5 Seattle Seahawks with unrealistic expectations in 2024
By Lee Vowell
12s have seen the Seattle Seahawks make more moves this offseason than in any year since 2010. There is a new coaching staff, and new starters at many positions. How quickly players can learn and execute the new schemes could decide if Seattle has a successful 2024.
Seahawks fans are not going to expect their favorite team to be much worse off this year, though. Many rightfully feel the team should be better. That is why changes are made, after all: To improve.
There will be a lot of pressure on the new Seahawks to keep up what has mostly been a winning tradition over the last decade. Anything less than getting close to a winning record might mean many new members of the organization will be on short stays. One player on this list, however, might simply be held back by the players around him.
Laken Tomlinson - Seattle Seahawks left guard
Seattle rebuilt its offensive line this offseason, and the team needed to. The Seahawks were 31st in terms of pass-rush win rate in 2023, and not much better against the run. Seattle's O-line has not been very good for many years. For the offense to work a maximum efficiency under new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, the offensive line has to be better.
No longer with Seattle are 2023 starters Damien Lewis, Phil Haynes, and Evan Brown. Either Christian Haynes or Anthony Bradford will take Haynes' spot at right guard, Olu Oluwatimi is expected to start at center, and Tomlinson should start at left guard. Tomlinson is a veteran who has been quite good at times during his career, but in the last two years, he has digressed.
There is a chance that the 32-year-old Tomlinson is simply old for an offensive lineman and his peak years are long gone. He might not help Seattle much at all. The issue is that Seattle does not have a proven backup at left guard and the entire line would suffer if Tomlinson is bad. He is certainly expected to be as good as Lewis was over the last four years. Any more digression and Seattle might wish they had just kept Lewis.