THE FRONT ROW with JASON ELLIOTT: It was time for Seahawks to move into a new era

This could very well be the most anticipated season of Seattle Seahawks football in a very long time.

Well, at least the last 15 years.

New coaches.

Newer philosophies.

Everything starts over, it seems.

IT MIGHT have taken a few months to come to the realization, but it was time for the team to move on from coach Pete Carroll.

Sure, he’s the reason why there’s a Super Bowl championship banner hanging from the rafters, but also the reason another isn’t right next to it.

Sure, we'll miss Pete and his constant energy on the sidelines. Whether it was living and dying on each play, or celebrating in the same way, it was something that was at least entertaining to watch on those highlights shows.

When the team transitioned away from how Mike Holmgren built the Seahawks into a Super Bowl contender — and thanks to NFL Network, we got to relive that nightmare on Thursday morning — those fan favorites eventually were gone.

Matt Hasselbeck, the guy who put the team on his back through that playoff run, eventually was let go in Seattle and played a few more years before retiring.

Lofa Tatupu, who had some injury issues in the later part of his career, was around a few more years before eventually retiring as well.

And for all the right decisions that Carroll and general manager John Schneider might have made, like trading for Marshawn Lynch or opting to play a rookie quarterback over Matt Flynn, the one Schneider had to make in January was the right one.

Early next week, on Wednesday, the Seahawk rookies report to training camp in Renton, with the veteran players joining them next Friday for the team’s first full practice of the season.

While it’s not a sure thing, it sure seems familiar what the team could be going through this year.

At some point, guys like Geno Smith and Tyler Lockett could be on their way out of town.

Sure, Geno could have a great season and throw for a lot of yards. But at some point, Seattle is going to want to see what it has in newly acquired Sam Howell, right?

Howell couldn’t quite get it going in his time with Washington, but now in the state of Washington, maybe he can in a new offense.

With Lockett, as the Seahawks also have receivers DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, he could be an odd man out once free agency rolls around in 2025, if not sooner if the team struggles to get out to a good start this fall.

SO AS the Seahawks prepare for their first camp under new coach Mike Macdonald, you’ve really got to wonder.

Just where are they?

No, the Seahawks are nowhere near San Francisco, the obvious favorite in the NFC West, if not the entire conference.

Seattle probably isn’t even in the same class as the Los Angeles Rams, who might only be getting better offensively while they search for someone to replace Aaron Donald on defense.

And sure, Seattle might have a step up on Arizona on paper, but until they play each other, you just never know.

As a fan, there’s always a belief that the team is going to be better than expected. Seattle has talent in a lot of spots to be a playoff team this year, believe it or not.

But, sometimes it just takes a while to make things happen, which can lead to some sleepless nights thinking about it constantly.

Believe that.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for The Press. He can be reached by telephone at 208-664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on ‘X’, formerly Twitter @JECdAPress.