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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Seahawks remain favorites to win Super Bowl now that draft is over

Bob Condotta Seattle Times

SEATTLE – Though the Seahawks likely will make some additions to the roster before training camp begins, the draft marked the last significant acquisition of talent for the offseason. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown.

The Seahawks are embroiled in controversy over their first pick – defensive end Frank Clark – in last weekend’s NFL draft.

They are in the midst of negotiations on a contract extension with quarterback Russell Wilson that appear more complicated, at the least, than anticipated.

And they face lingering questions about the happiness of key players such as Michael Bennett and Bruce Irvin.

They also, however, remain the Las Vegas favorites to win Super Bowl 50.

In odds released Tuesday, the Seahawks are listed as 11/2 favorites to earn their second Super Bowl win in a three-year span in February in Santa Clara, Calif. (They are followed closely by the Packers at 7/1 and the Patriots at 15/2).

Here’s a position-by-position breakdown now:

Quarterback

The Seahawks still have just three quarterbacks on the roster – Wilson, B.J. Daniels and free-agent signee R.J. Archer. No question about the starter. The team, though, still hopes to re-sign veteran Tarvaris Jackson as the backup, the big question at this spot.

Running back

Many thought Seattle might draft a running back to compete for a reserve role now and groom as a starter. Instead, the Seahawks are status quo at tailback – Marshawn Lynch, Robert Turbin and Christine Michael, with Derrick Coleman returning at fullback. It’ll be a key year for Turbin and Michael, though, to see if they establish whether they can be the heir apparent to Lynch.

Tight end

Seattle decided the addition of Jimmy Graham was enough and did not add to this spot in the draft. There will be interesting competition for the backup spots, and with Luke Willson, Anthony McCoy, Cooper Helfet and RaShaun Allen the Seahawks feel they should be improved from last season.

Offensive line

Seattle has 15 offensive linemen on its roster. As of today, the starting lineup would likely be: left tackle Russell Okung, left guard Alvin Bailey, center Patrick Lewis, right guard J.R. Sweezy and right tackle Justin Britt. Fourth-round picks Mark Glowinski and Terry Poole will compete at the guard spots, and sixth-rounder Kristjan Sokoli at center. As much as anything, Seattle needs a player or two to emerge as dependable and versatile backups. The Seahawks could also make a run at some of the remaining unsigned free-agent centers such as Chris Myers or Dan Connolly.

Receiver

The addition of third-round pick Tyler Lockett turns this into one of the team’s more competitive position groups. Lockett’s a, well, lock to make the final 53-man roster as a returner, at the least. Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse are back as starters. Kearse signed his 2015 contract on Tuesday. It will pay the former University of Washington star $2,356,000 this coming season.

Chris Matthews emerged as the team’s presumptive big receiver in the Super Bowl. That the Seahawks didn’t add another one in the draft, as many expected, could be seen as a vote of confidence in what they expect out of Matthews. Paul Richardson likely begins the season on the physically-unable-to perform (PUP) list while recovering from knee surgery, possibly leaving Ricardo Lockette and Kevin Norwood competing for the final spots.

Defensive line

The Seahawks’ increasingly controversial decision to draft Clark – who was kicked off the team at Michigan last season following his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence with his then girlfriend – speaks volumes to what they felt was a need to improve the pass rush, especially from the backup players. The starting four could remain the same as a year ago – ends Cliff Avril and Bennett and tackles Brandon Mebane and Tony McDaniel. But the competition for backup spots will be especially interesting. A number of recently drafted players are nearing the time where they must produce or the team might have to look elsewhere. One new name not to forget is tackle Ahtyba Rubin, who may be the team’s most underrated offseason acquisition.

Linebacker

Seattle’s set with starters Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and Irvin. But though the Seahawks didn’t add anyone in the draft, there could be some interesting competition for the backup spots this year, especially with a pair of new coaches at the spot in Micheal Barrow and Lofa Tatupu. The development of last year’s fourth-round pick, Kevin Pierre-Louis, a fourth-round pick a year ago, should be particularly intriguing.

Defensive backs

The drafting of cornerback Tye Smith in the fifth and safety Ryan Murphy in the seventh spoke to the team’s needs to bolster depth in the secondary. Three of the original Legion of Boom remain in Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas (who is said still be on track to be ready for the start of the season). But there are a lot of new faces everywhere else, especially with Jeremy Lane remaining doubtful for the start of the season. The Seahawks aren’t paying free agent Cary Williams $6 million a year – the 11th-highest salary on the team – to be a backup, so he has an edge as the other corner entering camp. But solidifying the backup spots will be as critical as ever after all of the free-agent losses the past few seasons.

Special teams

Lockett fills a big and obvious need as a returner, and the rest of the specialists return – kicker Steven Hauschka, punter Jon Ryan and snapper Clint Gresham. Gresham, though, will have to fight off one of the team’s real feel-good acquisitions of the offseason, Nate Boyer, a 34-year old former Green Beret, signed as an undrafted free agent after the draft. The Seahawks also will be looking for young players at other spots to bolster coverage and return units where injuries contributed to some shaky moments last season.