When the Seahawks began last season, no two of their offensive linemen had ever started a regular-season game together. This year, Seattle returns seven from last year's team, including every starter but veteran Robert Gallery. Okung made it through August without any injuries, and could be poised for a Pro Bowl breakthrough. Unger is the center who established himself as the nerve center of this group. Tom Cable's coaching has had a full year plus an offseason to take hold. While it's too soon to say the line will be a strength of the team, it's no longer the weakness that it was when last year began and Seattle couldn't protect the passer.

Doug Baldwin led the team with 51 receptions last year. That was a credit to Baldwin — who made the team as an undrafted rookie — but also an indictment of the team's passing offense. Seattle paid big bucks to sign Rice and Miller last year, and Tate is a former second-round pick, yet Seattle became the first team since the 1970 merger to be led in receptions by an undrafted rookie. Rice is back after two offseason shoulder surgeries, Miller is almost certain to improve after catching a career-low 25 passes and maybe Tate will have the breakout everyone has predicted the past two years. Despite all that, the decision to release tight end Kellen Winslow last weekend came as a shock as he was expected to be a staple of the offense.

Lynch rushed for more yards the second half of last season than anyone, and Turbin was drafted to give him a little help carrying the load for this run-first offense. Robinson has become a pillar of the locker room, and Lumpkin is versatile. The real question, though, is at quarterback. Seattle is carrying only two players at that position into the season opener for only the third time in the past 10 years. Not only that, but those two players have a combined total of two career starts in the NFL, and while Seattle believes it has improved its depth at the most important position in football, it is also less experienced.

Special teams was the biggest strength for Seattle in Pete Carroll's first season as coach, and a recurring issue last season as the Seahawks allowed two punts and a kickoff to be returned for touchdowns. Ryan is one of the better punters in the league and Hauschka was notably consistent last year, though he was hit-or-miss in August, both in exhibition games and practice.

Seattle surprised the rest of the league by making Irvin the first defensive end chosen in the draft, picking him No. 15 overall. They also signed Jones as an unrestricted free agent to bolster their nickel pass-rush packages, and while a sore knee slowed him in the second half of training camp, Jones appears poised to make an impact.

Remember when Seattle's linebackers were both experienced and expensive? Not anymore. Four of Seattle's six linebackers are in their first or second year in the league, and Hill — the veteran of the group — was re-signed to a one-year contract for the second consecutive season.

Seattle's secondary had become a perennial soft spot, the Seahawks ranking among the six worst pass defenses in 2008, 2009 and 2010. That changed last year. The Seahawks picked off 22 passes, their second-most in any season going back to 2000.

Browner led the team with six interceptions and Sherman and Chancellor had four picks apiece and Thomas was selected a Pro Bowl starter. After three years of being a pushover, Seattle's secondary has a pair of physical corners who excel at playing press man coverage, in front of what might be the best young safety tandem in the league in Thomas and Chancellor.

Danny O'Neil