The Seattle Seahawks are in the off-season now after their wild card loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The Seahawks will now turn towards their roster needs this off-season to make the team better going into next season. They already started by firing offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer last week after the offense sputtered the second half of the year.
Seattle Seahawks Roster Needs
The Seattle Seahawks need some help at certain positions this off-season so the team can make a run at the Super Bowl next season. Some of the positions that the Seahawks need to improve on are at tight end, running back, cornerback and the offensive line. The tight end position has been inconsistent for the Seahawks for the last two years. They have dealt with injuries and limited production at the position since Jimmy Graham left the team. Jacob Hollister and Greg Olsen will be free agents so they will need to find a veteran that can come in and pair up with Will Dissly. A name that comes to mind is Hunter Henry if the Seahawks can get him at the right price. He stayed healthy for most of the season and had one of his best seasons of his career with 60 receptions for over 600 yards.
The Seahawks have some decisions to make at the cornerback position this off-season. Pro Bowl corner Shaquil Griffin will be a free agent along with Quinton Dunbar. The Seahawks should look to retain Griffin this off-season because they have limited draft picks and he has been good enough to bring back at the right price. If he demands a lot of money, then the team will need to move on from him. The Seahawks should also try and bring Dunbar back on a short term deal. He had an off year this year but he was dealing with a knee issue all season. The year before his PFF grade ranked number two in the league among cornerbacks.
Seahawks Offensive Line Might Be the Most Important Position To Improve
The Seahawks offensive line improved from 2019 but it still struggled at times this season. Wilson was sacked 47 times during the regular season and five times during the playoff game. the 47 sacks ranked inside the top five in sacks allowed. PFF ranked their offensive line 14th in the league. The team needs to focus on the right tackle spot and the left guard spot in the off-season because they had injuries at those positions during the season. Mike Iupati missed six games this season with various injuries and struggled late in the season. Brandon Shell missed five games due to injury.
They will also need to get a replacement for Duane Brown as he is nearing the end of his contract and potentially his career. The Seahawks have limited cap space this off-season so they will have to build through the draft. Someone to keep an eye on is Alabama guard Deonte Brown in the draft if he is available in the second round. This line needs to be ranked inside the top 10 next season for them to succeed especially with Pete Carroll wanting to run the ball more.
Seahawks Running backs Will Be a Key Position
The Seahawks will have some decisions to make at running back this off-season. Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde will both be free agents. It is possible that Carson will demand top 10 running back money. If that happens, it will be hard for the Seahawks to bring him back because of their limited cap space. However, it may be a good thing to bring him back because he has rushed for over 1,000 yards two of the last three seasons.
The Seahawks could also go the route of another free agent running back. The Ravens are releasing running back Mark Ingram so that could be name to watch for the Seahawks at the right price. They could also draft a running back like Oklahoma State’s Chubba Hubbard or Oklahoma’s Trey Sermon in the middle of the draft.
In conclusion, the Seahawks have some work to do at some of their positions in free agency and the draft in order to get back to Super Bowl contention like they were in 2013 and 2014. They need to get back to being a balanced football team with a good running game, good passing game, physical offensive line and good cornerback play. If they do that, they will be back in contention for a Super Bowl title.
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