Three of the Seahawks biggest hopefuls have already been forgotten

Quarterback, DK Metcalf, quarterback quarterback, Jamal Adams’ finger, Russell freaking Wilson.

The record of Seattle Seahawks headlines this summer season has been predictably brief. Coaching camp is in its infancy, and it comes with a buzz round sure gamers, notable gamers, however the incorrect gamers.

Three guys have practically dropped off the notice radar, but for Seattle these are three of a very powerful gamers in the course of the rebuild yr. One is homegrown, whereas two have quietly come over from different groups this spring.

Uchenna Nwosu

The surface LB from the Los Angeles Chargers has been practically extraordinary since his signing in March. Nonetheless, he stays the large cross rush acquisition of the yr, regardless of the group drafting highly-touted Boye Mafe within the second spherical. It will take one thing that Mafe doubtless doesn’t possess for him to truly unseat the fifth-year starter.

Nwosu is our most impactful participant on the record for a few causes. First, clearly, it’s the Seahawks long-dreamt quest to truly have an effect on the quarterback. Second, Nwosu joins the thinnest place group of our three heroes, and instantly has probably the most expertise. Carlos Dunlap is gone. Benson Mayowa is gone. It’s Darrell Taylor, Nwosu, Alton Robinson, and Mafe. There isn’t a one else. There isn’t a L.J. Collier; he’s a figment of Pete Carroll’s creativeness.

If Nwosu’s 30 pressures from 2021 (greater than Taylor, Frank Clark or Josh Allen) converse of legitimacy, then this can instantly be a extra explosive duo than Seattle confirmed final yr. Taylor on one aspect and Nwosu on the opposite is extraordinarily thrilling, each of them paving the way in which for extra improvement of Mafe and Robinson rotating in.

Contract: 2-years, with $4.75 million useless cap subsequent yr. Theoretically might be lower, however which means the group needs him to stay and be right here for yr one of many re-launch in 2023.

Shelby Harris

The least-heralded member of the Denver commerce.

Nonetheless, Harris is tied for the fourth-most expertise on the present roster, and provides one thing new. The inside of the road for Seattle has been good and skinny for years, led final season by a profession yr from Al Woods, who’s the oldest participant on the group.

By Al Woods, who’s the oldest participant on the group by two years.

The Seahawks have been tremendous right here, however nearly as good as Woods and Poona Ford have been, with Bryan Mone impressing, none of them have constantly snuck by to have an effect on the quarterback. None of them have 5 – 6 sacks over a number of seasons. Not even as soon as.

Shelby Harris has accomplished that 3 times, and in accordance with Tyler Polumbus from 104.3 The Fan in Denver, is a ball-swatting specialist. And sure, the dude’s received 18 cross deflections within the final three years.

That, fairly merely, is game-wrecking from one of many sort out positions that, for the reason that Legion of Growth, has occurred precisely one time in a 2018 Jarran Reed season.

Of the trio from the Broncos, eyes are on Drew Lock and Noah Fant, nevertheless it’s Harris who has the best means to carry one thing new to the group this season.

Contract: two extra years, with a cap hit of $4.7 million this yr and $12.2 subsequent yr. Can be onerous to earn that second season.

Rashaad Penny

Discover me an inventory of 2022 High-10 working backs, and I’ll discover you a bunch of names that aren’t Rashaad Penny.

Look, they’re all purple so I did analysis.

Truly, neglect the top-10; he’s not on most individuals’s top-20, whereas as early as a month in the past one unnammed Pete Prisco reporter sort particular person had Chris Carson at 28 and Penny off the record altogether.

When Penny put collectively a better-than-Derrick Henry stretch, the individuals cheered.
(Not kidding, that occurred)

When the lights went off, the individuals returned to their typical methods.

This isn’t their fault.

Subject Gulls was partially stored afloat by being a beacon of honesty relating to one of many worst working backs many people had ever watched, for 4 years. Penny had an uncanny means to seek out each holes opened by his offensive line and run immediately into neither of them, with a stutter-stutter into Damien Lewis’ butt strategy.

However Seattle now has the perfect faculty runner backing up the perfect five-game working again within the historical past of the NFL*, and if you wish to give the longer term quarterback some weapons, I might assume DK Metcalf / Tyler Lockett + this working again duo is fairly worthwhile.

That is the yr for Penny. Again to his outdated methods, and he might eclipse Collier and Germain Ifedi as John Schneider’s worst choose. Again to his 2021 world-beating, and this group is totally loaded with offensive firepower to construct round.

Contract: earn it, please. On behalf of each 12 around the globe, earn it please.