Seattle Seahawks: Reasons for optimism in 2022
The Seattle Seahawks are starting over. The two main players from the past decade are gone. It’s time for a new era of Seahawks football.
It’s a new era in Emerald City football. 2022 will be the first time in a decade that Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner are not starting for the Seattle Seahawks. Taking the place of the first icon will be Geno Smith.
Another new thing is that the Seahawks’ defense shifts from its traditional 4-3 base to a 3-4 hybrid base defense. Meaning Jordyn Brooks and Cody Barton will be the inside linebackers. When something is new, it can be scary or exciting. It also tends to bring about some optimism. And just in case fans didn’t catch the title (I get it, I’m excited, too), that’s exactly what we’ll be talking about.
Let’s be honest; this season will probably be long, with wins few and far between. So, we need something else to look forward to and raise the excitement level. If you want to read the reasons to practice your Ebenezer Scrooge, check out my colleague Andrew Elerbaum’s work here. For my Kermit the frog friends who stay positive, let’s dive in.
The quarterback’s blind side protection
With their first pick in this year’s draft, the Seattle Seahawks selected left tackle Charles Cross out of Mississippi State. They hope he will be the team’s left tackle for the next decade. And that he’ll be able to protect the future franchise QB.
So far, so good on Cross. He seems to be what the team wanted. Now, Cross will have his “bumps” during his rookie season. There will be times when he looks silly or has a bad game. After all, he’ll be facing the best of the best edge rushers.
Defensive coordinators and line coaches will scheme ways to confuse and beat Cross. It’s just what is going to happen. So fans should remain positive and watch for his incremental growth and development this season. @geoffschwartz gives a great breakdown.
The @seahawks have found themselves a left tackle. This is an elite level play by Charles Cross. Empty protection. LB tries to bait Cross but he uses excellent footwork which allows him to get a piece of the DE so the QB can throw. pic.twitter.com/Mwh47U00tz
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) August 29, 2022