DANNY AND GALLANT

Gallant: 3 issues the Seahawks could get away with not fixing in 2021

Jan 21, 2021, 8:44 AM

Seahawks Shaquill Griffin...

Shaquill Griffin could be too expensive for the Seahawks to bring back. (Getty)

(Getty)

New Year’s resolutions are never entirely realistic. Check that. For you, they might be. But for me, they’re just… cute.

Why does Seahawks’ ‘very wide net’ of OC candidates include Gase?

“Aww, Pawlie! You’re going to get six-pack abs, learn Spanish AND how to play the guitar while getting your boating license this year? Adorable.”

My pursuit of self improvement is a never-ending list, and my inability to check off all the boxes drive me crazy.

You know what else isn’t realistic? An NFL team fixing all its faults in one offseason. The salary cap and a draft order that rewards the league’s worst ensures a whole lot of “The NFL is an 8-8 league, you guys” commentary from January through August.

That’s not to say that a team like the Seattle Seahawks can’t fix any of their problems in one offseason. But with limited cap space and just one draft pick (a second-rounder) in the first three rounds, they’ll have to prioritize some at the expense of others – Jjst like I’m saying “¡Adiós, español y guitarra!” because boating with a better bod at least sounds like the making of a stupendous Seattle Summer.

So what issues can the Seahawks get away with neglecting this offseason? Let’s look at three.

3. Let Russ cook… with the same exact ingredients?

If Pete Carroll wants the Seahawks to prioritize running the football efficiently in 2021, he’s going to need a quality running back, which means Chris Carson or someone of similar skill needs to be on the roster.

A passing attack can never have too many weapons. Just ask the Kansas City Chiefs, whose offense features Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman. So much speed. So hard to stop.

Seattle’s 1-2 wide receiver tandem is special. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett should be enough, right? Can’t this offense get by with those two, David Moore and Freddie Swain at wide receiver, plus an actually healthy Phillip Dorsett?

Tight end may be a different story. Greg Olsen and Will Dissly weren’t as dangerous as they looked on paper. Improvement at that position may bank on Colby Parkinson, their massive (6 foot 7, 251 pounds) fourth-round pick from 2020.

2. How bold will the Seahawks be in the defensive backfield?

Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar are free agents this coming offseason, and it stands to reason that Griffin will be expensive to keep. He might not be Jalen Ramsey, but considering what the Giants got out of free agent cornerback James Bradberry last season, there’s got to be at least one team who’ll offer him a hefty payday.

The Seahawks have a history of finding defensive backs who are diamonds in the rough, and I’m wondering if they’d be willing to let both Griffin and Dunbar walk. D.J. Reed, an undersized cornerback who actually played well on the outside for Pete Carroll and company, was a revelation in 2020. With a hopefully healthy Marquis Blair at nickelback in 2021, could Seattle experiment with another undersized corner like Ugo Amadi on the outside? I think he might be capable. Why not try it?

1. Does it even matter how the Seahawks address the O-line?

Death. Taxes. Russell Wilson getting sacked 40-plus times a season. These things are givens.

I agree with our own quarterbacks at 710 ESPN Seattle – Jake Heaps and Brock Huard – who believe the Seahawks need difference makers on their offensive line this offseason. Duane Brown, who’ll be 36 next season, is the only one they have. Ethan Pocic, Brandon Shell and rookie Damien Lewis are solid building blocks. It’s hard to see them being anything more than that. So with all that in mind, limited cap space, and just one pick in the first three rounds, is it realistically possible for the Seahawks to significantly upgrade their offensive line?

As much as I want to say yes, Seattle doesn’t have the resources to do that. My hope is that a better offensive coordinator – one who coaches Russell Wilson to get the ball out more quickly and designs roll-outs away from teams with great interior pressure – will be enough for the Hawks to “caulk the wagon and float” through 2021.

Follow Paul Gallant on Twitter.

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Gallant: 3 issues the Seahawks could get away with not fixing in 2021