Seattle Seahawks 12th man flag (photo © Philip Bebbington III Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0)
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.
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.
D’Wayne Eskridge’s rookie season was a lost cause. He battled injuries all year, and unfortunately, they won out. The speedster is back for his second season and pseudo-rookie season. In watching the tape of Eskridge, there is certainly a lot of intrigue about him. The questionable thing is when the Seattle Seahawks drafted him. Many felt they could have drafted him later.
This season’s offense figures to be more ground and pound. Asking for Geno to win a game on his arm is a recipe for disaster. So, Eskridge might be utilized even more as a gadget player or jet sweeps or end-around runs. Basically, anything that can get a big chunk of yards for the offense. Kind of like how San Francisco uses Deebo Samuel.
Darrell Taylor finished last season tied for second on the team with 6.5 sacks. Carlos Dunlap led the team with 8.5 sacks, and Rasheem Green is the guy who tied Taylor. The edge rusher from Tennessee also finished third, behind the two previously mentioned guys, with 13 QB hits. Subsequently,
Taylor looks primed to have the best season of his career. He reminds me of some of the great outside linebacker rushers, like Terrell Suggs and Von Miller.
I’m not saying Taylor is either of them. However, he will be the guy who gives opposing offensive coaches sleepless nights leading up to game day. Teaming up with him will be free agent signee Uchenna Nwosu and rookie Boye Mafe. The Seahawks will count on the duo to terrorize opposing quarterbacks from the opposite side.
Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen are a couple of rookie cornerbacks who the Seattle Seahawkwant to team up with last season’s rookie revelation Tre Brown as the start of a new dominant defense. Both of these players need some work to be NFL-ready.
While not on that level yet, they both have many of the necessary tools to be highly successful at the NFL level. Bryant and Woolen will open the season as the second-string corners. Sidney Jones IV and Artie Burns are the starting cornerbacks as Brown works his way back from a knee injury.
The Buffalo Bills’ fan base is known as the “Bills Mafia.” The Seattle Seahawks fan base is called the “12’s”. However, they might be getting a new nickname. The Seattle Mafe (I will do whatever it takes to get this nickname to stick). Ok, maybe all of the Seahawks fans won’t be called it, but there should be at least a Mafe Section at Lumen Field.
Mafe is another rookie who with great potential. He is a bit of a project regarding his projected all-around game at the NFL level. However, he should be able to come in be a situational rusher to start the season. And if Nwosu doesn’t pan out, then Mafe can earn more snaps.
Kenneth Walker, out of Michigan State, was met with a lot of frustration and confusion by fans when the Seattle Seahawks drafted him in the second round. Sort of similar to Eskridge, many 12s felt the team should have drafted a QB, another offensive lineman, a cornerback, or just about any other position. Because at the time, Seattle had Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny.
Well, this selection by GM John Schneider shows that he knew more about what was going on with the team than any fan or reporter did. Carson has retired from football due to a neck injury. A very good and smart decision.
It also means Walker now projects backup to Penny. That is, whenever he returns from his hernia injury. Walker is a bit similar to Penny in that neither really offers anything as a receiving back. Then again, Walker doesn’t have an NFL injury history like Penny either.
So there you have it, the reasons for optimism for the upcoming 2022 NFL season. How many of these players will contribute to wins? The betting odds have the Seattle Seahawks winning just five games this season. Head coach Pete Carroll has never won less than six during his Seattle tenure.
The Seahawks open the 2022 season at home against Denver and their former quarterback. You can bet Lumen Field will be rocking from the opening kick. Also, most of this defense knows Russell. So, if you’re a betting person, it’d be a good idea to take Seattle in Week 1 with the upset. Let’s not let Russ ride.