Seattle Seahawks 2017 Season Recap
There were many who foresaw this. It's both surprising and somewhat saddening that the decline has begun for our next subject.
Seattle Seahawks
2017 Record: 9-7
2016 Record: 10-5-1
Win Differential: -1.5
What Happened: What transpired in 2017 was much of the same that happened in 2016 for the 'Hawks. Russell Wilson, the franchise quarterback and league MVP candidate, did everything he could offensively despite a run game that not replicated the days of "Beast Mode" Marshawn Lynch, a patchwork line that exposed Wilson to untold danger, and a defense that is beginning to lose their luster in no small part due to salary cap implications. The salary scale in relation to the cap was always be Seattle's ultimate undoing. While their brief yet spectacular run at the top of the NFL (by virtue of 2 consecutive NFC championships and their Super Bowl XLVIII victory) entered them into the conversation as one of the best runs for a team in many years, their reliance on young playmakers would eventually catch up with them once those rookie contracts would start coming up. General manager John Schneider could only take care of a number of players, Wilson and FS Earl Thomas chief among them. The rest would either be willing to re-sign of their own will or watch that talent walk out the door via free agency. And the attrition continues. The big surprise for the Emerald City Birds was the sudden ascension of their division rivals, such as the Los Angeles Rams and, to a lesser extent, San Francisco 49ers. The Rams ride to the NFC West title in 2017 took away Seattle's perceived cushion as they look to reload to stay on top of their division.
What To Expect: Regrettably, more regression. The loss of CB Richard Sherman to the Niners has pretty much splintered the vaunted Legion of Boom defensive backfield, as safeties Thomas and Kam Chancellor remain. And Thomas may be traded at some point over the course of the season if scuttlebutt around training camp has any validity. Further, the Seahawks lost their pass receiving tight ends to other teams (Jimmy Graham to Green Bay & Luke Willson to Detroit) and a reliable receiver for Wilson, as WR Paul Richardson was signed away by the Washington Redskins. Seattle could very well fall into disrepair in 2018, but it would be foolhardy to believe that the Seahawks can contend for NFC supremacy under their current construction. Their 2018 campaign will be a bellwether as to if the Seahawks will be reloading in 2019... Or rebuilding.
