Projected Starting Lineup for Your 2017 Seahawks
By Lee Vowell
Check back in December to see how bad this post-draft Seahawks depth chart projection was (or, you know, please come back every day to read the site; Thanks!)
The Seattle Seahawks’s offensive line is singularly difficult to predict. The entire Seahawks lineup is mostly impossible. Today, 12s, I attempt to overcome that impossibility while making a fool of myself. Here is what I think Seattle’s starting lineup will look like game one versus the Green Bay Packers.
Defense
I am going to assume that 65 percent of the time the opposing to team could be passing or threatening to pass. I could do this projection as down one and first snap of the season. This would be silly. Seattle will not use as its base defense a run defense formation. Closer to the season we will do all kinds of crazy lineup projections, but this is a more simple one. This is what the lineup will look like for the majority of the snaps in week one.
Defensive Line
Left Defensive End Frank Clark
Left Defensive Tackle Michael Bennett
Right Defensive Tackle Malik McDowell
Right Defensive End Cliff Avril
Simply, McDowell is expected to be the interior pass rusher that the Seahawks did not have in 2016. Jarran Reed and Ahtyba Rubin are not the answer. Bennett will move inside and Clark will play outside.
Linebacker
Right Linebacker K.J. Wright
Left Linebacker Bobby Wagner
The linebackers are set. Both are really good. In the Seahawks scheme, two linebackers are all you need. If one of these fine fellows go down due to injury (please please please no!), one should expect free agent-signee Michael Wilhoite to take on a bigger role.
Cornerback
Left Cornerback Richard Sherman
Right Cornerback Jeremy Lane
Lane was not as good in 2016 as he had been previously. Seattle needs him to be much better to start the season. DeShawn Shead will miss at least the first half of the season with injury. Other players who could play corner, one of them being recently-drafted Shaquill Griffin, are so new that it might be ugly to spend their first week of real games in the NFL facing Aaron Rodgers.
Safety
Free Safety Earl Thomas
Strong Safety Kam Chancellor
Slot Bradley McDougald
My expectation is that McDougald will be relied upon to play the slot a bunch early in the year. His experience will be invaluable until newer Seahawks can learn the system. Delano Hill will probably also play quite a bit. Plus, Thomas should be back! He is the best football player in Seattle. Other than Russell Wilson, Thomas makes the Seahawks who they are.
Offense
For offense I am going with a bit more basic formation. I will have three wideouts, one tight end, five linemen and one running back. In my opinion the Seahawks are better off with a fullback. I think they need to make an effort to re-sign Marcel Reece. Reece is versatile and can catch and block. He would make Seattle better. I also think that Seattle plays Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise a lot on first and second down and passing downs. Eddie Lacy will be the starting running back in week one, if not beyond, however.
Offensive Line
Left Tackle Luke Joeckel
Left Guard Ethan Pocic
Center Justin Britt
Right Guard Mark Glowinski
Right Tackle Germain Ifedi
Seattle has made too many comments about Glowinski moving to the right side for that not to happen. I also think they paid Joeckel too much money to not have him play outside. Pocic sneaks in at guard having played the position some in college. Ifedi finally moves outside where we expected him to be all along. Britt needs to be the center of the future and needs to be offered an extension.
Running Back
1st and 2nd Down Eddie Lacy
3rd Down C.J. Prosise
The issue for Rawls is that he is not a better fit on any one down more than Lacy or Prosise. He has not proven to be consistently healthy enough to be The Guy. Neither has Prosise, but he is a weapon that has to be used in the passing game. Finally, Lacy against Green Bay in week one? Hello!
Quarterback
Trevone Boykin
I am joking. Of course. It’ll be Jake Heaps. (Russell Wilson. Duh.)
Tight End
Jimmy Graham. What do you want me to say? Nick Vannett?
Wide Receiver
Left Wide Receiver Tyler Lockett
Right Wide Receiver Paul Richardson
Slot Doug Baldwin
Lockett and Richardson and Baldwin all healthy on the field at the same time. Let me repeat that. Lockett and Richardson and Baldwin all healthy on the field at the same time.
Specialists
Kicker Blair Walsh
Punter Jon Ryan
Kick Returner Lockett
Punt Returner Lockett
Walsh could be good with Seattle. Did he have the yips at the end of his Minnesota Vikings career? Yes. He still has the potential to be an All Pro, though. Ryan is solid. And if Lockett were returning kicks against the Falcons in the playoffs last year, he scores twice. Devin Hester was great. But Lockett scores twice.
The lineup will change because of injuries and production as 2017 goes on, of course. But week one this is how I see it. The Seahawks can be great this coming season. If each player lives up to their potential, they will be.