Can the Seattle Seahawks Keep NFC Dominance Rolling Through 2015 Season?

The play may live on in infamy, but the Seattle Seahawks aren't dead.

Seattle was one yard from glory, but an ill-fated pass was picked off at the goal line, and elation turned to anguish. 

Trudging through the misery of Super Bowl heartbreak, the Seahawks and their fans should have more than a quantum of solace—one play doesn't alter a bright future for a team poised to contend for years to come. After all, they were the second-youngest team in Super Bowl history just a year ago.

Head coach Pete Carroll echoed those sentiments after the heartbreaking loss, per ESPN.com's Terry Blount:

"

It really hurt. It hurt everybody. It was so sudden and so far off what should have happened for us. It’s something we have to deal with, but in the long run, it will make us stronger and we’ll be able to put it in some kind of perspective. I think we all understand that.

In my interactions with the players, their resolve and determination about where we’re going and what we’re doing is absolutely clear. The future is very, very bright. This is a very young team that’s going all kinds of places and everybody knows that. 

"

The Seahawks have been laying the groundwork for longevity for some time now. It all started with smart drafting.

Richard Sherman, arguably the best cornerback in the league regardless of what you think about his trash-talking, was a fifth-round selection in 2011. That was a year after the Seahawks had taken safety Kam Chancellor in the same round.

Stud safety Earl Thomas wasn't quite that bargain (a first-rounder in the same draft the Seahawks found Chancellor), but hitting on early picks is just as valuable.

The Seahawks have also done a nice job in free agency, snagging values in guys like defensive ends Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril or making that fateful trade for Marshawn Lynch way back in 2010.

All of them have been locked down at or below market value over the past two years. That hasn't come cheap in some instances—Thomas and Sherman signed contracts worth $96 million combined—but the Seahawks have done an excellent job managing the cap despite several big contracts.

Seattle enters the 2015 offseason with potentially $27.5 million in cap space, depending on where the salary cap lands. 

"

NFL Management Council informed teams at league meeting today '15 cap projects b/n $138.6M-$141.8M. I bet it ends up higher. Often does

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) December 10, 2014"

Like last year, it could go beyond projections. 

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For first time, NFLPA will release own salary cap projections. Concern is inaccurate team projections hurt players in contract negotiations.

— Jane McManus (@janesports) January 29, 2015"

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NFL believes 2015 salary cap will be between $138.6 -- 141.8 million; NFLPA believes a "substantial increase"... http://t.co/wDJHF04343

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 11, 2014"

Let's settle on $142 million, which is how we arrive at Seattle's projected cap number. That's $27 million to spend on a roster that is in excellent shape and has few key 2015 free agents or holes to fill.

Cornerback Byron Maxwell will be the only priority free agent for the Seahawks. He proved his value with his absence last season—Tharold Simon was roasted when Maxwell was out with injury. 

Keeping offensive guard James Carpenter would also be nice, but he is bigger in name than quality of play. Carpenter has ranked in the bottom half of offensive guards over the past couple of seasons, according to Pro Football Focus.

Aside from those two, receivers Jermaine Kearse and Ricardo Lockette are also set to hit free agency. Both those guys shouldn't cost much to re-sign, and they are easily replaceable in free agency. Whatever the case may be, receiver is one of the few places that truly needs an upgrade.

The Seahawks are sitting on a stack of cash. They should go win free agency and turn the Legion of Boom into the Guardians of the Galaxy, right?

Not so fast—consider the cautionary tale that is the New Orleans Saints.

It wasn't too long ago that Drew Brees held his son amidst a rain of confetti and gaggle of cameras, basking in the glory of Super Bowl victory. Two years later, he signed a five-year, $100 million deal that is burning $26.4 million into New Orleans' cap space.

The Saints are over $20 million above the projected cap.

His contract isn't the only problem, but it is certainly a big contributor. Seahawks general manager John Schneider's challenge will be keeping the Seahawks in the stratosphere without allowing an albatross contract to bring the team down.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

With Russell Wilson due to hit free agency in 2016—not to mention stud linebacker Bobby Wagner, who garnered a single MVP vote last season—and a ton of cap space to burn in potentially front-loaded deals, now is the time to strike. Wilson's value is obvious, but Wagner should be just as big a priority.

Not only would re-signing them this year allow the Seahawks to do a little front-loading, but it's prudent given inflation in the NFL. With the salary cap ballooning annually at this point, contracts are only going to get bigger. 

Signing Wilson and Wagner in this offseason saves them money over what those two might cost a year from now.

There is some silly notion that Seattle shouldn't give Wilson big money because he has a fantastic team around him. Perhaps those cynics weren't watching Wilson throwing dimes last Sunday, or they think Andy Dalton is a better quarterback.

That is not to mention the 26-year-old is coming off his third year in the league, and his career doesn't look too dissimilar to a certain Super Bowl winner's at this stage.

There is the little matter of running back Marshawn Lynch, who is entering the final year of his contract.

The 28-year-old has been the engine that has made the offense go in recent years, and the Seahawks would miss him if he is too disgruntled with his contract to even play. Lynch threatened retirement last offseason when in the middle of his holdout, and the Seahawks finally caved by giving him a portion of his 2015 salary.

Despite negative press that is more about hurt feelings among certain media members than Lynch's obfuscating interviews, rumors swirled before the Super Bowl that Seattle offered Lynch a massive extension, per NFL.com's Ian Rapoport.

Beast Mode already has a beastly cap number at $8.5 million this year—an extension shouldn't really affect this year's cap in a big way, even if his 2015 salary is doubled per Rapoport's report. 

Beyond free agency, the Seahawks must get back to drafting like they did a few years ago. We are still waiting to see if some of their draft picks of the past couple of years will pan out, but nothing has come close to the gold mine of talent the Seahawks found in the 2010 and 2011 drafts.

Bolstering the offensive line, finding a quality big receiver and buttoning up depth in the secondary should be doable in free agency and the draft. Should a deal with Lynch somehow fall apart, the Seahawks can fall back on the draft—it is loaded with talent at running back.

The rest of the NFL is already playing catch-up, in many cases hamstrung by cap or incurable roster issues. Not only can the Seahawks keep contending, but they should have a leg up in doing so if they can keep managing the cap brilliantly. 

All salary and free agent information courtesy of Overthecap.com.

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