Rost: Ranking Seahawks players who are under the most pressure
Jul 19, 2024, 11:15 AM
The Seattle Seahawks are in an interesting position. There’s always pressure on an organization that’s won more often than not over the past decade to continue to win. That said, the burden of winning a Super Bowl isn’t being felt in 2024 by new head coach Mike Macdonald the way it is for fellow NFC West coach Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers.
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To put it bluntly, expectations are lower. But that’s for the team as a whole. Internally, there’s plenty of pressure facing a handful of players on this roster, and their play will dictate the outcome of this season.
Which Seattle Seahawks are under the most pressure?
• 5. Charles Cross
Short and sweet: A franchise left tackle with a solid resume, but entering year 3 on a shaky O-line.
Charles Cross’ sophomore season wasn’t quite as impressive as his rookie campaign, but he and fellow tackle Abe Lucas are the closest to a sure thing on Seattle’s offensive line. That, and Cross’ status as a former top-10 pick, places a bit more pressure on him compared to other young players.
Seattle’s biggest question mark offensively will be on the interior – Pro Football Focus ranks Seattle’s O-line 31st for this reason – meaning the young Cross and Lucas will be shouldering some burden for improvement.
• 4. Leonard Williams and Dre Jones
Short and sweet: Pricey veterans who must boost the rest of the defense against the run.
Newly drafted defensive tackle Byron Murphy II will be receiving most of the spotlight, but a different kind of spotlight – the pressure to perform and bring impact immediately — falls on Leonard Williams and fellow veteran Dre Jones.
Jones became John Schneider’s most expensive free agent signing ever last offseason when he signed a three-year $51 million deal. Seattle traded a 2024 second-rounder and 2025 fifth to the Giants midseason for Williams, then signed him to a 3-year, $64.5 million extension. That makes the two of them the fourth- and fifth-highest paid Seahawks, respectively.
Seattle’s massive investment in its defensive line – a shift from previous seasons – needs to be felt on game day. That means the onus to improve on back-to-back seasons of being 30th or worst against the run falls on the shoulders of these two vets, particularly with so many question marks and injuries at inside linebacker.
Leonard Williams has his first sack as a member of the @Seahawks!
📺: #WASvsSEA on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/kECSNGc6Bj pic.twitter.com/pYWjuzjIoK— NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2023
• 3. Riq Woolen
Short and sweet: A need to re-solidify his job following a benching last season and two new drafted corners.
Woolen brought off-the-charts size, speed and athleticism that was tempting enough to select him in the fifth round despite his lack of experience at corner. In year 1, it paid off. Woolen tied for first in interceptions league-wide and the Seahawks looked like they’d once again discovered a ball-hawking defensive back late.
Year 2 saw more issues. That started with Woolen missing some time with injury – an understandable slow start to the season – but too many missed tackles became a season-long, less excusable issue. The nadir to his season came ahead of a Monday Night game against the Eagles, when he was reportedly benched for Michael Jackson (at the time, Pete Carroll said Woolen wasn’t 100% ready to go following a shoulder injury).
The talent is still there, and if Woolen can tap back into his 2022 self, he and Devon Witherspoon could be one of the better corner tandems in the league.
Riq Woolen grabs the interception for Seattle! 🔥
🎥: @NFL pic.twitter.com/8XqkJezZrw
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 19, 2023
• 2. DK Metcalf
Short and sweet: Playing for his next contract in a booming receiver market.
Metcalf didn’t pop up on a recent ranking of the league’s top 10 wide receivers, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the tools to be one of them. He’s also entering an interesting year: his contract runs through 2025, but there’s a potential out after this season and, should Seattle decide to extend him, an opportunity to do so after this year.
Metcalf has surpassed 1,000 yards in three of his five pro seasons but has also done so on an offense that gives him fewer targets than the league’s top pass catchers. Metcalf’s 119 targets last season significantly trail players like CeeDee Lamb (181), Davante Adams (175), Tyreek Hill (171), Garrett Wilson (171), Amon-Ra St. Brown (164) and Stefon Diggs (160). Part of seeing more will be on Metcalf’s shoulders – avoiding drops, fine-tuning communication with quarterback Geno Smith, etc. But part of that growth may come from a new offensive coordinator, Ryan Grubb, who knew how to make the most of receiver talent with the UW Huskies. Yet to be seen is whether that translates to the pros.
WHAT A CATCH 😲 @dkm14 @Seahawks | #Seahawks
(Via: @NFL)pic.twitter.com/EcYh4m3rmN
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 31, 2021
• 1. Geno Smith
Short and sweet: Was it ever going to not be a quarterback?
Geno Smith already faces doubt as an older quarterback who assumed a starting role following a fall from grace and years spent as a backup elsewhere. His Comeback Player of the Year run in 2022 was a great story, but fans seemed to be fatigued by 2023 when Smith saw a dip in production.
That dip in production feels impossible to peel apart from an oft-injured offensive line and a poor run game, so even while Smith has his flaws – holding onto the ball too long, for one – there’s plenty of reason to think he can take a step forward if the line stays healthy and Grubb makes the most of his weapons. That’s still an “if”, meaning pressure is mounting on the most visible player on the roster. At last month’s minicamp, it didn’t look like backup Sam Howell would be challenging Smith for starting time any time soon. But unlike Howell, the 33-year-old Smith doesn’t have age on his side.
GENO. SMITH. @GenoSmith3 to @dkm14 to take the LEAD! 🎯
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/scwyuXFyN4
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 14, 2023
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