2014 49ers' Opponents Review and Preview: Seattle Seahawks

This is the part of the opponents post in which I review what each team did last season. But, I can't seem to remember what happened to the Seahawks. I mean, I hear that they won the Super Bowl, but I can't technically prove it happened, you know? In the same way that I can't prove that you exist, I also can't prove that the Seahawks finished the season with a decisive victory over the Broncos en route to one of the more impressive (if not boring) wins in Super Bowl history. Similarly, I can't objectively demonstrate that this happened after the Seahawks, weathering a late-season lull from key members of their team, grabbed hold of the division title and never let go, finishing the season with a 13-3 record and the number one seed in the playoffs.

Don't blame me for the fact that our potentially unreliable minds and imperceptive senses don't allow us the opportunity to know for certain that the Seahawks won due to one of the most impressive defenses of the last few years - a defense that Football Outsiders ranked first in the league with an absurdly good -25.8% DVOA (table and brief explanation here). This defense, which may or may not have existed, in combination with an offense that limited mistakes and featured an explosive ground game and efficient passing game (such that they were ranked 7th and 8th in the league offensively by Football Outsiders), was a key component in the Seahawks' Super Bowl run and victory. You know, if that did actually happen.

And if the Seahawks had been active in the offseason with re-structuring certain elements of their team so that they can alleviate some short-term cap problems, then they would have cut WR Sidney Rice and DE/DT Red Bryant in addition to tendering CB Jeron Johnson and WR Doug Baldwin and re-signing G Lemuel Jeanpierre.

Free Agents:

Tarvaris Jackson, QB; Michael Robinson, FB; Arceto Clark, WR; Golden Tate, WR; Bryan Walters, WR; Kellen Davis, TE; Michael Bennett, DL; Breno Giacomini, OL; Paul McQuistan, OL; Chris Maragos, S; O'Brien Schofield, LB; Brandon Browner, CB; Anthony McCoy, TE; Steven Hauschka, K; Walter Thurmond, CB; Clinton McDonald, DL

Currently, most of the talk has surrounded the fate of DL Michael Bennett. He had an impressive season, and a few teams are going to pay interest. Well, that is no longer an issue. Reports now indicate he has signed a 4-year deal. Details are slowly trickling in, so we'll keep an eye out for them. The Seahawks were looking at $13,687,531 in cap space, so they had some room to work with for Bennett. There is no word yet on if this means they will in turn release Chris Clemons.

I expect the Seahawks to also try to keep WR Golden Tate, QB Tarvaris Jackson, and FB Michael Robinson around (and any Seahawks fans out there, feel free to correct me!). Since Bennett is first in line, so to speak, Tate et al. will have to wait until the free agency dust settles a bit.

In addition, the Seahawks will probably try to re-work portions of their offensive line. Russell Wilson could only do so much with his calm eyes and blue collar demeanor. Eventually somebody is actually going to have to block for him. This, however, might be addressed in the draft.

Draft Picks:

First round - own: 32^nd
Second round - own: 32^nd (64^th overall)
Fourth round - own: 32^nd (128^th overall)
Fifth round - Raiders: 6^th (134^th overall) (Matt Flynn trade)
Fifth round - own: 32^nd (160^th overall)
Sixth round - own: 32^nd (192^nd overall)
Seventh round - own: 32^nd (224^th overall)