Seahawks Offseason: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Jul 27, 2013; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks offensive and defensive line run drills during the 3rd day of training camp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

It seems unbelievable to think the Seattle Seahawks will be playing a preseason game in just a couple days. Thousands of Seahawks fans will gather at The Clink to watch a game that means nothing while cheering like it means everything. It’s been a long, and sometimes strange road leading up to one of the most hyped seasons in Seahawks history and the preseason is the next chapter of the story. But before the Seahawks head down to San Diego, let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly moments of the Seahawks offseason and training camp.

THE GOOD…

Last season at this time a veteran, an untested backup, and a third round draft pick were vying for the starting quarterback job in Seattle. While the right man won the job, he did so with only a third of the reps. This season, Russell Wilson is the only man running the show and the whole offense stands to benefit from his talent and leadership. If Wilson can lead his team to an 11-5 record with only a third of the reps, imagine what can happen when he has all of them.

There were many great additions to the roster this off season. Perhaps none more important than Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett. It’s no secret that pressuring the quarterback is a point of emphasis with this team going forward and snagging two of the best available defensive lineman is a great place to start. It will be interesting to see if the sack totals can increase this season with these two guys in the trenches.

It seems wrong to put the loss of Gus Bradley in the “good” section, but his success should be celebrated. One, because its  well deserved, and two because his hiring by the Jacksonville Jaguars shows that the rest of the NFL is taking notice of what’s going on in the Northwest. And let’s not forget that newly hired defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has the ability to pick up right where Bradley left off.

THE BAD…

PED problems continued to plague the Seahawks this off season. Following the four game suspension of Bruce Irvin, questions arose about whether or not the Seahawks were doing enough to discourage players from using banned substances. Pete Carroll has assured everyone that the problem is under control so hopefully the PED trend in Seattle has reached it’s end.

After losing a first round draft pick and dropping a 67 million dollar contract, the Seahawks have an elite receiver on the sidelines for most of the 2013 regular season. Acquiring Percy Harvin seemed like the last piece of the Seahawk’s Lombardi puzzle. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like he will see the field until November at the earliest. It will be up to the other talent receivers on the roster to carry the load until then.

THE UGLY…

The rivalry between the Seahawks and 49ers might not be ugly yet, but the off season back and forth between these two teams may lead to some ugly matchups this season. Going back and forth on acquiring free agents, subtle verbal jabs among coaches, and player trash talk were a constant occurrence this off season when these teams were concerned. We’ll see how this animosity translates to field when they meet in Seattle in week two.

These are just a few of the highs and lows from this exciting off season and training camp. Now it’s time to see if the the Seahawks can live up to the hype as they enter the preseason.