The Seattle Seahawks were one of the most surprising teams in the NFL last season after going 11-5 and making the playoffs with rookie Russell Wilson and after making some big moves in the offseason with trades and free agent signings, the team is poised to make a Super Bowl jump this year.
Head coach Pete Carroll is taking some heat after Bruce Irvin was suspended for PED use and Josh Portis was arrested for DUI, but his outside the box thinking could be what puts the Seahawks over the top. According to NFL.com, Carroll is planning to use newly acquired wide receiver Percy Harvin from the Minnesota Vikings as a running back in some sets, in order to use his explosive ability the best ways he can. The team can be very flexible with Russell Wilson at quarterback and the explosiveness of Harvin is what offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will try to exploit.
The Seahawks were one of the most balanced teams in the NFL last season and scored a heap on offense and they are expected to do the same with Wilson, Harvin, Sidney Rice and Marshawn Lynch. Harvin said that he would be playing some sets at running back and will work mostly out of the slot, where he was super effective with the Vikings over the past few years, including last season when he got hurt in the middle of the season. Having Harvin in the fold will be a benefit for both Lynch and Wilson and his speed will give the offense a new dynamic going forward.
The team signed a number of big names in the offseason, including Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett and Antoine Winfield to add to a defense that already has Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman, while the offense is expected to be explosive. The Seahawks traded away backup Matt Flynn to the Raiders in the offseason and used the draft picks to add depth to the roster after ranking 27th in the league in passing yards per game, although that stat is a bit skewed based on the way Wilson played.
The Seahawks were a very balanced team and ranked third in the league in rushing yards per game with over 160 yards, while the defense was in the top 10 in both passing and rushing yards allowed per game with 200 passing yards and 103 rushing yards. The team will open the season with a road game against the Panthers before coming home to face the rival 49ers and then the team will go on an AFC South kick, playing the Jaguars, Houston Texans, Colts and Titans all in a row before two straight road games against Arizona and St. Louis. The team is expected to be one of the best in the NFC and could be the Super Bowl champion when everything is all done.