The Seattle Seahawks are Super Bowl champions after defeating the Broncos, but already many have speculated about how long the team can stay together and with Marshawn Lynch getting paid a decent amount of money over the next couple years, the team could release him after the 2014 season to make way for Christine Michael to take over as the starter in Russell Wilson's offense.
The Seahawks have a decent cap situation, but with Wilson eligible to get a new deal after next season and players like Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Russell Okung set to get new deals, Lynch could end up being the odd man out. The Seahawks drafted Michael with the idea that he could be a starter one day and while Lynch is a beast, he could end up getting the short end of things come next offseason depending on how things play out.
The team has a number of important free agents and like the Baltimore Ravens, they could look very different next season after winning a championship. Golden Tate and Doug Baldwin are set to hit the market, while Michael Bennett also is set for a new deal and he was excellent in 2013 while leading the Seahawks in sacks.
Lynch is an important part of the offense and he once again rushed for over 1,200 yards this season, but after the way the defense played and he added just 39 yards and a TD in the Super Bowl, there is a chance they could move on after another year if he doesn't re-do his deal. Lynch signed an extension with the team back in 2012 and is getting paid a $5 million base salary and in the next two seasons she has a $7 million and $9 million cap hit and adding in Wilson's new deal makes that tough to deal with.
Last season Michael had 18 carries for just 79 yards, but he showed that he can handle pass blocking and after being a second round pick, the team has high hopes for him. Michael would fit into the Seahawks philosophy of drafting and developing players and Lynch could end up on the outside of things after 2014.
