THE CHEAP SEATS WITH STEVE CAMERON: Is it really time to rebuild?

Should the Seahawks rebuild?

Or maybe just retool a little bit?

Put another way, might this “happy family” franchise want to think about being more cold-blooded as it tries to stay relevant in the brutal, all-business NFL?

Hopefully, you read the first part of this analysis in the Cheap Seats on Wednesday.

We explained then why it seems almost certain that, despite all the noise and rumors, the three men at the top of the Seahawks food chain — Russell Wilson, Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider — are almost a cinch to be back for the 2022 season.

You can probably add offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to that group, since Carroll went out of his way to say publicly this week that Waldron did a “great job” during his first year in Seattle.

If our assumptions all prove true, then the Seahawks’ task becomes surrounding the 33-year-old Wilson with enough talent to make a serious playoff run.

CONSIDER that the Seahawks were 12-4 and NFC West champions in 2020, and from there, it’s not much of a stretch to write off this current (and awful) six-win season as almost entirely due to Wilson’s midseason finger injury.

Yes, maybe a lot of the necessary pieces are already in place for Seattle to resume its normal routine — which for a decade has meant belief in fighting for a Super Bowl spot.

At the very least, Wilson HAS to buy into that or the whole plan collapses.

So, can the Seahawks put the right pieces around their quarterback?

It’s going to be a challenge.

For a start, Seattle has 15 unrestricted free agents on the roster — and they include left tackle Duane Brown, Pro Bowl safety Quandre Diggs, pass rusher Rasheem Green, running back Rashaad Penny, cornerback D.J. Reed, and both regular tight ends (Will Dissly and Gerald Everett).

There are other solid contributors on the list, as well.

What that means, obviously, is that before the Seahawks can consider adding key pieces to a questionable offensive line and almost non-existent cornerback group (or anywhere else), the club has to decide where to spend in an attempt to keep its own key players.

Brown will probably accept a one-year deal to return, but Reed and Diggs — the heart of the secondary — may each have played so well that they’ve priced themselves into a new salary tier.

And yet …

Can Seattle afford to simply let them walk away?

CREATING a genuine playoff team for this coming season is going to require some bona fide cleverness.

Seattle has no first-round draft choice (gone to the Jets in the trade for Jamal Adams), so Schneider and Carroll will have to make some magic in later rounds.

The Seahawks do have some exciting young players, like rusher/linebacker Darrell Taylor, guard Damien Lewis, corner Tre Brown and linebacker Jordyn Brooks.

Some of those 15 free agents are replaceable, as well.

And yes, there are ways to find some money — both real-world bucks and room under the NFL’s salary cap.

For instance, as great as he’s been in a Hall of Fame career, middle linebacker Bobby Wagner has just one season left on his current contract — and no guaranteed money.

If the Seahawks, say, cut Wagner (and perhaps re-signed him to a cheaper deal) they would save $16.6 million against the cap.

THAT’S money to invest, either to keep their own important contributors or hit the free agent market.

Being totally cold-blooded about it (there’s that phrase again), the Seahawks have also shown faith in young middle linebacker Cody Barton, so maybe they would take the leap of moving on without Wagner at all.

That sounds almost sacrilegious, but we use the example here simply to show how dramatic this move into the ’22 season must be.

It could be a return to the league’s truly elite level, or …

Not.

The Seahawks haven’t faced a crossroads like this since Carroll came aboard in 2010.

What’s now crossing your mind is correct …

It’s time to light a candle and hope.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. He also writes Zags Tracker, a commentary on Gonzaga basketball which is published weekly during the season.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”