Why these may be the most important Seahawks to watch in camp on the changed defense
Seattle Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark celebrates his sack on Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz with a raised fist in the first half on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017 at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash. (Bettina Hansen/Seattle Times/TNS)
When will Earl Thomas show up?
If only that was the lone question for the Seahawks’ defense entering training camp.
The unit that was the reason Seattle went to consecutive Super Bowls and won the franchise’s only NFL title four years ago is gone, changed by age, money, injuries and performance. The “Legion of Boom” secondary, the swarming linebackers and the relentless pass rush that made it all work is down to Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright--and a list of questions for key players as long as it is concerning entering training camp.
Thomas’ imminent holdout will begin officially on Thursday. That is, unless he unexpectedly drops his vow to stay away from “any team activities until my contract situation is resolved,” unless he backs down in the next three days from his principled stand for a new, rich contract from Seattle. He hasn’t shown up since the team’s last game. That was on New Year’s Eve.
The three-time All-Pro safety remained on the official camp roster the team issued Monday, with no sign he will report with his teammates on time Wednesday.
Thomas’ drama, Richard Sherman’s exit to San Francisco this spring and Kam Chancellor’s departure forced by his neck injury are getting all the attention for how it affects the secondary and the Seahawks’ defense.
But there is a more pressing, fundamental concern to the Seahawks’ overhauled unit, and in fact, to their entire 2018 season: from where is the pass rush going to come?
When Seattle was its best from 2013 through ‘15 at the top of the NFC and playing in those two Super Bowls, Thomas, Sherman and Chancellor were the “Legion of Boom” largely because of the Seahawks’ defensive front. Michael Bennett, Avril, Clark, Bruce Irvin, Chris Clemons, Brandon Mebane, Red Bryant, Tony McDaniel, Ahtyba Rubin and Jordan Hill gave Seattle an eight- and nine-man rotation of defensive linemen. Those guys wore down opposing offensive lines as games went on. The Seahawks got leads in games with ball-control running and Russell Wilson’s exquisite play-making. Then they ransacked teams that had to throw while behind late in games, sending in fresh swarms of accomplished pass rushers to clinch wins and playoff berths.
Sherman, Thomas, Chancellor and the Seahawks defensive backs did not have to cover receivers for a long time in those heyday seasons because the front was pressuring QBs to throw before they wanted to.
The only contributor to those deep pass-rush units that remains is Clark. He’s had 19 sacks the last two season, while benefiting from being on the same front as Bennett and Avril and often getting single-teamed on passing downs. Now he gets a starring role for the first time. He is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
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