SEATTLE — It has been years since the Seahawks have faced such criticism and pessimism going into a new season.
They've gone from being a sexy pick to a wallflower, only this flower resembles more of a corpse flower- nicknamed Amorphophallus titanum, and famous for its distinctive stench when it blooms every seven to nine years.
So, will the Seahawks stink it up this season? That's what a lot of national analysts want you to believe. They use words like "pathetic" and "embarrassing" when describing the team's offseason approach to finding a starting quarterback.
The Seahawks passed on opportunities to trade for Baker Mayfield and most recently Jimmy Garoppolo, opting for the bargain bin of Geno Smith and Drew Lock. Smith won the starting job and with that came his salary cap hit of $3.5 million, which ranks 36th among NFL quarterbacks according to Spotrac.com.
Considering there are 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL, the Seahawks' cap hit for their starting quarterback is less money than four backups in the league.
Now I'm all for bargains, but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.
A few years back, the Seahawks ranked last in the NFL when it came to the combined salary of their offensive linemen. The struggles of that unit were evident and well publicized.
It's clear the team's quarterback situation has been an easy target for analysts. It's tough to find anywhere near the same criticism when it comes to the Seahawks' receiving corps, led by DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. The tight end group is solid and so are the running backs, if Rashaad Penny and Kenneth Walker III can stay healthy. Which begs the question - how much will the Hawks even need their quarterback to carry the team? Head coach Pete Carroll wants to run the football maybe more than he ever has with this team, and he may have the revamped offensive line to sustain such a ground game.
On the other side of the ball, the Seahawks did a nice job in the draft and free agency to add some good pieces on defense, a defense that one analyst described as "the island of misfit toys." If so, who will be the Yukon Cornelius of this group? Linebacker Jordyn Brooks has said he's looking forward to taking on that leadership role. While Brooks is poised to lead, he has a strong supporting cast with arguably the best safety tandem in the league in Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs. The team's cornerbacks are young and talented, and there were flashes of good play along the defensive line during the preseason.
With all the questions surrounding this Seahawks team, this will no doubt be one of Carroll's most challenging seasons as a head coach in the NFL. He has never had fewer than seven wins in Seattle. This season, Vegas oddsmakers peg the Seahawks' over-under mark at 5.5 wins. Some have predicted as little as three wins.
But let's stay positive.
After all, even if the Seahawks become the corpse flower of the upcoming season, it's a stench you only have to endure every 7-9 years.
In other NFL cities, that aroma never goes away.