The Seattle Seahawks have perhaps the best group of linebackers in the NFL.
Longtime teammates Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright are joined by veteran Mychal Kendricks at SAM and a bevy of qualified backups, including Austin Calitro and a pair of rookies; Cody Barton and Ben Burr-Kirven.
The team also has Barkevious Mingo and Shaquem Griffin, who both played linebacker at times last season. However, because of the added depth, they figure to contribute as pass rushers this season.
While Griffin has been listed as a potential cut-candidate multiple times this offseason, Seattle’s defensive coordinator, Ken Norton Jr., sees a player on the verge of a breakout.
“I see improvement,” Norton told 710 ESPN’s John Clayton on Wednesday. “He’s been consistent. He’s been learning how to play at the NFL level, knowing that you’re not going to be one hundred percent all the time and you’ve got to play hurt. I think that his development is right where we expected. This should be a breakout year for him.”
Griffin started for the Seahawks Week 1 last season but struggled, eventually only contributing on the special teams, a role he excelled at.
The Seahawks need Griffin to step up as a pass-rusher – his strength while at UCF – if he is going to be a part of the 53-man roster this season.
Griffin’s speed and agility off the edge could make him a plus pass-rusher in the NFL, but his size and lack of strength will be tough challenges for him to overcome.
If he’s truly in line for a breakout, as Norton projected, he’ll have every opportunity to get to the quarterback on a team that is starved for production off the edge.
