Predicting Seahawks starters on 2021 offense post wave one of free agency

With running back Chris Carson re-signed and wave one of free agency over, who will start on the Seattle Seahawks offense in 2021? And will the offense be more productive? That last question, of course, won’t be answered until Seattle plays games this coming season but on paper the offense doesn’t have much, if any, more talent than it had last year.

Still, Seattle will have a new offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron and did trade for a good left guard in Gabe Jackson. While Seattle still might need to find a viable option at third receiver, they added tight end Gerald Everett who can catch as well as block.

So except for maybe one position, the offense seems set for next year. Now let’s just hope they don’t fade at the end of the year.

Predicting the Seahawks starters in 2021

Quarterback – Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson didn’t and won’t get traded. Will the 2022 offseason be different? Maybe, especially if the Seahawks underperform during the 2021 season. But for now, Wilson is the quarterback in Seattle and a good one.

Running back – Chris Carson

While Pete Carroll might want to use a fullback a lot more, Seattle doesn’t and Shane Waldron won’t either. Nick Bellore was re-signed but he is a great special teams player and doesn’t see a lot of snaps at fullback. But Chris Carson is a very good running back and is back for at least two years and should work great in Waldron’s offense.

Receivers – Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf and Freddie Swain

Lockett and Metcalf are clearly going to be starters for as long as they wear a Seahawks uniform and both are really good. I don’t think Antonio Brown ends up in Seattle which means Swain will get a chance to start as the third wideout with David Moore signing elsewhere.

Tight end – Gerald Everett

I do think Will Dissly gets a lot of snaps as well, maybe more than Freddie Swain does at receiver, but if Seattle has just one tight end on the field then the majority of the time it will be Everett. Everett is a good blocker (though not as good as Dissly) but a better receiver. Plus, he played for the Rams in recent years so Shane Waldron knows him well.

Offensive line

Left tackle Duane Brown

Left guard Gabe Jackson

Center Ethan Pocic

Right guard Damien Lewis

Right tackle Brandon Shell

Pocic was re-signed and will be the starter at center for the Seahawks. While Seattle might draft a player who can play center, Pocic is going to be the starter in 2021. Jackson and Lewis should form a great interior and help Pocic be better. Brown is still a top-notch left tackle and Shell can be good if he can actually stay healthy.

The Seahawks offense can be better this coming year as it will presumably have better direction under Waldron. A late-season fade was the reason Seattle didn’t advance in the playoffs, not the defense. Assuming the offense is better, Seattle should advance deeper in the playoffs.