3 burning questions the Seahawks offense must answer at training camp in 2023

Seattle Seahawks training camp starts on July 26th, so less than two weeks away. There will be lots of position battles to watch across the entire team, of course. Such as who will start at cornerback in Week 1? Devon Witherspoon or Mike Jackson?

Offensively, the Seahawks seem set at most spots, but the offensive line is a bit unsettled. More on that in just a bit. But there is seemingly lots of talent, especially at the skill positions of wide receiver and running back.

But Seattle also has a lot of unanswered questions on offense. Can offensive coordinator Shane Waldron take the weapons given and mold them into a dangerous unit is one question. A second question is how well the young running back unit can be. Here are three more that are worth checking on in training camp.

How quickly can Seahawks rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba acclimate?

Seattle has several rookies that might get a bunch of playing time in 2023, but more eyes will likely be on Smith-Njigba than any other offensive rookie. He has the potential to transform the offense and ope up tons of space for the running game and fellow receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Due to Smith-Njigba's route-running and ability to create splash plays, he can hold defenses more honest so they can't load up in the box playing the run and Lockett and Metcalf might see fewer double-teams.

But that is only if Smith-Njigba is as good as thought out of college and doesn't have much rust. Due to a hamstring injury in 2022, he didn't play but three games last year for Ohio State and only caught 5 passes. He was fantastic in 2021 when he caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards and 9 touchdowns. But that was at the college level and the speed of the NFL is clearly a whole lot faster than what Smith-Njigba faced in the Big 10.

So far, several Seahawks, including quarterback Geno Smith, have raved about Smith-Njigba's polish and adaptability in learning the Seahawks' pass routes. If he is completely healthy and since Seattle already has Metcalf and Lockett to take the focus somewhat off of Smith-Njigba, he should have an excellent rookie year. But if he isn't quite ready yet, the Seahawks' offense may be no better than it was in 2022. They were good last year, but not good enough to beat very good opponents.