Lindsay H. Jones

USA TODAY Sports

In his first four years in the NFL, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson played in two Super Bowls (winning one), made three Pro Bowls, earned a massive new contract and became a crossover celebrity, in part because of his marriage to pop star Ciara.

But 2016 could be the year the Seahawks offense finally truly belongs to Wilson.

With running back Marshawn Lynch retired, Wilson is poised for his biggest offensive season yet as a passer after finishing 2015 on a very high note statistically.

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"This is year five. It has taken all of this time to get to this point, and he'll still improve, but you can really see him as a real true vet now," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said at the conclusion of the minicamp in June. "I think coming off of last year, with the great success of the second half of the season, he has taken it right in the offseason, and here we go. It's been our best offseason, and I think it's an indication of the development of our guys."

Indeed, the latter weeks of 2015 revealed a new Wilson. He was accurate and aggressive, and over the final two months of the season the Seahawks owned one of the NFL's most dynamic passing games. Wilson threw for multiple touchdowns in each of his team's final seven regular-season contests (during which the Seahawks went 6-1), including two five-touchdown games. Twenty-four of his career-high 34 TDs came over those final seven weeks.

In hindsight, Carroll points to several factors that made it all possible. Improved offensive line play late in the year was one of them, but most of it was because of Wilson, who mastered the timing of the offense, particularly in his connection with slot receiver Doug Baldwin, who tied for the league lead with 14 TD catches and had his first 1,000-yard receiving season.

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"We really emphasized quickness in getting the ball out. We called a lot more calls that dictated the rhythm and the timing, as opposed to kind of mixing things. So we just emphasized it, and he was ready and willing," Carroll says.

Now the Seahawks will need to see if that can carry over to 2016, as Seattle will be dealing with significant offensive changes. Lynch is virtually irreplaceable and a reshuffled offensive line will feature several new starters.

That uncertainty could put even more pressure on the established part of the offense, and that's Wilson, Baldwin and fellow receivers Jermaine Kearse and Tyler Lockett. Carroll seems to believe Wilson is ready for that responsibility.

"It takes four, five, six years — you don't know — for these guys to develop. He has made a clear step ahead. His command is all time," Carroll says. "We saw him throw the ball all over the field throughout the offseason, and he's been strong and accurate and really precise about stuff. He has had a great offseason."

Quarterback

Wilson is coming off a season in which he set career highs in passing yards (4,024), touchdowns (34) and passer rating (110.1), though he did take more sacks (45) than in any of his first three years. Wilson has been remarkably durable, despite his frequent scrambling. The Seahawks better hope that trend continues, because they have only undrafted rookie Trevone Boykin and inexperienced Jake Heaps behind him.

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Running back

The battle to replace Lynch will be one of the most intriguing story lines to watch across the NFL this August — and not just for fantasy purposes. Second-year back Thomas Rawls is the favorite to win the starting job, but he is coming off a season-ending ankle injury, which kept him out of most of the offseason. Other candidates include veteran Christine Michael and a trio of rookies drafted in April: C.J. Prosise, Alex Collins and Zac Brooks.

Wide receiver

Baldwin emerged as a star in the second half of last season, though his clutch play and toughness were no surprise to anyone in the locker room. He'll return as Wilson's top target, part of a top trio of receivers that is rather firmly established. It will be interesting to watch Lockett's development in his second year and if the Seahawks find more ways to use him, as well as to see if 2014 second-round pick Paul Richardson can finally get healthy enough to play a significant role as a deep threat.

Tight end

The Seahawks finished the offseason optimistic about the progress tight end Jimmy Graham had made in his recovery from the serious knee injury he suffered last season. Carroll said he was expecting Graham to be ready for the regular season. It isn't ideal that Graham won't be a full participant in training camp practices given how difficult his transition into the offense was early last year. But getting him back to full health is a positive step. In the meantime, expect to see plenty of No. 2 tight end Luke Willson.

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Offensive line

This group was a major liability in 2015, and now it's undergoing a massive overhaul. Left tackle Russell Okung is gone, having signed with the Denver Broncos in free agency, while Justin Britt is in the process of changing positions again, moving to center after making the switch from tackle to guard last season. The Seahawks expect to have a new starting right guard in first-round draft pick Germain Ifedi, who is converting after playing tackle while at Texas A&M.

Defensive line

The center of the line will look markedly different after the free agency departure of defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, who had been a starter since he was drafted in 2007. It appears the Seahawks will go young to replace Mebane, with second-round pick Jarran Reed, whom the Seahawks traded up to select in April, already working with the starters during minicamp. Ahtyba Rubin, an eight-year veteran, is another option. The strength of the line, though, is at both ends, with Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril forming one of the NFL's best duos.

Linebacker

There's another open competition here, with Michael Morgan, a veteran special teamer, competing with Cassius Marsh, a converted defensive end, and David Perkins to replace Bruce Irvin at outside linebacker. Irvin joined the Oakland Raiders in free agency. Whoever wins that job will have the benefit of lining up behind Bennett and beside standouts Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright.

Secondary

The Legion of Boom returns intact and should again be one of the league's top secondaries, with corners Richard Sherman and Jeremy Lane and safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. And original LOB member Brandon Browner is back after winning a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots (against the Seahawks) and a disappointing 2015 with the New Orleans Saints.

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Special teams

The Seahawks have no questions here, with a trustworthy kicker in Steven Hauschka, a veteran punter in Jon Ryan and one of the NFL's most dangerous returners in Lockett.

Coaching

It appears few coaches in the NFL have as much job security as Carroll, who is 68-40 in six seasons. He brings back both of his coordinators, Darrell Bevell on offense and Kris Richard on defense. Richard was a first-year coordinator last year while replacing Dan Quinn.

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Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones

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