Seattle Seahawks: 5 Players who must step up in 2020
By Samuel Teets
After not appearing in the NFC Championship game for five seasons, the Seattle Seahawks need players to raise their output to another level.
Last year, the Seattle Seahawks finished the regular season with an 11-5 record and went to the Divisional Round. Since missing the playoffs in 2017, Pete Carroll’s squad has slowly improved each year. However, the team still needs an extra boost if it wants to reach another Super Bowl. Specifically, several players could elevate Seattle to a new level in 2020.
The Seahawks revolve around Russell Wilson on offense and Bobby Wagner on defense. The two future Hall of Famers stand as the pillars keeping Seattle’s franchise competitive. As both players prepare for their ninth seasons in the league, the Seahawks must consider their timeline for playoff success. If the team doesn’t put together a run in the next several years, things could fall apart.
The 2019 season proved that Seattle can still compete with the best teams in football. However, highly productive seasons from the following five players could put the Seahawks in a category of their own.
5. Rotating offensive linemen
Seattle got busy in free agency, retaining and signing plenty of new bodies upfront. Specifically, the Seahawks brought back center Joey Hunt and guard Mike Iupati for the 2020 season. The team reached deals with free agents like B.J. Finney, Cedric Ogbuehi, Brandon Shell and Chance Warmack.
Seattle always excels when it comes to running the football. However, the offensive line still struggles to protect Wilson. The superstar quarterback took a league-leading 48 sacks in 2019. Since entering the NFL in 2012, Wilson has hit the deck 347 times. To put that in perspective, Tom Brady has only taken 297 sacks since 2009.
Wilson does a fantastic job avoiding large hits and still possesses excellent mobility, but he’s already 31 years old. Not even the most athletic quarterbacks can scramble forever. It’s time the Seahawks started providing better protection for their star quarterback.
It’s unlikely all of Seattle’s offseason additions along the offensive line will make the final roster, but those that do must come through when they see playing time.