If the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl for the second-straight season, they will not have long to celebrate as the team has plenty of offseason work to do. The team will likely be replacing Dan Quinn at defensive coordinator after he accepts the head coaching job for the Atlanta Falcons. They will need to give Russell Wilson along with a few other key players contract extensions and they have to decide what Marshawn Lynch's future looks like. According to head coach Pete Carroll, fans should not expect some kind of overhaul regardless.
One of the biggest offseason headlines for the Seahawks will be the contract to Wilson. The quarterback is entering the final year of his contract and is expected to become the highest paid quarterback in the league. At this moment, Wilson might be the most underpaid athlete in the NFL making just $817,302 this season after winning the Super Bowl a year before. The Seahawks will sign Wilson to a very nice new contract, but Carroll is making it clear that it will not come at the cost of other players.
When asked about Wilson's upcoming deal, Carroll was thankful that they would not be following the paths of other teams. The Baltimore Ravens gave Joe Flacco a new deal and it cost them several players as a result. Seattle will not have to do the same thing after being very smart with their salary cap moves.
"They had to have a big sea change in their football team because of the financial aspect of that," Carroll said, via NFL.com. "We don't anticipate that. We think we're structured in a way that we can hold on."
That is good news for players like Lynch who are a high cap hit next season, but remain one of the team's best players. The running back has been the subject of trade rumors simply because of his contract, but according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, the Seahawks do not want to trade Lynch, aware that he is the x-factor to the franchise.
The Seahawks have other free agent moves to think about as well. Bryon Maxwell and Malcolm Smith are both free agents and contributors to the defense. The Seahawks likely also want another big wide receiver. Carroll is confident that Seattle can keep all the right players in place while still making sure everyone is paid fairly.
