It feels like it took forever for camp to start this year. Maybe because of the lack of any playoff games last season. But now that the snaps are happening again, who should you be watching?

QB

Well this answer everyone knows. Even the East Coast Media pays enough attention to know QB Russell Wilson will be the star of this team. No one seems to notice that Seattle has some of the best linebackers in the league, so now that the names on the D-line and secondary are gone or holding out it is all Wilson all day. That is really not all that different from last year when Wilson was responsible for all but one offensive TD. Wilson has all the receivers he needs and the line will be at least on par with last year or somewhat better. And TE Jimmy Graham barely qualified as a receiver with his drop rate last year, so he will not be missed. The only question on Wilson’s offensive stats is whether or not someone can run the ball and stay healthy - someone other than him, that is.

There is a contest for backup, but that should not matter for fantasy purposes. If Wilson goes down there are no fantasy points to be had at quarterback. The veteran QB Austin Davis will have to hold off rookie QB Alex McGough. I am pulling for Mr. Magoo as the backup!

RB

Here is a contest that will definitely matter. RB Rashaad Penny needs to beat out RB Chris Carson for a starting role. Camp is all nice so far with no hitting and no pads, so there is no good indication out of the blocks. Carson should win out if he stays healthy, but Penny could be much more than insurance. RB CJ Prosise is still not injured yet, so he is the likely third down back. But we are only a few days into camp, so his season ending injury could happen any day now. RB JD McKissic is fun, but does not have traditional size. He is built all for speed. I picked him up in my league last year when everyone else was down with injuries and he was a better than average fantasy producer for a couple of starts. This team really wants to be smashmouth again and that ups Carson’s fantasy stock. But his injuries make me gunshy. Take Carson or Penny late in early drafts because there is no sign yet that either will get RB1-like touches.

WR

Draft WR Doug Baldwin fairly early. He and Tyler Lockett are the returning players with WR Jaron Brown coming in with a chance to show something. Lockett lost a step to injury last year and may have it back this year, but Baldwin is the known producer here. WR Brandon Marshall could have another good year or could just have a few plays that only he could make or he may not even see a snap. It is too early to tell, but he is a Hall of Famer so we have to take notice. The rest of the guys will vie for recognition and not getting cut.

TE

Watch for sleeper TE Tyrone Swoopes. All attention was on TE Jimmy Graham here for a couple of years so the backups are looking to find their way into his starting role. They will all block better and drop less passes, but probably not have the paydirt percentile going their way. Swoopes has the athletic talent to be different than the rest, but if he does not take off then no one here will be worth a fantasy start. Unless they start giving points for blocking.

K

This kicking duel will probably lag into the preseason games. PK Sebastian Janikowski has history on his side, but PK Jason Myers would cost much less. Janikowski has to show complete superiority in order to start. If he does, that would mean he is back to his recent form and probably worth a late round fantasy draft pick.

D

Ah. The D. With all the changes (especially if FS Earl Thomas holds out or is traded) it is very hard to draft the Seattle team defense early. But consider the QBs they play this year:

Elite:

QB Matthew Stafford (Elite yes, but plays hot and cold)

QB Aaron Rodgers (Only solidly deadly QB Seattle will face)

QB Cam Newton (Elite yes, but always capable of playing inexplicably bad)

Tweeners: (I am not totally sold either is consistently better than average)

QB Dak Prescott

QB Jimmy Garoppolo (twice)

Sort of average:

QB Case Keenum

QB Jared Goff (twice)

QB Derek Carr

QB Philip Rivers (twice) (is he really only 36?)

QB Patrick Mahomes (may be playing at the next level by the time he plays at CLink)

Bad:

QB Mitchell Trubisky

QB Josh Rosen (twice)

Whoever starts for the Vikings at week 14

Do you really need CB Richard Sherman locking down half the field to beat these guys? And Rodgers will be throwing to TE Jimmy Graham who is good for dropping 3 out of 4 catchable passes as long as he is not near the goal line. Seattle’s suddenly young secondary may not need to be the old LOB to hold their own against these guys.

So if the secondary is okay, you know the linebackers are solid. LB Bobby Wagner will move his way up the record books again this year and by 2020 should be Seattle’s all time leading tackler. Still he will get no press east of the Rockies or south of Portland. LB KJ Wagner is solid supporting Bobby. And now they have all sorts of talent looking to fill the 3rd linebacker role. LB Shaquem Griffin may not stay at linebacker, but if he does then he could add a new dimension to pass coverage there. Or LB Barkevious Mingo might have to fight off DE Jacob Martin who is starting out playing at linebacker in camp. Whatever happens, these linebackers will be up to the teams we play this year and then some.

That is unless there is no defensive line. We have officially lost last years 2nd round pick DE Malik McDowell to that ATV accident last year. Stinks for the ‘Hawks, but it is horrible to suffer a head injury like that at his age and have a huge part of your life taken away before it starts. I hope he holds up okay. DE Dion Jordan is fighting more injury as well so DE Rasheem Green will need to produce. DE Frank Clark has been poised to be something special, but never quite plays at that level. That leaves questions on both ends of the line. But the middle is looking pretty sharp. DT Jarran Reed and DT Nazair Jones could really shine this year. And they have talent backing them up. So there is a real possibility the D-line will be okay, but I am nervous about getting consistently burned on the short outside pays.

With all this shakeup USA Today went on record calling for Seattle to be 4-12 this year. There is just no way that happens if Wilson, Penny and Carson stay healthy. And looking at their opponents, I think Seattle could go 8-8 with just Magoo and McKissic in the backfield.

It feels good to have the Seahawks downplayed again. There will be danger in the air and there will not be a 4-12 record that is for sure!

End.