Seattle Seahawks: 2018 Season preview, prediction and more

Defense Preview

With Earl Thomas still holding out, the heart of the Seahawks defense is clearly Bobby Wagner. Wagner is easily one of the league’s top tier defenders and will be in competition for the Defensive Player of the Year award. He’s going to have to play at that level too, because this isn’t the same Seahawks defense that we’ve seen in the past.

Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, and Richard Sherman all left the Seahawks after long, award studded tenures with the team. Kam Chancellor will never play another football game after diagnoses deemed the neck injury he suffered last season dangerous enough to be career ending.

And I already mentioned that Thomas is holding out and seems to have no intention of returning to the team without a lucrative new deal, which the team isn’t going to give him. On top of that Sheldon Richardson also left the team this offseason after the final year of his deal ended.

Those are five legendary Seahawks with deep ties and experience in the team’s system and locker room and a quality player in Richardson who will not be contributing to the team this season. Maybe Thomas changes his mind and reports, but that isn’t looking like a popular option right now.

With all of that being said, 2018 will serve as a learning year for young defenders such as Shaquill Griffin, Rasheem Green, and a plethora of other first through third year players. For the defense to hold its own this season, veterans Frank Clark and K.J. Wright will need to step up their games to a whole new level.