12 offseason questions for the Seahawks

1. Whither Marshawn?



After an injury-ravaged 2015 season, and sporting a salary cap number of $11.5 million for 2016, it's all but a foregone conclusion that the Seahawks will move on from "Beast Mode" this offseason. Cutting or trading Lynch will save Seattle $6.5 million against the cap in 2016 and $10 million in 2017, the final year of a two-year extension he signed in March. Given that Lynch is coming off the first surgery of his illustrious career and his repeated clashes with management, perhaps a better question than whether or not he returns to the Seahawks next season is whether Lynch has played his last NFL game, period.



Update: Lynch announced his retirement via Twitter on Feb. 7. His decision to walk away from the game was subsequently confirmed by his agent. less 1. Whither Marshawn?



After an injury-ravaged 2015 season, and sporting a salary cap number of $11.5 million for 2016, it's all but a foregone conclusion that the Seahawks will move on from "Beast Mode" this ... more Photo: Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery, Getty Images Photo: Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery, Getty Images Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close 12 offseason questions for the Seahawks 1 / 18 Back to Gallery

The body's hardly cold on the 2015 Seahawks season, but it's already time to start thinking about what the team will look like next year and beyond.

Three days removed from Seattle's 31-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers in the NFC divisional playoffs, speculation is already rampant regarding offseason comings and goings. Unlike last year, when most of the team's scheduled free agents were reserves and special teams players, this year's class includes more than a handful of longtime starters.

The Seahawks ranked seventh in Spotrac's NFL financial power rankings published last week, with an estimated $30 million in salary cap space and 15 "starters" signed for next season. But a more in-depth look at the issues swirling around Seattle this offseason leads us to believe this team might look very different in 2016.

Perhaps more pressing than the decisions facing head coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider in free agency are the questions surrounding several key players under contract for next season and beyond.

With that in mind, we came up with our 12 questions for the Seahawks' 2016 offseason. Check them out in the gallery above. (And for kicks, check out last year's offseason questions here.)

Visit seattlepi.com for more Seattle Seahawks news. Contact sports editor Stephen Cohen at stephencohen@seattlepi.com or @scohenPI.