The Seahawks (9-7) just finished a disappointing 2017 season.
The offense had the same old issues, and the defense developed new problems. Even a terrific, fully healthy season from Russell Wilson wasn't enough to deliver double-digit wins and an NFC playoff berth for a sixth straight season.
Leave it to coach Pete Carroll, however, to put a positive spin on the fact that Seattle won't be playing another game this weekend.
"I couldn't feel more optimistic about our chances to be really good again," Carroll said in his season-closing press conference Tuesday. "I think there is a championship team sitting in this meeting room right here."
The good early news for the Seahawks in 2018 is that Carroll, 66, isn't retiring, and Wilson, 29, remains in his prime as NFL quarterback.
The bad early news is that Super Bowl-winning stalwarts Kam Chancellor, Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett don't look like they will be part of the plans.
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Wilson is still looking for more support from the offensive line and running game. Age and injuries have put the once-dominant defense in transition, especially on the back end, where the Legion of Boom is no longer supersonic.
It comes at a time when there's some changing of the guard in the NFC West. The Rams don't look like they're going anywhere for a while with their overdue rise to power with Jared Goff and Sean McVay. The 49ers have found another special QB-coach combination in Jimmy Garoppolo and Kyle Shanahan. The Cardinals, meanwhile, are facing an offseason full of overhaul with Carson Palmer and Bruce Arians both retiring.
It's good thing that, in contrast, the Seahawks have leaders experienced long-term success in Wilson and Carroll. That's a good foundation to stay in the playoff hunt regardless of what problems plague them, much like how Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy have allowed the Packers to be better they should have been. The difference is the Seahawks are already more settled in finding solutions to becoming a complete contender again.
Up front offensively, they traded for a legitimate left tackle in Duane Brown. Center Justin Britt has anchored another critical line position. Right tackle Germain Ifedi showed flashes of promise away from his struggles at guard.
They learned in the rushing attack that neither Thomas Rawls nor Eddie Lacy is the answer on early downs, and the not-durable C.J. Prosise may never live up to his upside on third downs. They found some new options in undrafted youngsters Chris Carson and J.D. McKissic, and then late with former 49ers backup Mike Davis.
The results overall weren't there in pass protection and rushing production, but Seattle was able to figure out a few things that worked to think it can significantly strengthen both weaknesses in 2018.
In turn, that will lead to Wilson going back to being as efficient as he is prolific.
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Defensively, when Carroll and Schneider put together such a formidable unit, it was based on finding consistent gems in the draft and supplementing them with the right veteran free agents for the system.
From 2010-12, Earl Thomas, Chancellor, K.J. Wright, Richard Sherman and Bobby Wagner were all drafted, in that order. Many other key contributors that came and went also were taken. What put everything over the top was the signing of Avril and Bennett in 2013.
Thomas, Wright and Wagner are still playing at a high level and aren't going anywhere, at least for 2018. Shaq Griffin looks ready to follow Sherman as a top cornerback, and the team found another steady cover man in Justin Coleman. That's a lot of pop in the back seven, even without Chancellor.
The Seahawks have gotten a good head start in rebuilding their defensive line. Frank Clark was outstanding in his first year as a full-time starting end. Fellow recent draftees Jarran Reed and Nazair Jones have continued the tradition of Seattle always having a good rotation of run-stopping tackles. Two first-rounders who fell out with other teams, Sheldon Richardson and Dion Jordan, played well, and Seattle should want both of them back.
Seattle's steadiness in systems under Carroll — offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell is going into season eight, defensive coordinator Kris Richard has picked up where Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn left off — allows it to recognize how to plug holes without high picks and reckless spending. With Wilson as the base, the Seahawks still have someone to mask where they're not up to task.
Injuries and personnel shifts hit the Seahawks in one big wave, but they were still able to survive and finish above. 500. As long as Wilson is their QB, they will have a chance, no matter how good the Rams stay and how good the 49ers become. And the track record of Carroll says they can get everything right to get Wilson a lot of help again soon.
