With 2023 ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøtraining camps set to kick off the week of July 24, it's time to get up to speed on all 32 ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøteams. Christian Gonzales has the lowdown on position battles, key players and notable subplots across the NFC West:
Catch up on the Seattle Seahawks' offseason and 2023 outlook below ...
Training Camp Dates/Information
- Players report: July 25 (rookies and veterans)
- Location: Virginia Mason Athletic Center | Renton, Washington ()
Notable Roster Changes
| 2023 Draft class | Selection |
|---|---|
| CB Devon Witherspoon | Round 1 (No. 5 overall) |
| WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Round 1 (No. 20) |
| OLB Derick Hall | Round 2 (No. 37) |
| RB Zach Charbonnet | Round 2 (No. 52) |
| OG Anthony Bradford | Round 4 (No. 108) |
| DT Cameron Young | Round 4 (No. 123) |
| DE Mike Morris | Round 5 (No. 151) |
| C Olu Oluwatimi | Round 5 (No. 154) |
| S Jerrick Reed II | Round 6 (No. 198) |
| RB Kenny McIntosh | Round 7 (No. 237) |
Preseason ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íø
- Week 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings | 10 p.m. ET (¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøNetwork) on Thursday, Aug. 10
- Week 2: vs. Dallas Cowboys | 10 p.m. ET (¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøNetwork) on Saturday, Aug. 19
- Week 3: at Green Bay Packers | 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 26
2023 ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íø Notes
- Tied for the 12th toughest strength of schedule in 2023 based on their opponents' 2022 win percentage (.517).
- Will play four straight games against teams who won 12-plus games in 2022 (Weeks 12-15: San Francisco, Dallas, San Francisco and Philadelphia).
- Will play former No. 1 overall picks in each of their first three games (Weeks 1-3: Los Angeles Rams, Matthew Stafford; Detroit Lions, Jared Goff; Carolina Panthers, Bryce Young).
- Play four of their final six games on the road.
-- ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøResearch
Subplots To Track
1) Expectations at the quarterback position for the Seahawks last year were relatively low after the franchise's blockbuster trade of Russell Wilson. However, a career year for Geno Smith, in which he earned his first Pro Bowl nod and won Comeback Player of the Year, fueled Seattle to a playoff berth. How will Smith respond in camp now that expectations are heightened? He is the Seahawks' undisputed QB1 for 2023, signing a three-year deal in March. The Seahawks will likely need an encore performance from Smith to keep pace in the NFC West. And due to the structure of his contract, Smith might need another strong showing to secure his spot in Seattle beyond this season.
2) Training camp will give us an opportunity to see what type of impact rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba could make in Year 1. Seattle drafted Smith-Njigba 20th overall this year to complement wideouts DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Metcalf and Lockett were one of two teammate duos with 80-plus receptions and 1,000-plus receiving yards in 2022. If the rookie gets off to a fast start, the Seahawks could have one of the top receiving trios in the league.
3) How will carries be distributed following the Seahawks' offseason changes at running back? Rashaad Penny left in free agency to join Philadelphia. Will Kenneth Walker III be the feature back after leading all rookies in rush yards (1,050) and rush TDs (nine) last season? He could have competition from rookie Zach Charbonnet, a second-round pick out of UCLA in April. Charbonnet is a dual-threat running back who led the FBS with 168 all-purpose yards per game in 2022.
4) Will the defense show signs of improvement in camp? The Seahawks ranked 25th in scoring defense last season and were too often gashed by the ground game, ranking 30th vs. the run. The good news is eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker Bobby Wagner decided to return to Seattle after spending a year with the Rams. While Wagner boosts the front seven, rookie Devon Witherspoon, the fifth overall pick of this year's draft, will be charged with strengthening a secondary that also features Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs and Tariq Woolen, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie last season and led the league with eight takeaways.
5) It will be worth keeping an eye on how the players acquired via the Russell Wilson trade are performing in camp. The Seahawks used the final two picks they received in that deal during this year's draft. In total, the trade ended up involving 11 players. In exchange for Wilson and a pick that was spent on Eyioma Uwazurike, Seattle added nine players: Witherspoon, Derick Hall, Charles Cross, Noah Fant, Shelby Harris, Boye Mafe, Drew Lock, Tyreke Smith and Dareke Young, with only Harris no longer on the Seahawks among that group. Aside from Fant and Lock, all those Seahawks players are entering either their first or second season in the league. Seattle's rookie class combined to start 70 games in 2022 (second in the NFL, per ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøResearch). Will the franchise continue to be rewarded for leaning on its young talent in 2023?
