Seattle Seahawks: NFL 2016 Season Analysis

FACTS AND STATS

2015 Finish: Second in NFC West, Wild Card

Record: 10-6; 1-1 in postseason

DIVISIONAL RECORD: 3-3

Total offense: 378.6 (4th)

Rushing: 141.8 (3rd)

Passing: 236.9 (20th)

Total defense: 291.8 (2nd)

Rushing: 81.5 (1st)

Passing: 210.3 (2nd)

COACH: Pete Carroll

7th season with Seahawks

68-40 overall; 8-4 postseason

11th season as NFL head coach

102-73; 9-6 postseason

XTRA FACTOR

--Seattle proved it can win a Super Bowl to get back to another one. Now the question is whether the relatively disappointing 2015 season is a sign of cracks in the foundation or just a bump in the road on the way to staking a place in NFL history. This season looms pivotal in determining if the Seahawks were a one-Super-Bowl-and-done or something more.

2016 UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS

By TSX reporter covering team:

QUARTERBACKS: Starter -- Russell Wilson. Backup -- Trevone Boykin

Seattle Seahawks' starting quarterback Russell Wilson (3). Photo by Jim Bryant/UPI

Wilson took another step toward being among the best quarterbacks in the game with a torrid finish to 2015, throwing 24 touchdowns to just one interception over the final seven weeks of the year. Boykin leaves Seattle with an inexperienced backup that completed just 52 percent of his passes in the preseason after signing as an undrafted free agent.

RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- Thomas Rawls. Backups -- Christine Michael, C.J. Prosise, Alex Collins, FB Tani Tupou

Seattle Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls (34)breaks a tackle. Photo by Jim Bryant/UPI

Rawls looks to be back to full health after a broken ankle ended his rookie season in December. Michael had a stellar training camp and has matured as a player. Four years after being drafted by Seattle, he's finally going to be a key part of Seattle's running back rotation. Prosise will contribute as a third-down back and adds a strong receiving option out of the backfield. Collins is purely depth at this stage after being a fifth-round pick in May. Tupou was re-signed on Monday after being waived in cuts to 53 on Saturday. He has been dealing with a broken bone in his hand throughout camp.

TIGHT ENDS: Starter -- Jimmy Graham. Backups -- Luke Willson, Brandon Williams, Nick Vannett

Seattle Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham (88) stiff arms his way to a first down. Photo by Jim Bryant/UPI

Whether Graham starts Week 1 remains in doubt, but he will resume his starting role when he gets back in the lineup. Willson is a solid secondary option. Williams had a strong camp and will contribute on special teams. Vannett needs some seasoning and is currently recovering from a high-ankle sprain.

WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett. Backups -- Jermaine Kearse, Paul Richardson, Tanner McEvoy

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin (89) lunges for a first down. Photo by Jim Bryant/UPI

Baldwin had a torrid finish to 2015, catching 34 passes for 530 yards and 11 touchdowns over the final six games of the year. Lockett become a big-play threat as a rookie and -- along with Richardson -- gives Seattle two high-speed receivers. Kearse isn't flashy but makes clutch catches routinely. At 6-foot-6, McEvoy gives the Seahawks a rare receiver with size that can also swing to tight end as well.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LT Bradley Sowell, LG Mark Glowinski, C Justin Britt, RG Germain Ifedi, RT Garry Gilliam. Backups -- T George Fant, G/T Rees Odhiambo, C Joey Hunt, OT J'Marcus Webb

The interior three linemen of Glowinski, Britt and Ifedi have been rock solid during the preseason. Sowell has been a pleasant surprise at left tackle. Gilliam, who was projected to start at left tackle, and Webb have been inconsistent at right tackle. Fant, a former basketball player at Western Kentucky, is a developmental project that Seattle sees massive potential in. Depth is young as Fant, Odhiambo and Hunt are all rookies.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LE Cliff Avril, NT Jarran Reed, DT Ahtyba Rubin, RE Michael Bennett. Backups -- DE Frank Clark, DT Tony McDaniel, DE Cassius Marsh, DE Quinton Jefferson, DT Garrison Smith

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril (56) sacks Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Photo by Jim Bryant/UPI

Avril and Bennett form a formidable pass-rushing tandem at end. Clark and Marsh will join them as rotational options in pass-rush situations. McDaniel was signed midway through the preseason and looks as strong as he did when with Seattle in 2013-14. Rookies Reed and Jefferson have shown nicely in camp and factor to play as well, though Reed is recovering from a toe injury. Smith was claimed off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers.

LINEBACKERS: Starters -- WLB K.J. Wright, MLB Bobby Wagner, SLB Mike Morgan. Backups -- MLB Brock Coyle, WLB Kevin Pierre-Louis

Morgan takes over as the replacement for Bruce Irvin at strong-side linebacker. He joins Wright and Wagner as the third piece of a strong unit. Coyle and Pierre-Louis are core special teams contributors. Coyle has played well when needed in relief of Wagner as well on defense.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters -- LCB Richard Sherman, FS Earl Thomas, SS Kam Chancellor, RCB DeShawn Shead. Backups -- CB Jeremy Lane, CB Tharold Simon, S Kelcie McCray, DB Steven Terrell, DB Tyvis Powell, CB DeAndre Elliott, S Dewey McDonald

Seattle Seahawks Richard Sherman. Photo by Art Foxall/UPI

Sherman, Thomas and Chancellor continue to lead one of the strongest secondaries in football. Shead and Lane will split duties as the primary options at right cornerback and in the slot in nickel situations. Kelcie McCray has also become a key backup capable of playing both free and strong safety, if needed. McDonald was acquired from the Oakland Raiders during final cuts in and should contribute as special teamers, though Carroll said he would get a look at weakside linebacker too. Terrell can play cornerback and safety and is a key special teams option as well. Elliott and Powell are both undrafted free agents that had flashes of strong play in the preseason.

SPECIAL TEAMS: K Steven Hauschka, P Jon Ryan, LS Nolan Frese, KOR/PR Tyler Lockett

Seattle Seahawks Steven Hauschka (4) kicks a 27 yard field goal in Super Bowl XLIX on February 1, 2015. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI

Hauschka, Ryan and Lockett all played at a Pro Bowl-caliber level in 2015 with Lockett making the squad as a special teams selection. The only concern could be Frese, a rookie long snapper from the University of Houston. Frese had some errant snaps in the preseason while battling an injured shoulder, but for now he's the team's choice to replace Clint Gresham, who was released over the offseason.

PRACTICE SQUAD: WR Kasen Williams, LB Kache Palacio, G/C Will Pericak, WR Marcus Lucas, DE Tylor Harris, LB Jordan Tripp, WR Kenny Lawler, WR Rodney Smith, DT Justin Hamilton

2016 SCHEDULE

All times Eastern

Sept. 11, MIAMI, 1:05

Sept. 18, at Los Angeles, 1:05

Sept. 25, SAN FRANCISCO, 1:05

Oct. 2, at N.Y. Jets, 10:00

OPEN DATE,

Oct. 16, ATLANTA, 1:25

Oct. 23, at Arizona, 5:30

Oct. 30, at New Orleans, 10:00

Nov. 7, BUFFALO (Mon.), 5:30

Nov. 13, at New England, 5:30