The Seattle Seahawks’ defensive front will look much different this season. Michael Bennett was shipped out of town, Cliff Avril was released due to an unfortunate neck injury, and Sheldon Richardson skedaddled to Minnesota in free agency. They leave behind a pass-rushing vacuum.
The team needs to find sacks and hits and quarterback pressures from somewhere. The Seahawks finished 14th in pressure rate in 2017, pressuring opposing QBs on 30.9% of plays. Take even a minor step backwards and you’re peering at utter mediocrity, a sure-fire way to lose games in the modern era.
The Avril-Bennett pincer move was one of the most fearsome sights in the game.