Michael Bennett is gone.
Richard Sherman looks like he will be gone.
Marshawn Lynch is gone.
Jimmy Graham is most likely gone.
Darrell Bevell and Tom Cable are gone.
Cliff Avril and Kam Chancellor might not play this season, or possibly ever again.
The Seattle Seahawks are going to look different this year. It has been easy to think that they could stay together and perform at an historic level forever. Sadly, this is not the case. One of the hardest things in sports to do is to let go of a beloved player or coach, this is why the Seahawks had tried so hard to keep so many of their biggest contributors. I loved it as a fan, I was emotionally connected to these people that had energized my favorite football team. I want to thank every one of them for the effort, hard work and time they spent making this team what it is today. We never would have made it to two Super Bowls or won all those games without you.
Now, I do not want to get everyone down with this article, so I am going to channel my energy into thinking about what the Seahawks still have.
Bobby Wagner is the best linebacker in the NFL, and is still a Hawk.
Earl Thomas is a Hall of Fame safety, and is still a Hawk.
Russell Wilson is the most dynamic playmaker the Seahawks have ever seen at quarterback, and is still a Hawk.
Pete Carroll and John Schneider have led the franchise to new heights of dominance, and are still with the team.
Doug Baldwin is one of the best receivers in the game right now, and is still a Hawk.
The Seahawks have many things to be optimistic about. The list of quarterbacks that are better than Wilson is very very short list. Most NFL teams wish they could have a quarterback like him. Bobby Wagner could have been a serious Defensive Player of the Year any of the past four years. He is a three-time All-Pro and is still as fast and smart as ever. This is a guy who did not miss a tackle in 2017 until he hurt his hamstring in week 13.
Earl Thomas is the key to the defense. He is more important than anyone right now. Thomas is the middle of our defense, he keeps everything in front of him and is a missile when going for a tackle. Doug Baldwin makes defenders look silly before and after the catch with his silky-smooth moves. Baldwin blocks as well as any other receiver in football, and has such a well-rounded game that he is impossible to cover every play.
I am optimistic about the Seahawks this year. They are a strong team with amazing players at several crucial positions, which is more than half the teams in the NFL can say. This offseason is tumultuous and it is easy to get swept up in the change and immediately call it bad. Seattle is clearing cap room and taking their chances on the NFL Draft which is how they found all these good players in the first place.
So, while I am sad about the people leaving Seattle, I am still glad about the people staying in Seattle.
