Cornerback Richard Sherman and quarterback Russell Wilson are the latest Seahawks to be unveiled on NFL Network's countdown of the Top 100 Players of 2016.
It's the fourth career appearance on the player-voted list for both of Seattle's Pro Bowl stars, with Sherman checking in at No. 20 and Wilson at No. 17.
For Wilson, it's the highest the Seattle signal caller has ever been ranked following a record-setting 2015 campaign that saw Wilson lead the NFL with a 110.1 passer rating. He also set Seahawks single-season records for passing yards (4,024), touchdowns (34), and completion percentage (68.1 percent) while becoming the first player in NFL history to pass for more than 4,000 yards, rush for more than 500 yards, and put up 30 or more touchdowns. Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said Wilson has made "a clear step ahead" as he readies to enter his fifth NFL season.
"He has had a great camp," Carroll told reporters at the conclusion of Seattle’s offseason workout program. "You guys have asked me, 'When's he going to arrive?' or 'How long is it going to take?' and all that, and I kept telling you, it's going to be down the road. 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. His ability to move defenders with his eyes to set up some things—he's consistently doing that, almost unconsciously, he's so clued in. 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.
"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. 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."
Sherman, meanwhile, has the most interceptions (26) and passes defensed (81) since joining the Seahawks as a fifth-round pick out of Stanford in 2011. His two interceptions last season were a career low, but Sherman's ability to completely lock down one side of the field, as well as shadow the game's top receivers when asked, was instrumental in helping Seattle lead the League in scoring defense for a fourth straight season. With Brandon Browner back in the mix working alongside Pro Bowl safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, DeShawn Shead developing into a starting-caliber corner, and Jeremy Lane and Tharold Simon healthy, Sherman said he expects the Seahawks secondary to be "incredibly versatile" in 2016.
"We're going to be incredibly versatile, we're going to be incredibly experienced," Sherman said earlier this offseason. "There aren't going to be a lot of people we can't match up with individually or collectively as a group. It's going to be a fun challenge to put out there."
Sherman and Wilson are the fifth and sixth Seahawks to make this year's Top 100 list, joining Chancellor (No. 32), defensive end Michael Bennett (No. 59), Thomas (No. 66), and wide receiver Doug Baldwin (No. 72).
The Top 100 Players of 2016 concludes next Wednesday, July 6 on NFL Network with players ranked No. 10-1.
