The Seahawks won the NFC West last season by an almost embarassing 7 game margin. If the division race had been more competitive, the Seahawks might have been given more respect. Needless to say, Seattle was far superior than the rest of the division in 2005. The Seahawks were not without problems as starting free safety Ken Hamlin missed most of the season with a fractured skull suffered outside of a nightclub. The secondary suffered additional injuries with starting CB Andre Dyson missing 6 games and nickel corner Kelly Herndon missing the final 4 games of the regular season. The team's top two wideouts also missed time. Darrell Jackson played in only 6 games due to a knee injury and Bobby Engram also missed 3 games with sore ribs.
The Seahawks lost All-Pro LG Steve Hutchinson to the Minnesota Vikings in free agency, and the team might be second guessing the use of the transition tag, instead of just franchising him. However, if any line in the league can absorb the loss of a pro bowl starter, it is Seattle. They added RT Tom Ashworth (New England) and tried to add depth when OG Rob Sims (Ohio State) fell to them in the 4th round. The Seahawks also have Floyd "Porkchop" Womack on the roster. It remains to be seen how well Seattle can cope with the loss of Hutchinson, but even if the offensive line is not as good as it was last season, it should still be one of the best in the NFL.
Other notable losses were WR Joe Jurevicius (Cleveland) and FS Marquand Manuel (Green Bay). Jurevicius and Manuel played key roles in the absence of Darrell Jackson and Ken Hamlin. The team added WR Nate Burleson (Minnesota) to bolster the receiving corps and Ken Hamlin looks like he will be back to resume his duties as the starting free safety. TE Ryan Hannam (Dallas) skipped town for more money, but Itula Mili should be back after missing last year with an intestinal blockage. The team also elected to release CB Andre Dyson (NY Jets). First-round pick CB Kelly Jennings (Miami-FL) will attempt to replace him in the starting line-up. The defense added one of the league's best playmakers in OLB Julian Peterson (San Francisco) as well as the huge DT Russell Davis from Arizona (6'4", 306). Second-round pick DE Darryl Tapp (Virginia Tech) could also press for playing time as a speedy pass rusher.
The Seahawks lost some excellent players in free agency, but countered those losses with free agents and solid draft picks that are expected to contribute right away on defense. The biggest concerns going into the season are filling the void at left guard and the play of the secondary with rookie Kelly Jennings and Ken Hamlin's return from his head injury. The addition of Burleson, a healthy Jackson and Engram, along with a fully-recovered Peter Warrick could make the wide receiver group one of the deepest in the league, even if they do not have a bona fide star. Peterson, Davis, and Tapp should improve an already young and talented defense.
The Seahawks have some questions marks, and could be in trouble if Hamlin is not able to play (although it seems increasingly likely he will be fine). It would make fans feel a lot better if the team could sign a veteran QB as insurance in case Matt Hasselbeck goes down with an injury. The team would be hard pressed to win the NFC West by 7 games again, but does have a solid shot to repeat last year's 13-win effort.
Key Additions: OLB Julian Peterson (SF), WR Nate Burleson (MIN), DT Russell Davis (ARI), CB Kelly Jennings (R), OT Tom Ashworth (NE), DE Darryl Tapp (R)
Key Losses: LG Steve Hutchinson (MIN), WR Joe Jurevicius (CLE), FS Maruqand Manuel (GB), CB Andre Dyson (NYJ), TE Ryan Hannam (DAL)
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