These five Seahawks are primed for great seasons

Paul Richardson dashes in at number two

Richardson has shown flashes of brilliance in limited opportunities. Most of those limits were imposed by injuries. We already have a terrific breakdown of Richardson’s potential greatness, so I’ll just refer you to that.

Ah, you’re back. As you can see, Richardson was indeed great when the team needed him most. If you skipped the link, shame on you, but I’ll just mention this. In his last four games (regular and postseason combined) Richardson had 15 catches for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Over a 16 game slate, that’s eight touchdowns, and that would have led the team.

And as is mentioned in the same article, Richardson’s presence gets Jermaine Kearse off the field. Jermaine Kearse, renowned throughout the league for 41 catches on 89 targets. Yes I know Wilson likes him and they have a rapport. I have a feeling that rapport was a lot stronger in 2015, the one and only season in which he caught more than 58 percent of his targets. 2015 was a good year, but Kearse didn’t make anybody forget Steve Largent. If only he could help us forget Percy Harvin…ah, but that’s a subject for another time.

So why Richardson and not Tyler Lockett? To be honest, I’d place them as a dual entry if I could, but that’s not quite playing fair. Besides, the only question for Lockett is his health. He should be back in plenty of time to have on impact on the playoff picture, even if his recovery meets a few hiccups along the way. With Richardson, it’s all on him. Lockett proved himself already. It’s Richardson’s turn to prove he can be part of a great Seahawks aerial attack.