he beat out big-money free-agent acquisition Matt Flynn and has never looked back. He quickly established himself as the final piece to the Seahawks playoff puzzle. The offense became a more balanced attack with the insertion of Wilson into the lineup.
In his eight-year NFL career, Wilson has led the Seahawks to two Super Bowl appearances (winning in 2013) and threw for 29,734 yards, 227 touchdown passes, and only 68 interceptions in 128 games played. His career passer rating is 98.0 and the Seahawks have recorded a regular-season mark of 86-41-1 with him under center. Simply put, Wilson could be the best player to ever put on a Seahawks uniform.
Bobby Wagner
It’s hard to imagine Bobby Wagner ever playing for another NFL franchise. He has been the heart and soul of the Seahawks defense since the team drafted him in the second round of the 2012 draft. Clearly, Wagner is on a path to Canton.
Wagner’s statistical numbers are outstanding as he recorded 1,075 tackles, 10 interceptions and nine forced fumbles in his eight-year NFL career. This type of production earned him five first-team All-Pro selections and the acknowledgment of being the best middle linebacker in the NFL.
But more importantly, Wagner is an elite football player regardless of the position. None of his contemporaries can match Wagner’s on-field production or big-play capability. And like fine wine, he should have another outstanding season in 2020.
Jamal Adams
All throughout the off-season, it was fairly certain that Jamal Adams would get moved by the Jets to his hometown team, the Dallas Cowboys. It took a while, but Adams was finally granted his wish. The bigger surprise was him being dealt to the Pacific Northwest in the blockbuster trade.
Yes, the Seahawks might have mortgaged (two future first-round picks, a third-round selection, and safety Bradley McDougald) their future to acquire the All-Pro safety. But, the stakes are high and Adams is primed to lead the franchise into the playoff chase for the top seed atop of the NFC. At 24, he is ready to become a difference-maker on the football field.
No question, it will be fun to watch Adams patrol the secondary this season. Quandre Diggs will play alongside him at the free safety position. Both players are versatile enough to cover either a speedy running back coming out of the backfield or a tight end cutting across the middle. Plus, Diggs’ presence will allow Adams to move into the box at the line of scrimmage on obvious rushing downs. He is a very physical, sure-handed tackler (201 career solo tackles) who can assist with stuffing a ball carrier for no gain.
It’s hard to imagine the Seahawks defense not becoming a more dominant unit in 2020. Couple that with an efficient offense that comes alive in the fourth quarter of tight games, and you have a team that is poised for a long playoff run next January.
