Seattle Seahawks

5 Things the Seattle Seahawks Must Do in 2016

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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What five things do the Seattle Seahawks have to do in 2016 to reclaim their throne in the NFC West?

The Seattle Seahawks struggled at times last season. However, they turned it on for the playoffs and almost made a return to trip to the NFC Championship game, narrowly losing to the Carolina Panthers in the divisional round. Now, the Seattle Seahawks will look to reclaim their spot stop the NFC West this season but they are going to do it using a different offensive philosophy.

Gone are the ground and pound days of Marshawn Lynch. With Lynch retiring, the Seahawks are going to open things up more offensively and be more balanced. This is Russell Wilson‘s offense (and team) now. And as a result, the offense will center more around him and the passing game.

Don’t worry Seahawks fans. Your team will still be physical and play good defense, they’ll just spread it out more than they have in the past. However, it’ll take more than that for this team to get back atop the division or back to the Super Bowl.

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Here are five things the Seahawks must do well in 2016 to achieve their goals.

1. Figure Out the Featured Running Back

Who will be the Seahawks new bell cow running back now that Marshawn Lynch has retired? Will it be Thomas Rawls? Christine Michael? Rookie C.J Prosise? The Seahawks need to figure who their starting running back will be and who they can lean on, especially late in games. My money is on Rawls, but don’t sleep on Michael after a strong preseason.

2. Play Well Along the O-Line

Offensive line coach Tom Cable will once again have his work cut out for him, but he has some young pieces to work with now. Rookie tackle Germain Ifedi is big, athletic, and versatile. He can play guard or tackle. Fellow rookie Rees Odhiambo is a mauler at guard and brings some nastiness to this group. The Seahawks will be better upfront this season, but there is no doubt Cable will earn his keep.

3. Jimmy Graham Must Rebound

The Seahawks paid a steep price for Graham. It is imperative that he is healthy and returns to form. If Graham can be what he was during his last season in New Orleans, the potentially explosive Seahawks offense will be even more dangerous.

4. Figure Out the “Other” Corner

We know who Richard Sherman is, but who will play the other cornerback spot? Will it be Jeremy Lane? Tharold Simon? The Seahawks need to figure it out if they want to continue to play the way they do schematically.

5. Replace Brandon Mebane

Mebane signed with the Chargers this off-season. His loss will be felt both on and off the field. The Seahawks drafted defensive tackle Jarran Reed from Alabama to replace Mebane, but replacing him in the locker room will be no easy task. Luckily for Pete Carroll and his coaching staff, he has plenty of other veteran leaders on this team. The question simply is which one of those veterans will step up and into that role.

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