To re-capture NFC West, Seahawks need investment on offense

The NFC West became a whole lot tougher for the Seahawks this month.

Specifically, NFC West defenses: the defending division champion Rams acquired All Pro cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib via trade, and the 49ers signed former Seahawks All Pro corner Richard Sherman after he was released by Seattle.

Meanwhile, Seattle’s defense will be without Sherman and Michael Bennett, and possibly Cliff Avril and Kam Chancellor, this year. One thing the Seahawks do have, though, is a franchise quarterback — and it’s also why 710 ESPN Seattle’s John Clayton argues Seattle should focus on adding pieces on the offensive side of the ball to remain competitive with their division opponents.

Clayton calls former Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who was released Tuesday, a “great fit” for the Seahawks. The team is reportedly also interested in free agent tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins as a replacement for former starter Jimmy Graham.

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“The Seahawks need to get someone on offense for Russell Wilson,” Clayton said. “Things are different now (in the NFC West). You look at the Los Angeles Rams, they have two shutdown cornerbacks in Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters. You look at San Francisco now and they’ve got Richard Sherman, and you know they’re going to be adding (more) to the cornerback mix. So if I’m Seattle, as much as they have to concentrate on getting the defense at least catching up to where they were with all the losses, now I think you have to take some things and add them to the offense. And where Jordy Nelson is a good addition is that he can still get downfield … I have to think this has to be a good consideration.

“The question is going to be: Are the Raiders going to pay him big knowing they’ll probably have to cut Michael Crabtree? That’s a possibility. But I think this is one you’ve got to go for. Here is starting-caliber wide receiver, I know he’s 32 and you’re probably talking about a tw0-year deal, maybe it’s a 2-year deal at $11 or $12 million total, but I think it’s one they’ve really got to look at.”

‘You’re going to have to even it out a little bit’

Clayton’s take echoed the sentiment of Seahawks left tackle Duane Brown, whom Seattle acquired last October in a trade with the Texans. The trade for Brown, a four-time Pro Bowler, was perhaps Seattle’s biggest investment in the offensive line under John Schneider and Pete Carroll.

Brown hinted the team could benefit from additional investments on offense.

“You look at the amount of talent that was on the defensive side of the ball, at some point you’re going to have to even it out a little bit,” Brown told NFL Network’s Rich Eisen. “I think bringing guys like myself in, to come in to add to that offense a little bit, I think there’s going to be some more movement made on the offense to kind of balance it out. When you’ve got a guy like Russell Wilson, I feel like we’re in every ball game. It feels like it’s making that shift a little bit.”

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