The 2019 Seattle Seahawks are poised for playoff greatness. Tough schedule? Tough schedule’s are for losers, and this team is not that. I am projecting eleven wins, and in a tougher NFC West division, that could be enough to win it. I am giving you twenty player related reasons why this team can and should come out on top. Here is reason number 15.

Edge rusher Jacob Martin.

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Why will Martin make an impact?

As a rookie in 2018, he was a quarterback pressure machine. Yes, he only had three sacks and seven tackles, and yes, he is only listed as 6-2 and 242 lbs, but I’m here to advise you not to get caught up into these numbers. On third downs, this dude was cat quick off the edge, displaying an impressive bend mixed with super fast explosion. In fact, the coaches trusted him more than the more highly touted rookie pass rusher Rasheem Green when it came to live games, and Green was the preseason darling. That’s not to say that Green won’t blossom into a good player (I actually have him listed as my twentieth rated impact player for 2019), I think it just more of a glowing testament to how good Martin actually is, and where he projects.

One thing that I trust about Pete Carroll and John Schneider is their ability to scout defensive linemen, and pass rushers. Whether it is through the draft, or free agency, or trade, they usually find their guys that they can mold. Bruce Irvin, Chris Clemons, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Frank Clark, Jarran Reed are all players that came into Seattle and blossomed into better players. When Clark was traded to Kansas City (who are now going to pay him a fortune), I had a hunch that Seattle saw something, or some things on this roster that they felt could mitigate the loss of his production. I suspect that a combination of Green and Martin was a determining factor, and when they only took one passer rusher in the draft, LJ Collier, it kind of solidified it for me.

So, I’m here to tell worried fans to relax about the pass rush. It will be there in 2019, it might be better than last year’s, and I fully anticipate Martin to be a big factor. Pete Carroll keeps bringing his name up, and he should. Some players just have a knack.

I’ve read or heard some folks comparing Martin to Bruce Irvin from a few years ago, but for me, I will go further back. To me, Martin has serious Rufus Porter like traits, and if you are too young to remember Rufus, or simply weren’t alive when he was playing and pops never spoke to you about him, I suggest viewing some old YouTube clips of his, and then compare with Martin ; very similar explosion off the edge, sharp bend and dip under the shoulder of the much taller blocker. Fun to watch stuff.

I can see a scenario where Green is a starter on base downs, and maybe reduces inside on third downs while Martin comes off the edge, and there is a chemistry there. Now think about this rush when you factor Ziggy Ansah getting healthy to play again, Cassius Marsh being available, Jarran Reed continuing his inside pass rush, and maybe even Shaquem Griffin getting involved. All of this isn’t even factoring in 2019 first round pick LJ Collier who has nifty inside/out pass rush moves of his own, and is a player that I also think is poised to make an early impact.

So, yeah. I’m saying don’t waste too much energy worrying about Seattle’s pass rush. It will be there, and I expect Martin to take on a significantly bigger role. He might not be a starter, but the way Carroll prefers to rotate players, starting doesn’t matter. Let us always be reminded that when Seattle won the Super Bowl in 2013, Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril were both coming off the bench.

Rotation, rotation, rotation. When Seattle decided not to pay Clark the big bucks, this theme of rotation started to play louder in my ears.

Don’t worry about Martin. Don’t worry about Seattle’s pass rush. They will all be just fine. Can’t wait to see it. We can all enjoy it together.

Go Hawks.