Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Entering his second NFL season, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has a higher ceiling than just about any other young quarterback entering the 2013 campaign. After an incredible offseason, adding even more talent to their already exciting roster, the Seahawks are set up for a big year. Wilson will be at the forefront of that success.
As a rookie, Wilson accounted for 30 total touchdowns between his passing and rushing abilities. He finished 2012 with a passer rating of 100.0 even. It is safe to say there are few who saw this type of year coming from a third round pick who wasn’t even supposed to start. The Seahawks were looking to be set to start newly signed quarterback Matt Flynn and let Wilson learn from the bench for a while. Instead, Wilson decided he was going to compete for the job – and he won.
Though he is only about five feet, ten inches tall and was told by many of his critics that he is too small to play the quarterback position, Wilson exemplified the type of player head coach Pete Carroll desires as a competitive, humble leader with a will to win. Wilson won the starting job by working hard and learning quickly, and from there on out it was his job to lose.
Going into the upcoming season, Wilson has a fantastic outlook offensively. He gets to play in the same back field as one of the best running backs in the entire league in the bruising Marshawn Lynch. Lynch gives Wilson a luxury that many quarterbacks would do just about anything for, and that is to have an all-around halfback that can do just about anything he is asked. Along with Lynch, Wilson is heading into another year with two capable wide receivers in Sidney Rice and Golden Tate. Both of these guys did enough to suffice last year, and another year will only yield improvement in the chemistry they have with their leader.
Most importantly, Wilson gets a new weapon in former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin. With Harvin lined up virtually anywhere on the offensive side of the ball, Wilson’s numbers will surely spike. This is a match made in heaven. Seattle now has a quarterback that is multi-dimensional, a running back that can run and catch the ball as well as a receiver that can line up at any spot on the field and contribute. Send Harvin over the middle, hand him the ball in the backfield, use him on the reverse or even send him deep every once in a while. Harvin can do it all.
With all of this in mind, Wilson is set to have a monster season. If Harvin can catch even six to eight touchdowns this season – and that very well could be low-balling it – Wilson’s touchdown total would rise to 34. With the threat of Harvin now on offense, Wilson’s rushing touchdowns could also look to rise maybe one or two, pushing his grand total up to 40 touchdowns scored. Is this too much to ask? Not at all. It may be a bit of wishful thinking, but it could happen.
The point here is Wilson and the ‘Hawks will be an absolute blast to watch next year on both sides of the ball. Carroll and Wilson have the opportunity to lead one of the best offenses in the NFL, and I guarantee you Wilson knows that. He’s the kind of guy that never stops improving, so if his rookie year is any indication of things to come, the NFC West is going to have a real problem on their hands.
Ryan Heckman is a writer for www.RantSports.com covering the NBA and NFL. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
