The key to the Seattle Seahawks winning the Super Bowl last season was their defense. The linebacker crew might not be the most heralded on the team, but it was another important factor in that success, and K.J. Wright isn’t just the best player in that group; they also expect him to do much better this season.

Contract years are like that, as Wright, another draft steal (4th round selection in 2011) by the Seahawks who took him after a college career with Mississippi state, enters the final year of his current deal. Before that turns into an ugly mess between him and the team, he has a chance to prove to them and others around the league just how much he’s worth.

Did we mention coaches love building up their players during the preseason? Here’s another example, as Ken Norton, the linebackers coach for the Seahawks, tells Dave Boling of the News-Tribune, just why Wright is so good.

You see, this kid is the master of everything he does. He’s my best cover guy and my best tackler; he’s my best general on the field at understanding what the offense is doing; he’s my best rusher. He does it all, and he can play everywhere — Sam, Mike and Will (linebacker positions) — at any moment. And he can do it better than anybody. This kid is amazing.

The focus on this team always goes to the Secondary. Not just because that Legion of Boom unit is so good, but also because Richard Sherman is a lightning rod with his words. It might even help others do their job well, knowing there’s someone else that’s on the front line, absorbing all of the criticism.

It’s always difficult coming off a Super Bowl season and trying to make a similar run. However, the Seahawks seem to have the right recipe for prolonged success, and it’s not going to be surprising at all if they get close to where they ended up last season once again.

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