5 Seattle Seahawks who cannot afford to get complacent in 2024
By Lee Vowell
![These Seahawks cannot afford to get complacent. These Seahawks cannot afford to get complacent.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5337,h_3002,x_0,y_65/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/36/01hytnnd2gw0sa5ect4g.jpg)
Julian Love - Seahawks safety
There is likely no way that Love will become complacent, as that appears to go against his personality type. He is also entering the last year of his current contract. But Love also has to know that Seattle likes him. Every other key safety from 2023 was released this offseason, and there was no mention of Love leaving. Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams did have bigger contracts, but Love still has a cap hit of $8 million in 2024.
Love was a surprising Pro Bowler last year. The surprise was not that the safety was not good but that there were a few games when defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt did not see the need to play the best safety on the team much. There was simply no excuse for Hurtt's decision.
Love could have the best season of his career this season as Mike Macdonald knows how to use his safeties creatively. Plus, as Love can play either free or strong safety, he will probably be moved around a bunch in the scheme. Love could earn himself a massive contract next offseason with a great 2024.
Riq Woolen - Seahawks cornerback
The positive this offseason with Woolen is that he showed up to OTAs bigger. Not in terms of gaining a lot of weight, but he seems to have bulked up quite a bit with muscle. He obviously saw Seattle draft two cornerbacks in the 2024 draft and reacted as if he might be losing his job soon. Should he perform as he did in 2023 when he appeared unwilling to set a hard edge against the run and got toasted on crossing routes, then Woolen could be out of a job next offseason.
This would be quite the precipitous fall for a player who made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season of 2022. As a rookie, Woolen showed no fear and did not mind coming up and punishing a ball carrier. This seldom happened last year. Maybe Woolen played a bit scared after hurting his knee in minicamp, but he should be fully healthy now and needs to prove himself to the new coaches.