The Seattle Seahawks are one of the most intriguing teams in the NFL. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Russell Wilson, as well as a dynamic offense surrounding him.
The Seahawks also play in the NFC West, the toughest division in football. In order to compete in such a harsh environment, Seattle needs to have its best 11 men on the field at all times. That inevitably means some starters from last year will lose their jobs as we head into the 2021 season.
Here are two Seahawks first-stringers who are in danger of losing their starting positions before the season starts.
Seahawks roster intrigues:
Freddie Swain
Swain didn't start at wide receiver last season, but there was plenty of chatter throughout the offseason about how high head coach Pete Carroll was on Swain. All through free agency, everyone expected the Seahawks to roll with Swain as a complement to fellow receivers D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. General manager John Schneider put those plans in question when he spent a third-round pick on receiver D'Wayne Eskridge.
The second-round selection spent on Eskridge was the highest pick the Seahawks owned in the 2020 draft. It's tough to see Schneider using that pick on a depth player when many consider Seattle to be potential Super Bowl contenders. However unfair it is to Eskridge, there is an expectation he will produce quickly. The former Western Michigan Bronco can't produce if he's sitting on the bench, and Swain's starting job looks ripe for the taking. Swain is entering his third year in Seattle, and he's never given anyone reason to believe that he deserves a starting spot.
It's entirely possible that Carroll and Schneider will try to justify their draft pick and insert him into the starting lineup in time for the Seahawks' Week 1 matchup.
D.J. Reed
Reed played a significant role in Seattle's secondary last season, earning himself just under 50% of the defensive snaps taken by the Seahawks. Unfortunately for Reed, none of his playing time entrenched him as a sure starter for the 2021 season. Seattle's defense was absolutely atrocious against the pass last year, and Reed was as much a part of that as any other starter. Seeing him pulled for Tre Flowers wouldn't be a huge surprise for a number of reasons.
Flowers wasn't any better than Reed last year, but Reed may hold more value to the Seahawks if he isn't in the starting lineup. The Kansas State product has shown the ability to be a core special teamer, something Flowers may not be able to do. Reed also has far more positional versatility than Flowers. He can play safety, outside cornerback, or slot cornerback. Flowers can only play as a boundary corner. Having Reed as a depth piece for the entire secondary when injuries inevitably come along could be incredibly valuable to defensive coordinator Ken Norton.
Reed also doesn't fit the prototype of a Seahawks cornerback. Seattle loves corners who are long, physical, and possess good deep speed. Reed is undersized and less physical than cornerbacks who typically start in Norton's scheme.
Flowers, on the other hand, fits the bill perfectly. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Flowers walk out with the starters when the Seahawks play the Indianapolis Colts in the regular season opener.
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