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THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: July 26, 2014

| July 26, 2014 9:00 PM

In the days leading up to the start of training camp for the Seattle Seahawks, one of the biggest questions was if there was a spot in a loaded wide receiver group for Sidney Rice.

That situation resolved itself on Wednesday when Rice, who was recovering from a torn ACL, abruptly retired from football.

So what about everyone else?

FOR THE first time in franchise history, the Seahawks won the Super Bowl and got everything that comes with it.

Trip to the White House.

More attention from the national media - they've had that too.

Now, hopefully, they're tuned into football and making another run to the Super Bowl.

If not, they'll become another statistic of a Super Bowl champion that fails to make the playoffs the following year.

It wasn't that long ago when the NFC West was considered the laughing stock of the NFL, with Seattle finishing with a 7-9 record and earning a home playoff game, then beating the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints.

Nobody's laughing about playing any of these teams in the NFC West now, with the St. Louis Rams improved, and Arizona a little angry that it couldn't qualify for the playoffs with a 10-6 record.

And the San Francisco 49ers, they're just ready to see Seattle again on Thanksgiving.

WE WILL find out soon enough once the season begins if the Seahawks will be a one-year wonder, with games in the first three weeks against Green Bay, San Diego and Denver - all playoff teams a year ago - and other games at Philadelphia and Kansas City thrown in along the way before the end of the season.

The pieces are in place to get back, however, with Percy Harvin hopefully having a healthy season to help pay off his performance in the Super Bowl. Maybe he can play more than three games this year, maybe not, but he'll be fun to watch whenever he gets into the lineup.

Replacing the departing Golden Tate, Michael Robinson and a few others could be tricky, but then again, they've had this problem before.

But ever since Marshawn Lynch was dealt to Seattle in 2010, he's been part of the solution.

He's caused a few earthquakes with some big touchdown runs, but it appears that nobody in the organization is breaking a sweat to give in to him wanting a little more money from his already-signed contract this season instead of next year.

The team seems more interested in giving the Lombardi Trophy to the 49ers than actually giving in to Lynch's demands right now.

Chances are, with Russell Wilson scheduled to receive a big payday next year, Lynch will become a cap casualty at the end of this year anyway.

Maybe they learned from the last time, when Shaun Alexander couldn't stay healthy long enough to stay on the field after 2006, or the money just isn't there, but they'll need Lynch at some point.

Hopefully the other guys are ready.

Because the backfield might get a little less beastly this fall.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d'Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter at JEPressSports.