Dynasty Capsule: Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks capped off the best season in team history with an exclamation point, defeating the Denver Broncos by a score of 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII. Seattle had been on the cusp of doing something special for a few years now and they simply put it all together in 2014, much to the delight of the “12th Man,” which somehow seemingly now consists of 90% of the population of five different western States and possibly anyone living on the Moon.
From a dynasty perspective, there’s certainly a lot to like on this roster. With one of the best young quarterbacks in the game, a stable front office, a very solid coaching infrastructure and an owner who could purchase a small (or even medium-sized) country, it’s hard to find another team with as much positive mojo moving forward.
Let’s take a closer look in today’s overly caffeinated dynasty capsule.
Quarterbacks
Russell Wilson
The detractors of Wilson used to say he was too small to play the position. Now, they say he’s just a game manager. My contention on this point is the fact he doesn’t need to do anything differently for his team to be successful. A quarterback’s job is to put their team in a position to win games and nobody in NFL history has won more football games in their first two years than Wilson. With a dominant defense and a sound running game, there’s simply no reason for Wilson to be throwing the ball 40 times and putting up gaudy numbers. Even if he was forced to, I think we’ve all seen enough to know not to bet against him.
From a fantasy perspective, Wilson was as advertised last season as a solid, but unspectacular low-end QB1. On the year, he threw for 3,357 yards and 26 touchdowns with just nine interceptions. Add on a nice bonus of 539 rushing yards and another score and you had yourself a quarterback who would keep you in just about any fantasy game, though rarely securing you a win on his own.
Wilson is a top ten option in fantasy leagues with a limited ceiling, but also a very high floor. His first two years were virtually identical statistically and when you add in a full year of Percy Harvin (we can hope) and a few possible free agent signings, there’s no reason to think that’s going to change any time soon. He’s best paired with a high end QB2, but you could do much worse than having Wilson for 16 games each season.
Add to all this he is one of the easiest players to root for on Sundays and you wouldn’t find me arguing against you drafting him to be the anchor of your dynasty team at the position for the next decade.
Tarvaris Jackson
Once upon a time there was a day when Jackson was considered to be the short term future at quarterback for the Seahawks. That time is not 2014 for obvious reasons stated above. Jackson isn’t worthy of a roster spot and even though he may very well be one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league, would you really feel comfortable starting him if Wilson was injured? To me, I like to look at a fear factor when evaluating roster worthy players. By that, I mean would I be scared if I saw this player in my opponent’s lineup? With Jackson, I’m clearly not.
Running Backs
Marshawn Lynch
For all the hype Christine Michael received in the off-season, you’d think Marshawn Lynch was clearly on his last legs. He proved once again he has a lot left in that Skittles-fed tank of his as he worked over the league for 1,257 rushing yards and a career-tying best 12 touchdowns. Add in his 36 receptions, 316 receiving yards and two more touchdowns and that equates to a rock solid RB1 campaign.
For all his accolades, Lynch is a tricky player to own at the moment. He has over 900 carries the past three seasons, will turn 28 in April and has had a DUI case pushed back repeatedly over the past year that could carry with it the result of a suspension at the beginning of next season. He’s clearly the back to have at the moment on this roster, but for how long? If you’re a contending team, you hold on and ride the beast until the wheels come off. If you’re not going to be in contention over the next couple of seasons, it’s likely wise to take the path of a seller to get some nice value while you can.
Robert Turbin
For all the hype Christine Michael received in the off-season, you’d think Turbin didn’t even exist. However, it was Turbin who ended up being the clear backup to Lynch, not Michael. On the season, Turbin rushed for a meaningful 264 yards on 77 carries, good for a 3.4 yards per carry average. Before you start running to the Turbin owner to get him, just remember the Seahawks really valued him as a pass blocker and Michael is clearly the more talented runner. If he can learn how to block effectively, we’ll have a changing of the guard.
Moving forward, Turbin is a nice player to stash, but it’s doubtful he ever really turns into something meaningful in dynasty leagues. If Lynch was to miss significant time, it’s much more likely we’d see Turbin remain in his third down role and secede the bigger workload to Michael.
Christine Michael
For all the hype Christine Michael received in the off-season, you’d think…wait, this Michael’s write up. The 62nd overall pick in the NFL Draft was great in the pre-season, leading many owners to take him with a high pick in 2013 dynasty rookie drafts. In the end, he produced just 79 rushing yards on 18 carries. To make matters worse, he was inactive for most of the games during the season.
Regardless of his disappointing season, Michael remains a dynasty asset to covet and his season just serves as a reminder to everyone that rookies can’t be counted on to produce right away. There’s no denying the talent here and Michael looks to be the heir apparent to the running back throne in the Emerald City. If you see an owner who is disappointed in him thus far, it’s time to get him cheaply – there isn’t a lot of time left to do that very thing.
Wide Receivers
Percy Harvin
Up until the second half kickoff in the Super Bowl, the $65 million and draft pick compensation Seattle gave up to get Harvin looked like one of the worst investments in the league.
Then the Broncos kicked off.
The returned kick Harvin had for a touchdown reminded everyone just how talented he really is. There is obvious risk associated with him as it seems he just can’t shake the injury bug. However, we should all remember he was the fantasy MVP for the first half of a season not too long ago showing explosive ability you simply can’t teach. He can run, catch, return kicks and do pretty much anything else you ask him to.
As one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers and amazingly still just 26 years old when next season starts, Harvin remains fantasy football’s biggest boom or bust players to have. If you can anchor him with a few other top flight receivers, you’ll certainly enjoy the games you get out of him, however many that may end up being.
Doug Baldwin
Of all the Seattle “average” receivers, Baldwin stepped up the most in 2013, including five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown in Seattle’s Super Bowl victory. On the season, Baldwin put up a respectable 50 catches for 778 yards and five scores.
As a restricted free agent, the Seahawks will have a chance to match an offer sheet he receives. It’s going to be interesting to see just what they do since they have some major players (Wilson, Russell Okung, Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman) who are going to soon command a hefty chunk of their salary cap. It’s possible someone overpays Baldwin this off-season, but the likelier scenario seems to be him re-signing in Seattle at a reasonable rate.
Regardless of where he ends up, Baldwin is likely going to be a FLEX option at best in fantasy leagues. He could have some big games, but it’s anyone’s guess as to when those will occur. He’s certainly roster worthy in virtually every dynasty league, but he’s not a true building block for a championship team in fantasy or reality.
Golden Tate
This is interesting.
Tate had a good season in his fourth campaign with the Seahawks, catching a career-high 64 balls for 898 yards and five touchdowns. While never truly living up to the hype he was getting when he came out of Notre Dame, he has proven to be a pretty reliable option for the Seahawks during his career.
As an unrestricted free agent, there’s no doubt he’ll test the market. He’s on record saying he’ll be very open to taking a “hometown discount,” but it’s anyone’s guess as to just how strongly he’ll hold to that if another good offer comes his way.
Whether he’s in Seattle or elsewhere, Tate will likely be a low-end WR2/high-end WR3 type of player moving forward. He has the talent to be successful, but has never truly put together any stretch of games to make anyone think he’s a fantasy difference-maker.
Sidney Rice
Boy, the Brett Favre to Sidney Rice 2009 season that saw him catch 83 passes for 1,312 yards and eight scores seems like a long time ago, eh? Since that magical season, he’s played in just 39 of a possible 64 games due to a myriad of injuries.
There’s really no realistic way to think Seattle isn’t going to cut Rice this off-season in order to save $7 million in cap room. He’ll likely land a one year deal elsewhere, but you’d need a really strong stomach to have him on your roster and count on any type of production moving forward.
Jermaine Kearse
Everyone loves a “feel good” story and Kearse fits the bill as he went from an undrafted free agent and hometown kid (he played for the University of Washington) to an untackleable (yes, that’s a word I just created) pinball in the Super Bowl. The former University of Washington standout was relied upon for the Seahawks in Harvin’s absence and he put up a decent year with 22 catches for 346 yards and four touchdowns.
Kearse should enter the season as Seattle’s third receiver, depending on what happens with Golden Tate and Doug Baldwin. Should one or both of those players leave, it’s obviously positive for his value. If they somehow both stay, he’ll likely need an injury to be consistently relevant.
Tight Ends
Zach Miller
Speaking of cap casualties, this former Raider is unlikely to be back in Seattle next year. In his four years in Oakland, Miller averaged 57 catches for 678 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. In his three years as a Seahawk, he’s only averaged 32 catches for 339 yards and has a grand total of eight scores. With $6 million due to him next year, there’s no way he’ll be back in Seattle without a massive pay cut.
Miller has talent, but he’s really just one of many players in a giant pool of tight ends. He’s fine to have as a backup on your roster, but he’s a boom or bust play every week no matter where may land next season. I’d rather use that roster spot on a developmental player myself.
Luke Willson
Willson, like Michael above, is the epitome of a dynasty prospect. While many rookie dynasty league enthusiasts would see his 20/272/1 line and find themselves being unimpressed, those who really follow the game see a young player who looks like he has a bright future. While his future value is tied to Zach Miller somewhat, he’s one of the best long-term prospects we have at the position.
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
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