Oakland Raiders behind enemy lines: Q&A with Emerald City Swagger
By Kevin Saito
Q. The Seahawks have the twenty-ninth ranked run defense in the league and have given up 150+ rushing yards in three of the five games. What has made their run defense so porous?
There are several reasons. First and foremost is personnel changes. Cliff Avril and Kam Chancellor both retired due injuries. Avril, a defensive end was on track for the Hall-of-Fame before he was forced to hang up his spikes. You can say the same for safety Kam Chancellor. Players like that aren’t easily replaced. Neither is Michael Bennett, who was traded in the offseason.
Next is injuries/suspensions. Linebacker K.J. Wright hasn’t played all year. He is very good against the run. Earl Thomas (broken leg), and Mychal Kendricks (suspension) didn’t play against the Rams. Cornerback Tre Flowers also missed a game.
Finally, how about the competition. The Seahawks have played against three of the top 11 running backs in the NFL, including numbers one and two, Ezekiel Elliott, and Todd Gurley. Sometimes the other guys are good.
Also Read. The Good, Bad, and Ugly In Week 5 Loss To Chargers. light
Q. Russell Wilson has two years left on his deal and will be a free agent after next season. Given the current market, do you see the Seahawks ponying up for Wilson or letting him walk?
Wilson is the face of the franchise. As I mentioned earlier, it’s his team and the Hawks go as far as he can take them. I don’t see Wilson going anywhere unless he completely he completely bombs in the next 11 games and even then, it’s iffy. He’s not going to be the highest paid player in the NFL, but he’ll get his money. Kirk Cousins gets paid $28M per year, Wilson is worth at least that much to Seattle.