Seahawks: Projected 2016 starters and the next man up

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Oct 12, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis (58) holds up the ball after recovering the fumble against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at CenturyLink Field. Dallas defeated Seattle 30-23. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports /

Strongside Linebacker

Starter: Kevin Pierre-Louis

Backup: Eric Pinkins

Another wide open position on the Seahawks roster is at strongside linebacker. Bruce Irvin left in free agency and joined the Raiders, and the Seahawks didn’t sign or draft a replacement.

Instead, they’ll look for one of the in-house options to step up and claim the spot. While that may seem risky, the strongside linebacker only plays about one-third of the snaps. This isn’t a high profile spot in Seattle’s defensive scheme.

The leader to win the starting job right now is Kevin Pierre-Louis. While he’s a better fit on the other side of the formation, the Seahawks love his speed and will look for ways to get him on the field.

The projected backup, and a dark horse candidate to win the starting job, is former safety Eric Pinkins. Pinkins is a tremendous athlete with good coverage skills. All that’s left is to show he can handle stopping the run.

Next: Middle Linebacker

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