ESPN right in thinking Seahawks will be good for years to come
By Lee Vowell
ESPN isn’t always right about the Seahawks. But they are correct in saying Seattle will be good for at least three more years.
ESPN released a piece predicting the future success of NFL and the Seahawks ranked fifth. This means little, of course, because teams have to prove their abilities on the football field. But ESPN is correct in thinking Seattle has all the attributes to be good for a long time.
ESPN’s biggest worry about Seattle was the pass rush and secondary. I think this is where ESPN is wrong, though. Sure, the Seahawks pass rush and re-formed Legion of Boom does have to improve a lot if the team wants to get a sniff at the Super Bowl, but personnel changes can happen quickly in the NFL. In fact, those changes happen year to year and not three years at a time.
Seattle could easily be good at rushing the opposing quarterback and batting down passes in three years but be absolutely horrific in something that might be a strength in 2019. Think the running game here. Who knows how good the offensive line will be in 2022 if Duane Brown is no longer playing, for instance.
My biggest concern about Seattle’s future success is the fact that Pete Carroll might not be coaching in three seasons. Carroll is the most successful coach in Seahawks history but is also the oldest coach in the NFL. Maybe in three years he might decide he doesn’t want to coach anymore.
General manager John Schneider might be given an offer by another team he simply cannot turn down. Schneider seems to love the Seattle area but money is money. If someone wants to give you a much bigger salary, it might be a good reason to leave.
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Of course, the ESPN article came out just before training camps start so it is mostly just for fun. But one really nice thing to take away from ESPN’s thinking is that the network gives the Seahawks the best chance to be really good over the next three seasons of any other NFC West team. The Rams are 8th on the list. The 49ers are 24th. Arizona is 30th. Excellent news if ESPN is correct.