The Seattle Seahawks were one yard from winning back-to-back Super Bowls, and from the looks of the off-season it is highly possible for them to make another run at the Super Bowl in the 2015 season. In recent news the Seahawks re-signed Marshawn Lynch for a one-year deal worth $11 million dollars. Now that the mid is back selling in Seattle it almost at least guarantees them a spot in the playoffs. Yesterday, the Seahawks traded for All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham. With Graham in the fold it gives the Seahawks the ability to become more versatile in the passing game, which could alleviate the pressure off of the running game to carry the offense.
It’s no secret that the Seahawks success on the offensive side of the ball is based on the success of Marshawn Lynch. When Lynch is running at a high level, the passing opens up, and Russell Wilson is able to do magic with the read-option game. With an already potent defense, the Seahawks just became even more of a problem to deal with. Tight Ends are often known as the safety blankets for quarterbacks, and with Russell Wilson he hasn’t had in his short career. In this year’s Super Bowl, Wilson threw twenty-one passes in the game, and not one was thrown to a tight end. It makes a difference when a team has a productive tight end. When looking at a team like the New England Patriots having a top-tier tight end hides the fact that you do not need an elite wide receiver to play at a high level. The tight end position is so valuable, and having a player of Jimmy Graham’s magnitude will only make Russell Wilson more of a complete quarterback.
Wilson, who is already regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in the game will become more polished throwing to someone as talented as Graham. The Seahawks made the Super Bowl this past season with a mediocre receiving core, which is a testament of how good Russell Wilson is. To be honest, Wilson had a decent regular season by throwing standards by completing 63% percent of his passes to go along with 20 touchdowns and close to 3500 yards. To compare Wilson’s stats to the league average at the quarterback position, he is below par in all of those areas. The running element makes Wilson as dynamic as he is. Adding Graham will allow Wilson to save his body and run less, and his passing stats across the board will rise.
The Seahawks defense is known as one of the best if not the best defense in the NFL, and it looks like the offense is gearing up enough fire power so that the defense can rest as well. It pains me to say this, but the Seahawks are here to stay, and by adding Jimmy Graham to the team it has officially made them the most complete and dangerous team in the NFL.
