NFL Preseason 2010: Seattle Seahawks Top Storylines

The Seattle Seahawks are once again a team in transition after changing head coaches for the second year in a row. The Seahawks finished last season in third place in the NFC West with a record of 5-11 but are looking to turn things around this season.

The Seahawks have a chance to make a playoff push right away since they play in the NFL's weakest division.

Seattle has one of the best home crowds in the NFL, and the 12th man is ready to see a winner this season at Qwest Field.

The team has many new faces on this year's team and reason for optimism that they can return to playing competitive football.

Here is a look at five of the top storylines for Seahawks' fans to follow during the last two preseason games and into the regular season.

1. The Health of Matt Hasselbeck

The Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback has struggled to stay healthy the past two seasons as he missed nine games in 2008 and two games last season due to injury.

Hasselbeck has also experienced a slip in his play the last two seasons as nagging injuries and a bad offensive line have been key contributors in his poor play.

This season Seahawks fans hope Hasselbeck will get some protection from his offensive line and get back to the kind of numbers he put up for six seasons prior to 2008.

The Seahawks added first round draft pick Russell Okung to play left tackle and protect the quarterbacks blind side while new guard Ben Hamilton should also help to sure up a shaky offensive line.

Some people have given up on Hasselbeck, but a full season of good health and good protection could help Hasselbeck revive his career in the Emerald City.

2. The Resurrection of Mike Williams Career

Mike Williams was taken with the tenth pick in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. Since that time Williams has been one of the league's biggest draft busts of the past decade.

Williams spent just two seasons in Detroit and has amassed only 44 catches for 539 yards in his three year NFL career. Williams' weight ballooned to 275 pounds, making him look more like a tight end than the athletic wide receiver people had come to know while in college at USC.

The 6'5" wide receiver did not play in the league for the past two seasons, but Pete Carroll, his former head coach at USC, decided to give Williams a chance to make the Seahawks' roster during training camp.

Williams showed up in the best shape he has been in since college and gives the Seahawks a potential steal at the wide receiver position if he is able to regain the form he showed in college.

Williams gives the Seahawks another possession receiver with great size to go along with number one receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

3. Leon Washington Has X-Factor Potential

Leon Washington gives the Seahawks something they have been lacking the past few seasons: a potential home run threat at the running back position.

The Seahawks traded for Washington during the draft, hoping that he would fully recover from the broken leg that ended his season after only seven games last year.

Washington looks like he has regained some of the explosiveness that he showed while he was with the New York Jets, running for an 11 yard touchdown last game against the Packers.

Washington had a great burst of speed on the play and hit the hole with authority, showing that he has the big play ability that Seahawks' fans were hoping for.

Washington will be a nice compliment to Justin Forsett and should help contribute on third down for the Hawks this season.

4. Russell Okung's Ankle Injury

The Seahawks have a lot riding on their first round draft pick out of Oklahoma State. Okung signed a six year, $48.5 million deal after being taken with the sixth pick in April's draft.

The 6'5" left tackle is being counted on to replace the recently retired Walter Jones, one of the best left tackles to ever play the game.

Okung is one of the most important players on the Hawks roster this season, and the team can not afford to lose him.

Okung suffered a high right ankle sprain during the first quarter of the Seahawks second preseason game. Okung could miss up to two months with the injury, but recovery time will hopefully be no longer than a month.

Okung is a player the Seahawks sorely need, and he must get healthy for the Seattle offense to be full strength.

5. Pete Carroll

Pete Carroll's arrival in Seattle as head coach of the Seahawks is one of the biggest storylines this season in the entire NFL, let alone Seattle.

Carroll is giving the NFL a second try after struggling with the Patriots and Jets. Carroll decided to give college a try and became the most successful head coach of the decade while at USC.

Carroll surprisingly left USC to become the Seahawks' new head coach after Jim Mora was fired and now has a lot of attention on himself this season.

Seahawks' fans and the national media are all interested to see what kind of impact Carroll will have on a team looking to improve on a five win season last year.