The Seattle Seahawks are coming off of a solid 2018 campaign in which they won 10 games and made the playoffs, but lost in the Wild Card Round to the Dallas Cowboys.
Now, the Seahawks are kind of caught in limbo, as they are probably good enough to contend for a playoff spot once again but aren't good enough to seriously make a run at a Super Bowl.
Seattle has had a pretty underwhelming offseason, trading away stud defensive lineman Frank Clark and not really making any notable signings to better its roster.
Of course, the biggest move the Seahawks made was extending Russell Wilson, which was great, but they also don't have a whole lot of talent around him.
Here are Seattle's four biggest storylines as it tries to make it back to the playoffs going into 2019:
4. What will Chris Carson do for an Encore?
Chris Carson had a spectacular season in his first year as the Seahawks' starting running back in 2018, racking up 1,151 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Can he replicate that production?
Carson will be sharing the backfield with Rashaad Penny, as Mike Davis went on to sign with the Chicago Bears earlier this offseason. Penny was pretty efficient himself this past year, totaling 419 yards and a couple of scores while registering 4.9 yards per attempt.
Seattle leaned heavily on its ground attack in 2018, to the point where Wilson actually thought the Seahawks should have thrown the ball more during their playoff loss to the Cowboys.
But if Carson has another like he did this past season, you can't blame Pete Carroll for wanting to put the ball in his hands.
3. Who will Step Up in Place of Doug Baldwin?
Doug Baldwin's eight-year run in Seattle has come to an end, as the Seahawks released the injury-riddled wide receiver earlier this offseason, and now, Baldwin seems likely to retire.
The question is, how will Seattle replace his production?
Baldwin didn't have a standout year in 2018, but he still managed to haul in 50 receptions for 618 yards and five touchdowns, so someone is going to have to step up and fill his shoes.
Obviously, Tyler Lockett is a breakout candidate as the team's No. 1, so there is no need to worry about him, but outside of Lockett, the Seahawks' receiving corps are very thin.
Wilson might actually have to rely heavily on rookie wideout DK Metcalf, who wasn't even all that productive in college and was drafted in the second round purely based upon his freakish athleticism.
2. How will the Seahawks Deal with the Loss of Frank Clark?
Clark racked up 41 tackles and 13 sacks for the Seahawks in 2018, so replacing his output won't be easy.
Seattle did sign Ziggy Ansah, but Ansah missed most of last season with a shoulder injury and might end up missing the first month of the regular season as he recovers from surgery.
A lot of pressure will be placed upon the shoulders of Jarran Reed to be even more of a force in 2019, as he totaled 50 tackles and 10.5 sacks this past year.
Outside of Reed, however, the Seahawks don't have any healthy pass rushers, which could mean big problems for the defense. They better hope Ansah gets back soon and can somewhat resemble his old form.
1. Can Russell Wilson Put the Team on his Back Again?
There isn't much not to like about Wilson. He is a terrific quarterback, a proven winner, a great leader and a phenomenal person in general.
He is also coming off of arguably the best season of his career in which he threw for 3,448 yards, 35 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 65.6 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 110.9.
But can Wilson do that again?
Let's face it: Wilson put the Seahawks on his back and took them to the playoffs this past year, and going into 2019, he will have an even less talented roster than he did several months ago.
Wilson also threw the ball just 427 times in 2018, his lowest mark since 2013. Will Carroll ask him to sling it more this season, or will he take a conservative approach with such a thin receiving corps?
There are a lot of variables here, but the one constant is Wilson's talent and penchant for making good things happen on the field. Hopefully for Seattle's sake, Wilson can conjure up some more magic in 2019. The team is going to need it.
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