Niner Noise
FanSided

NFC West power rankings heading into the 2018 offseason

By Peter Panacy

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 31: Lance Dunbar #25 of the Los Angeles Rams runs in a touchdown past Ahkello Witherspoon #23, Adrian Colbert #38 and Dontae Johnson #36 of the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of a game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 31: Lance Dunbar #25 of the Los Angeles Rams runs in a touchdown past Ahkello Witherspoon #23, Adrian Colbert #38 and Dontae Johnson #36 of the San Francisco 49ers during the second half of a game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 31, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 31: Quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks jogs off the field after their loss to the Arizona Cardinals at CenturyLink Field on December 31, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Arizona Cardinals beat the Seattle Seahawks 26-24. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – DECEMBER 31: Quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks jogs off the field after their loss to the Arizona Cardinals at CenturyLink Field on December 31, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. The Arizona Cardinals beat the Seattle Seahawks 26-24. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

3. team. 36. . 2017 Record: 9-7. . Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks are no longer the big, bad dogs of the NFC West. No, they’ve relinquished that title and head to a very crucial offseason.

All that started with a massive overhaul of the coaching staff under head coach Pete Carroll. Carroll stays, but his coordinators are brand new, along with various other staff members.

Cracks showing? Perhaps. But there are bigger issues to worry about here.

First, the Seahawks have just $14,123,861 in cap space, per Over the Cap. Quarterback Russell Wilson will likely be seeking a contract extension before his deal is up in 2020. And six-time Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas is scheduled to hit free agency a year from now. Cornerback Richard Sherman will be 30 years old and is coming off a serious Achilles injury.

Reasons to Be Excited

One word: Wilson.

Wilson is on the verge of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks, and his efforts are enough to keep this team in contention.

And while the Seattle defense might not poise as big a threat as years gone by, it’s still a potent unit. After all, this unit allowed an average of just 4.9 yards per play last season — tied for third best in the league. The question will be continuity, though, so we’ll have to monitor whether or not the Seahawks can transform their efforts from aging veterans, like defensive end Michael Bennett, to younger contributors like EDGE Frank Clark.

GLENDALE, AZ – NOVEMBER 09: Cornerback Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks walks on the field during a break from the second half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on November 9, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Seahawks defeated the Cardinals 22-16. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – NOVEMBER 09: Cornerback Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks walks on the field during a break from the second half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at the University of Phoenix Stadium on November 9, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Seahawks defeated the Cardinals 22-16. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Reasons to Worry

This, from OTC’s Jason Fitzgerald:

"They will open up some room by cutting Cliff Avril and restructuring contracts but they are in a real risky phase right now because if they re-invest in these same players they are going to be the oldest team in the NFL for the next few seasons and it’s a roster already trending down. Seattle’s great drafts at the start of their run bailed them out from bad contracts and they need another draft like that. The Seahawks run the risk of becoming a big salary cap mess if the decisions they make this offseason don’t work out."

Seattle made Fitzgerald’s list of teams with the worst cap situations heading into 2018. And it isn’t as if the Seahawks’ NFL Draft situation is much better.

The Seahawks have nine picks in April’s draft, but only two (Nos. 18 and 116) come within the first four rounds. That puts a lot of pressure on general manager John Schneider to have home-run picks in the later rounds of the draft.

Easy to do? Not exactly.

Oh, and we didn’t even mention Seattle’s offensive line ranked 31st in run blocking and 26th in pass protection, per Football Outsiders, a year ago. That, and the lack of a running game is still a major problem.

2018 Prediction: 7-9