Seattle Seahawks: 5 Burning questions for the 2020 season

3. Can Tre Flowers and D.K. Metcalf make the jump?

As the Seahawks prepare for the 2020 regular season, two men stand out as players who could transform from reliable starters to game-changers. Flowers and Metcalf joined the Seahawks as starters during their respective rookie seasons, but the team needs more production from both players.

Flowers found himself under heavy fire last season. Fellow starting cornerback Shaquill Griffin made a significant leap in his third season, which meant offenses began focusing on Flowers. The former college safety found himself getting dragged by the media and opposing wide receivers. While he’s a decent player, Flowers likely wouldn’t be a starter on a Super Bowl contender.

The Seahawks hope Flowers can follow in Griffin’s footsteps and raise his level of play this coming season. If Flowers struggles early in the 2020 season, he could lose his starting job to Quinton Dunbar. Seattle acquired Dunbar from Washington for a fifth-round pick. Dunbar is awaiting punishment for an offseason incident during which he allegedly played a role in an armed robbery. Dunbar is pleading not guilty.

While Flowers prepares for his third NFL season, Metcalf is still riding high from a promising rookie campaign. The Ole Miss product caught 58 passes for 900 yards and seven touchdowns last year. While Metcalf and Tyler Lockett form a dynamic duo, the Seahawks still need a superstar pass-catcher. If Metcalf expands his route tree, the ultra-athletic, 6-4 receiver could become an unstoppable force.