While the summer season brings much enjoyment to the average person, for an NFL fan, it represents a desolate wasteland where Sundays just aren't quite as vibrant as in the autumn months. However, with each passing day, we inch closer to the beginning of the 2023 NFL season, which officially kicks off on September 8 this year. Whether you've had your favorite team's tweet notifications turned on all summer or if you've decided to tune out all football news entirely, you'll be able to learn everything you need to know about your team going into the 2022-23 season right here. In today's article, I'll be discussing the Seattle Seahawks. I'm working on season guidebooks for all 32 NFL teams, which will all be released within the next few weeks. To check out another team's guidebook, click here: https://www.bucketsquadsportsreports.com/nfl 2021 Season Recap 2021 was extremely disappointing for the Seahawks, who had reasonably high expectations entering the season. Russell Wilson did miss a few games, but even when he played, the offense was often inefficient in the passing game. Their defense was decent, but most of their losses came when they couldn't put points on the board. Seattle ultimately finished 7-10 and missed out on the postseason, and has now unfortunately drifted into more of a rebuild. Significant Roster Moves Seattle chose to go the rebuild route by trading franchise quarterback Russell Wilson to Denver in exchange for Drew Lock, Noah Fant, and Shelby Harris. They also lost centerpiece of the defense, Bobby Wagner, to go along with tackle Duane Brown, TE Gerald Everett, and DE Carlos Dunlap. Chris Carson, who battled a neck injury throughout 2021, was sadly forced to cut his career short and retired in the offseason. Of the players added to the roster in the offseason, Artie Burns, Marquise Goodwin, and Uchenna Nwosu will make the most difference immediately. Other than that, there wasn't much in the way of free agent signings that will make Seahawks fans overly excited going into 2022. 2022 Draft Class Seattle had nine selections in this year's draft, which they split almost evenly between the offense and defense. They selected Charles Cross at #9 overall, who will start at left tackle immediately, while 3rd-rounder Abraham Lucas will start at the opposite tackle position. Boye Mafe, Kenneth Walker, and Coby Bryant will serve as important backups, garnering significant playing time as the season progresses. The Seahawks will hope Bo Melton and Dareke Young develop into quality receivers behind their current starters. Season Schedule The Seahawks will take on the NFC South and the AFC West to go along with their six divisional games. Their other three opponents are the Detroit Lions, New York Giants, and New York Jets. With an opponent prior season win percentage of .517, Seattle has the 11 hardest schedule in the NFL. Seattle's primetime games include one Thursday night game versus San Francisco and the first Monday night game of the season versus Denver where they'll host their former QB. Depth Charts Offense Defense Special Teams The Seahawks return 13 of their 22 offensive and defensive starters from a season ago, which is below average for all teams in the league. Geno Smith is currently listed as the team's starting quarterback, though it's almost a "lock" that Drew Lock will get his chance at some point in the season. Whoever is under center honestly has a pretty good offense around him with lots of weapons that can make a difference, namely D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. It's hard to tell how good the defense will be considering the heavy turnover that took place on that side of the ball in the offseason. I'm sure the defense will be seeking heavy turnover as well when the season kicks off. (*cue drum snare and cymbal*) Coaching Staff Pete Carroll will enter his 13th season as head coach of the Seahawks in what would seem to be the final stretch of his coaching career. His coordinators have varying degrees of experience in their respective roles with Seattle. Larry Izzo will take on his 5th season as special teams coordinator, Shane Waldron begins his 2nd season as offensive coordinator, and Clint Hurtt will be defensive coordinator for the first time after spending several seasons as defensive line coach. Betting Odds Oddsmakers have set the regular season win total for Seattle at just 5.5 games. As of right now, the Seahawks are the least likely team to win the NFC West and the 2nd least likely team to win the NFC. At +15000 to win the 2023 Super Bowl, they are tied for 28th among all teams in the league. Bucket Squad Predictions My expectations for the Seahawks are very low this season due to the quarterback who will be under center for them. They have some quality skill players on offense, but it'll be a chore to get them the ball on a consistent basis. If they couldn't find success last season with Russell Wilson, it's hard to believe they'll be any better with either Geno Smith or Drew Lock in his place.
I'm predicting Seattle to finish 5-12 this year and end up as the only team in the NFC West that won't make a playoff push in 2022. I'm guessing that another poor season could cause some coaching and roster changes as they potentially opt for an even heavier rebuild next offseason. What do you think? Will Seattle be better or worse than I'm projecting? What offseason moves made by the Seahawks surprised you the most? Leave a comment down below and be sure to check the "NFL" section of the website for more NFL team guidebooks as I finish them. Written by Nick Swatson
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AuthorExpert Nick Swatson discusses all the news, predictions, and outcomes surrounding the NFL. Archives
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