For Seahawks, Now What Happens? Free Agents, Super Bowl ‘Curse’ and Other Factors

Immediately for fans of Seattle in the Pacific Northwest, they're wondering if Seattle can become only the 8th team in Super Bowl history to repeat.

First, personnel-wise, Seattle has 3 major free-agents who will need to be resigned.  Leading receiver Golden Tate,  also 2nd leading receiver Doug Baldwin (who caught a TD pass in Super Bowl) and DE Michael Bennett who led the team in sacks.

The key will be if Seattle is willing to spend the money it will take to keep them on the team. The Percy Harvin situation could complicate the receiver corps especially with his large contract.  While Coach Carroll preaches harmony and unity on the team, the Hawks are also known for bringing in free agents and other players to work out on a regular basis.  He believes constant competition brings out players best work, but big dollar signs in free-agency have lured even some of the most "loyal" players away from teams.  As for Bennett,  BleacherReport.com thinks the Hawks philosophy of "next man up" could possibly lead to him being replaced in the draft if he gets a high-dollar offer from another team.   This mentality could lead to the team not making a top-market offer.

Another factor to consider will be if Seattle wins their division.  While the Hawks had their best road record in many years (6-2) they will need the home field crowd.  Playing at Century Link field was a definite advantage.   Aside from the 23-0 whitewashing of the Giants, and a 36-22 semi-close game vs. Cardinals,  Seattle beat Carolina 12-7,  needed a goal-line stand to beat the Rams 14-9, and came from behind to beat the lowly Texans 23-20 on the road.   The Hawks relied more on home-field than any other team.

The Super Bowl curse will also be examined as it has every year.   Only 7 teams have repeated in the 48 years the game has been played.  If you exclude the 60's Green Bay squads,  early 70's Dolphins teams and the '79-80 Steelers,   only 3 teams since 1990 have done it.  The Dallas Cowboys in '93-94, Denver '98-99 and New England in '04-05. 

As for Super Bowl teams making it back the next season, but losing the game?  The last team to win it one year and lose the next were the '97-98 Packers who beat New England, but lost to Denver and Elway the following season.

Not including the game between Seattle and Denver (because we won't know until next year obviously) in the last five previous Super Bowls, only two teams have even made it back - the Giants and Patriots, with New York winning both.

And finally for the future, there's been some reports of Seattle possibly putting together a bid to host either the 2019 or 2020 Super Bowl.   Might want to avoid that one!  The Wall Street Journal ran an article that exposes perhaps the biggest Super Bowl curse of all:

*Since the beginning of the modern Super Bowl in 1967 NO team has EVER played the big game in it's home stadium.

In 2009, the Cowboys were a chic pic to make it with the game at the new Texas Stadium, but then lost Romo after starting 1-4 and finished 6-10.  In 2011, the Colts were a strong contender, but then lost Manning to his neck injury and finished 2-14, worst in the NFL.   Not since 2000 has a Super Bowl hosting team even made the playoffs!  That was Tampa Bay, who lost in the Wild-Card Round.  So they might not want the battle for the Lombardi Award to be held there.