NFL Team Reviews: Seattle Seahawks

After a lackluster NFL 2021 campaign that saw the Seahawks finish 7-10 and last in the NFC West, Seattle shook up the offseason, trading Russell Wilson, their franchise quarterback, to begin a rebuild.

Improvements: Pass Rush

The Seattle Seahawks’ pass rush struggled last season, finishing 22nd in sacks with 34 and 26th in quarterback pressure per dropback percentage, pressuring the quarterback 22.1% of the time.

After sacking Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray five times on the way to defeating the Cardinals in week 18, head coach Pete Carroll mentioned the importance of improving the pass rush.

The Seahawks signed three veterans in the offseason to address the problem. Defensive tackle Shelby Harris joined Seattle as a result of the Wilson trade, and he’s been a solid pass rusher for Denver, coming off a 2021 season where he recorded a season-high six sacks and 11 quarterback hits, as well as 18 QB pressures. Seattle also signed linebacker Uchenna Nwosu to a two-year deal and brought back tackle Quinton Jefferson after a year with the Raiders and Bills each. Nwosu and Jefferson are both coming off career-high seasons, with Nwosu recording five sacks and 40 tackles while Jefferson finished with 4.5 sacks and 16 QB hits.

With three experienced veterans added to the defense, Seattle’s pass rush should see an improvement this season.

Stayed The Same: Tight End

The tight end group was also enhanced through the Wilson trade.

Tight end Gerald Everett left in free agency, joining the Chargers on a two-year deal. Everett finished his one-year stint with Seahawks with a career-high 48 receptions and 478 yards, grabbing four touchdowns as well.

Though one tight end left the team, another joined, with Noah Fant getting sent over in the trade. Fant is coming off a season that saw him score four touchdowns and make 68 receptions for 670 yards.

With tight end Will Dissly re-signing a three-year deal and 2020 fourth-rounder Colby Parkinson also in the fold, Seattle’s tight end production doesn’t look to be much different from the year before.

Got Worse: Quarterback

Usually, when a team trades its franchise quarterback, it’s not a good sign. Seattle drafted Wilson in 2012 and not long after, he helped lead the Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, raising the Lombardi in 2014.

After missing the playoffs in 2021, the Seahawks decided to make a trade, sending Wilson to Denver and receiving quarterback Drew Lock in return, along with other players and draft picks.

While Seattle continues to figure out its quarterback situation for the future, Lock will figure to be Wilson’s replacement in the meantime. Starting 21 games in three seasons with the Broncos, Lock has completed 59.3 percent of his passes along with 25 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.

The Seahawks also retained backup quarterback Geno Smith, and neither he nor Lock come close to Wilson, a nine-time Pro Bowler who owns 26 Seattle records.

Overall Grade: C+

The Seahawks gave a much-needed upgrade to its pass rush with a few offseason veteran signings, however the loss of their star quarterback indicates the offense will struggle this season.

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