Top 3 reasons why Seattle Seahawks could underperform in 2023

The Seahawks exceeded expectations in 2022 and seemed to add more talent this offseason, but for several reasons, Seattle could fail to meet expectations in 2023. There might even be a feeling that Seattle should be expected to be better than the team is ready for. The talent appears to be there, but teams need a lot more than simple talent to be very good.

We might have gotten a little spoiled last year when it came to the rookies, for instance. Tariq Woolen was much better than anticipated early in his career. Kenneth Walker was good, but he also showed he might get banged up easily.

Geno Smith was excellent for most of the season, though to be honest the offense struggled more in the second half of the season. The question remains whether Smith is actually good enough to lead the team on a deep playoff run. Plus, just because the Seahawks have talent doesn't mean other teams simply have more. Here are some reasons why Seattle might underperform this coming season.

Reasons Seahawks underperform in 2023 No. 1: The O-line

I think Seattle is set at offensive tackle for a long time. Charles Cross and Abe Lucas should be good bookends for the next five years or more. Plus, a year of seasoning for both players should make them even better in 2023. But what if Cross is never anything but better than average at left tackle? As the number 9 overall pick in 2022, the expectation is that he is a Pro Bowler one day, but maybe he's never good enough.

As far as the middle of the line, we don't know if free agent signee is even good enough to start at center over the fifth-round rookie, Olu Oluwatimi, that Seattle chose in the 2023 draft. Nor do we know if veteran Phil Haynes is good enough to start over another 2023 draftee, Anthony Bradford. Plus, relying on so many young offensive linemen could doom the season as they are bound to make mistakes.