The Facts: In a Thursday appearance on NFL Total Access, WR Doug Baldwin explained why he and his teammates will miss Lynch's presence. "We drafted a lot of running backs, and we know that we're going back to the run game," Baldwin said. "But the idea of being able to fulfill that role, that void that Marshawn is leaving is going to be tough. Everything that he's done for us, not only on the field but also being our main stable leader in the locker room, we're going to miss him. It's going to be hard to go along without him. It was a light-hearted tweet just to show him our appreciation and give a little salute to him."
Diehards Line:
But will Baldwin miss Lynch? Remember, the wideout's emergence coincided with the hottest streak of Russell Wilson's career, as the Seahawks veered away from Lynch and the ground attack. In fact, Wilson's passer rating was 33.7 points higher without Lynch in the lineup last season. Does it stand to reason, then, that Seattle will become more of a passing team going forward? "We've built a winning formula around playing stout defense and controlling the clock with the run game," Baldwin said. "That's not going to change." It might not totally change. But believing the Seahawks won't realize the benefit of a more balanced attack seems like a reach. Add the evolving Seahawks offense to the list of things to monitor this summer.