Best Case Scenarios for Seahawks Defense in 2017

With a healthier Earl Thomas, the Seahawks defense should be better defensively than 2016

We all know the truth. The Seahawks defense was not it’s real version by the end of the season. When Earl Thomas was injured near the end of the year, Seattle was not the same. Thomas’s replacement, Stephen Terrell, was not close to filling Thomas’s place. In fact, Seattle realistically saw so little in Terrell that the team has made no effort to re-sign the safety this offseason. Terrell was hesitant in his reactions allowing far too many passes to be completed over the middle distance. Against the Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs, Terrell was terrible. Time after time, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan hit seam passes for large gains.

Great news, though, 12s! Earl Thomas is back and appears to be healthy entering the 2017 season. The one real question mark is who the corner will be opposite Richard Sherman. Seattle is ready for a long run this coming season. Here are the best case reasons why for the defense.

Defensive Line

Seattle’s core players along the line, especially defensive end, are beasts. Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett and Frank Clark? All are capable of Pro Bowl status. Avril had 11.5 sacks in 2016. Clark had 10. Bennett was injured for part of the year and his numbers suffered. This season, all three will stay healthy and productive. Clark, who took a jump last year, takes another and has close to 15 sacks.

The reason the ends will be so productive is that Jarran Reed plays even better in his second season. Rookie Malik McDowell, really a top-five draft talent, comes in motivated and overwhelms single-blocker assignments with his athleticism and strength. Though Seattle has worked him out at defensive end this offseason, they will see McDowell’s value along the interior.

Seattle continues to stuff the run and as a result opposing quarterbacks feel like it is 2013 again when playing Seattle.

Linebacker

The Seahawks signed 134 linebackers to one-year contracts this offseason. So, that is not true, but it seems true. Seattle does not need much help at linebacker as the team plays a base of 4-2-5 quite a bit. Still, Seattle is excited about their deal with former San Francisco 49ers backer, Michael Wilhoite. Wilhoite fills the team’s SAM linebacker need and allows Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright to cover tight ends, rush the pass and be huge run-stoppers.

Let me be clear here, Bobby Wagner is the best middle linebacker in the NFL. He plays with aggression, speed and sideline-to-sideline athleticism. During the 2014 season, Wagner missed five games in the middle of the year. During those games, the Seahawks gave up an average of 20.4 points-per-game. The six games after his return, Seattle gave up only 6.5 points-per-game. Wagner is the third best player on the Seahawks after Russell Wilson and Thomas. In 2017, Wagner will have his best season and once again break the Seahawks record for tackles in a season.

Wright, always extremely underrated, stays his steady and great self. Wright and Wagner, and to a smaller degree, Wilhoite, help lead the Seahawks back to the top of the NFL in points-allowed defensively.

Defensive Backs

Thomas and Kam Chancellor and Sherman. Maybe think about those names for a moment, 12s. Relish this time the Seahawks have had them all together. These have been great years and would have been great for any team. Seattle could still have those three players for several years to come. In other words, these three have helped create an historic defense.

The big question is which player will play the other cornerback position. Rookie Shaquill Griffin may have a good chance to play early, though the Seahawks under Pete Carroll have not traditionally played rookies early in the secondary. Jeremy Lane may come back from a relative down year and play out wide and do extremely well.

Newly signed safety Bradley McDougald fills the role of the back who covers the slot, so his experience will be invaluable. At other times, McDougald plays back and Chancellor moves up to play the run. Three safeties may be the norm in the base defense in Seattle in 2017.

Rookies Tedric Thompson and Mike Tyson and Delano Hill fit the gaps as Seattle needs and play well. As the year goes on, the newcomers get more comfortable and add the type of quality depth Seattle did not have in 2016.

The Seahawks can make it back to the Super Bowl this year. In 2013 and 2014, defense led Seattle to the championship game. The unit will do so again this year. Seattle will win its second Super Bowl.

Related Story: Want the worst case scenario for the Seahawks defense? Read this.