Lynch looks to further prove value after MVP season

Marshawn Lynch, who the Seahawks refused to give a significant raise in the offseason, was the Seahawks' most valuable player this year.

With all due respect to Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and others, Lynch entered every game of the Seahawks campaign as the focal point of opponents and yet still managed to create big plays on the ground and in the passing game. He finished as the league's fourth leading rusher in 2014 and finished third in receiving yards on the Seahawks. His 13 rushing touchdowns tied him with DeMarco Murray for the league lead.Marshawn Lynch

The 28-year-old proved throughout the season and again in the NFC Championship game – when he rushed for a season-high 157 yards – why he had demanded more money when the Seahawks opened training camp as defending champions in August.

Lynch demanded his $5 million base salary be raised in the offseason and when he didn't receive an offer he liked, decided to hold out as the team returned to Seattle. After one week, and a $1.5 million raise, Lynch ended his holdout and returned to the team. His $6.5 million contract left him as the league's sixth-highest paid back.

In Super Bowl XLVIII, the Denver Broncos held Lynch to just 39 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown as the Seahawks defence and special teams stole the show. Beast Mode will be looking to better that performance against a Patriots defence which ranked ninth against the run this season and prove why he dissevered more from the Seahawks front office.

If the Seahawks repeat, don't expect Malcolm Smith to

As the Seahawks' defence dominated Peyton Manning and the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, outside linebacker Malcolm Smith was rewarded with the Super Bowl MVP title. Working as a replacement for injured starter K.J. Wright, Smith was all over the field against the Broncos; credited with a safety, a fumble recovery and a career-high 10 tackles. He topped all that off with a 69-yard interception return for a touchdown.   

One year later, Wright is healthy and finished as the team's leading tackler in the regular season, leaving Smith as a backup once again. Though the Seahawks defence may shine once again on the league's biggest stage, barring injury, Smith will not be a key contributor.

According to Bovada, Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman are listed the Seahawks' defensive favourites to be the Super Bowl MVP at 33-to-1 odds. Free safety Earl Thomas (40/1) and middle linebacker Bobby Wagner (50/1) have the next best odds of any Seahawks defender. Wright is listed at 75/1, while Smith is going off at 100/1, tying him for the longest odds of any player.

Canadian TE Willson emerges as an X-Factor

In his second season with the Seattle, Canadian tight end Luke Willson rose up the depth chart and became a starter in the Seahawks offence.

Willson's 16.5 yards-per-catch average led all Seahawks who caught more than 20 balls in 2014, and he finished as the team's fourth leading receiver with 362 yards.Luke Willson

At 6'5, 252 pounds with a 4.5 second 40-yard dash time, Willson can create mismatches against smaller defensive backs or slower linebackers. Quarterback Russell Wilson and the Seahawks will likely be forced to take advantage of these opportunities against Patriots, when cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner are expected to lock down receivers Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse.

Willson caught four passes for 68 yards and a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers in the divisional round and caught the two-point conversion attempt against the Packers that put the Seahawks up 22-19 with under two minutes to play.
 
See you next year? Seahawks roster built for another run

Of 22 starters across Seattle's offence and defence, just five are set for free agency this offseason; cornerback Byron Maxwell, guard James Carpenter, receiver Jermaine Kearse, defensive tackle Kevin Williams and fullback Will Tukuafu. Of those, only Maxwell would likely be viewed as a significant loss should he depart.  Both Williams and Tukuafu opened the year as backups until injuries promoted them.

A Super Bowl win has a possibility to ruin a team financially if multiple key contributors are headed to the open market – see Baltimore Ravens, Joe Flacco – but the Seahawks are built to remain a contender and a potential dynasty with key players locked in for another year.Earl Thomas

The average player age on Seahawks 53-man roster in Week 1 placed them as the NFL's seventh-youngest team at 25.65 years old. 2014 also marked the third straight year the Seahawks ranked in the top seven in that regard.

With Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas all under contract for at least one more year, a three-peat is not out of the question for the Seahawks. That, of course, will require a win on Sunday over the NFL's last dynasty, the New England Patriots.