Russ Cooking Elsewhere
You can't look at a Seattle Seahawks preview for 2022 without discussing one of the biggest moves in the offseason. The Russell Wilson trade to the Denver Broncos. Seattle got Drew Lock, Noah Fant, and Shelby Harris, 3 picks in the 2022 draft, and a 1st and a 2nd in next years draft. The Seahawks did very well in this trade, or at least as well as a team can do when trading away a franchise quarterback. However, the face of the organization is gone, and they no longer have an identity. Replacing him with Drew Lock might not bode well for 2022, but only time will tell.
Building Through the Draft
Seattle added 4 top-110 picks in the draft with OT Charles Cross out of Mississippi State headlining the incoming rookie class. Running back Kenneth Walker from Michigan State and OT Abraham Lucas from Washington State beef up their offensive profile. They haven't neglected the defense either. Boye Mafi from Minnesota and Coby Bryant from Cincinnati were taken in the top 110 picks. I really like Coby Bryant coming out of Cincy. He isn't as pro ready as his teammate Ahmad sauce Gardner who was taken by the Jets, but he can be a really good NFL corner. The influx of youth makes it difficult to get a grip on the Seattle Seahawks preview.
Changes in the Offense
Chris Carson is no longer on the roster. The RB1 announced his retirement after just 5 seasons in the NFL that was riddled with injuries. That creates a hole in the Running Back room, but Penny and Walker should be able to fill the void. D.K. Metcalf is now locked up with a new 3-year/$72 million dollar contract. The deal keeps DK in Seattle through the 2025 season. Whether it ends up being Drew Lock, or someone else taking the snaps in Seattle, they have a legitimate #1 option on the outside. Here's your Seattle Seahawks preview for the 2022 season.
Schedule Breakdown
9/12 vs. Denver Broncos (Monday Night Football)
9/18 @ San Francisco 49ers
9/25 vs. Atlanta Falcons
10/2 @ Detroit Lions
10/9 @ New Orleans Saints
10/16 vs. Arizona Cardinals
10/23 @ Los Angeles Chargers
10/30 vs. New York Giants
11/6 @ Arizona Cardinals
11/13 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Munich, Germany)
11/20 BYE
11/27 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
12/4 @ Los Angeles Rams
12/11 vs. Carolina Panthers
12/15 vs. San Francisco 49ers (Thursday Night Football)
12/24 @ Kansas City Chiefs
1/1 vs. New York Jets
1/8 vs. Los Angeles Rams
The NFL was very kind to the Seahawks in the month of September. They get the Russ reunion game out of the way, a game they should lose. They get Trey Lance in just his second game as full time starter, and maybe the least talented roster in the league, the Atlanta Falcons, at home. That's the spot for the first win of the season. October starts with a winnable game in Detroit. Winnable, but not a for sure win. After that the schedule beefs up. Honestly, I don't see very many games where the Hawks are competitive until week 14 outside of the home game against the Giants. I think they split the Giants game and the Panthers game. They get a lucky break with a home Thursday night game against a divisional opponent. I think they win this. I also think they could get their home game against the Jets.
Prediction: 3-14
Key Additions
LB Uchenna Nwosu (Los Angeles Chargers); 2-year/$12 million
DT Quinton Jefferson (Las Vegas Raiders);2-year/$9.5 million
G Austin Bythe (Kansas City Chiefs); 1-year/$4 million
CB Artie Burns (Chicago Bears); 1-year/$2.04 million
WR Marquise Goodwin (Chicago Bears); 1-year/$1.27 million
Fantasy Outlook
DK Metcalf is still a stud wide receiver, even without Russ throwing him the ball. Unfortunately Drew Lock is nowhere near Russ. Dk goes from a WR1 to a borderline WR2/3. he is still worth a starting spot, but it carries some risk with the change at QB. Tyler Lockett is going to take the biggest hit. He relied on the deep ball when Russ would extend plays, something Lock cannot do. I would not draft him until you get to your WR5 or 6 Rashaad Penny benefits (fantasy perspective) from the Chris Carson retirement. With rookie Kenneth Walker III providing the only competition for touches, Penny is an RB3 and could be a nice fill in for a bye week. Noah Fant has the relationship with Lock from Denver, and he can be rostered as a backup tight end.
Best Case Scenario
Best case for the franchise; Drew Lock stinks and they can draft either CJ Stroud or Bryce Young. On the field, I just don't think there's enough talent to be competitive in a tough NFC West.
Best Case: 6-11 (Wins vs. Atlanta, Detroit, Giants, Panthers, 49ers, and Jets)
