2014 NFL Preview: Everything you need to know about the Seattle Seahawks

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Seattle Seahawks

Schedule | Roster

The 2013 season was picture-perfect for the Seahawks, with the franchise capturing its first Super Bowl championship. Led by quarterback Russell Wilson, the Seahawks tied the Denver Broncos for a league-best regular-season record of 13-3 and entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Wilson completed 257-of-407 passes for 3,357 yards with 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions during the regular season, finishing seventh among quarterbacks with a passer rating of 101.2. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl for the second straight year, joining teammates Richard Sherman, Marshawn Lynch, Max Unger, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor.

In the playoffs, the Seahawks defeated the New Orleans Saints, 23-15, and the San Francisco 49ers, 23-17, to advance to Super Bowl XLVIII. There, they topped the Denver Broncos 43-8 - the third-largest point differential in Super Bowl history.

Preseason Power Ranking - #1

Repeating as Super Bowl champions won't be easy, but it's not impossible. The Seahawks managed to keep the core of their team intact, and until they prove otherwise, they remain the biggest threat in the NFL. More...

Key Additions/ Departures

Key Additions: DT Kevin Williams

Key Departures: DE Chris Clemons, DT Red Bryant, CB Walter Thurmond, WR Golden Tate, DT Clinton McDonald, CB Brandon Browner, OT Breno Giacomini, Sidney Rice

The Seahawks lost several starters in free agency, but did manage to re-sign safety Earl Thomas, cornerback Richard Sherman, defensive end Michael Bennett, and head coach Pete Carroll to long-term deals. 

Among the more surprising moves made by the Seahawks this offseason was allowing wide receiver Golden Tate to walk. The 25-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, having caught a team-leading 64 passes for 898 yards and five touchdowns. But if Percy Harvin is able to return to his 2011 form, Tate could become an afterthought.

2014 Draft Class 

With their first pick in the 2014 NFL Draft - which went from No. 32 to No. 40 to No. 45 following trades with the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions - the Seahawks selected former Colorado wide receiver Paul Richardson. 

At 6-foot-0 and 175 pounds, Richardson still has some development to do, but could carve out a role as the Seahawks' third receiver in the future. For now, he is competing with Ricardo Lockette and Phil Bates for the No. 4 job behind Harvin, Doug Baldwin, and Jermaine Kearse.

Fellow second-round pick Justin Britt was a three-year starter at Missouri, and is making a strong case for the starting right tackle job.

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Pete Carroll
Offensive Coordinator: Darrell Bevell
Defensive Coordinator: Dan Quinn

Coming off the most successful season of his coaching career, Carroll was rewarded with a three-year contract, which keeps him locked up through 2016. In four seasons with the Seahawks, Carroll owns a regular-season record of 38-26 and a postseason record of 5-2.

Darrell Bevell and Dan Quinn both drew consideration for several head coaching gigs at the end of last season, but will resume their respective coordinator positions.

The return of Quinn is particularly good news for the Seahawks' defense, which led the league in yards against (273.6 per game) and points allowed (14.4) in 2013.

2014 Schedule

Week 3 poses one of the more exciting matchups of the 2014 season, with a Super Bowl rematch between the Seahawks and Denver Broncos. After a Week 4 bye, Seattle spends three out of its next four games on the road before returning to CenturyLink Field for a two-game homestand.

If the Seahawks' final six games are any indication, the race for the NFC West title could come down to the wire. They face the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals twice during that span, and wrap up their season at home against the St. Louis Rams.

Bold Predictions

The Seahawks will not win the division. The 49ers did more than the Seahawks to improve their roster in the offseason, and the disparity between the two sides wasn't all that big to begin with anyway. They split their two regular season meetings last year, with Seattle just edging San Francisco in the playoffs. The acquisition of Stevie Johnson and the drafting of Bruce Ellington should help stretch the Seahawk defense, and the 49ers boast several capable running backs that can wear the Seahawks down. If they meet again in the playoffs look for the 49ers to come out on top. -Michael Amato

Christine Michael will emerge as the team's best rusher. Lynch's holdout came to an amicable conclusion, but the Seahawks will take a hard look at their depth chart and realize they aren't much worse off with dynamic (and much cheaper) 2013 second-rounder Christine Michael leading their rushing attack in 2015. A relative unknown to football fans because he clashed with his college coach and didn't get to play much, Michael is a powerful, slashing runner who jumps out on tape. He's ready to start in the NFL. All he needs is an opportunity. -David Woods

Michael Bennett will lead the NFC in sacks. Bennett has yet to put up a season with double-digit sacks during his first five years in the league, but that will change in a big way in 2014. With Red Bryant and Chris Clemons both gone, Seattle will rely more heavily on Bennett along the defensive line, giving him more opportunities to get to the quarterback. Bennett will want to justify the big contract he got in the offseason and will do so with a monster season. -Mike Dickson