Seahawks report card: Cassius Marsh
By David Stobbe
Cassius Marsh established himself as a productive player on special teams and made significant progress as a pass rusher for the Seahawks last season.
Marsh’s sophomore season was encouraging as he began to show why the the Seahawks drafted him in the 4th round of the 2014 NFL draft. He started to put everything together last season, using his speed and energy to make a positive impact. Marsh also saw his playing time increase and he took advantage of the increased opportunities, especially on special teams.
Cassius Marsh was a spark plug on special teams and he made plays all over the field with his outstanding hustle and effort. His ability to make open field tackles on kickoff and punt coverage was a huge asset to the team. Pete Carroll values special teams, and one of the best ways to see the field and impress the coaches is by performing well in that department, and Cassius Marsh did just that.
Marsh also showed up on the defensive side of the ball as a pass rusher, and his improvement from his rookie to sophomore season was significant. Before an injury ended his rookie season, Marsh displayed athletic ability, but looked out of position much of the time. This year, though, Marsh started to use his high-motor and explosiveness for a purpose and made some really nice plays for the Seahawks’ defense.
One of the plays that stood out from last season was when Marsh stopped Adrian Peterson for a -1 yard rush in week 13. Marsh read the play perfectly and didn’t get fooled inside, but instead chased down Peterson, held contain on the outside and made a tough tackle. Being able to read that play and stop the best running back in the league is impressive, and it showed the progress Marsh has already made in the NFL.
With Bruce Irvin most likely leaving in free agency, Marsh has a great opportunity in front of him to take the majority of Irvin’s snaps as a pass rusher. Marsh is also a potential candidate to take Irvin’s starting spot at strongside linebacker. The Seahawks tried Marsh out at the SAM linebacker spot last offseason and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team give him a shot to win that position for the 2016 season.
Next: Seahawks report card: Tyler Lockett
Cassius Marsh is going to continue to build on a promising 2015 season and keep improving with every practice rep and game he plays in. Marsh is still very young, at 23 years of age, and has a lot to learn, but he made steps in the right direction last year. Keep your eyes on Marsh this coming season as he looks to take the next step in his career and start making waves around the NFL.