It's no secret the Seahawks boast one of the better linebacking corps - if not the best - in the league with K.J. Wright, Bobby Wagner and Bruce Irvin.
There might be another player emerging from that unit in 2015: Kevin Pierre-Louis.
The Seahawks drafted Pierre-Louis in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He appeared in seven games last season and recorded 13 tackles, but his rookie campaign ended prematurely due to a shoulder injury.
Now it appears he's in line for more playing time come fall. And the coaching staff has been more than pleased with his development.
"We're really fired up with what he can do," head coach Pete Carroll said. "He is so fast and he plays so quick. He's a real smart player. He studied really hard so he knows his stuff. What he has been able to do is he makes things happen. He gets off blocks really well. He's got great speed to chase the football. He also has good instincts in the throwing game."
Perhaps this might be why the Seahawks chose to decline Irvin's fifth-year option on his rookie contract. Pierre-Louis is under team control through 2017 and comes at a much more affordable cost ($690,000 base salary in 2016-17).
The emergence of Pierre-Louis would only help the Seahawks defense in keeping Wagner and Wright fresh, and aid in the team's depth should injury strike.
(h/t 12th Man Rising)
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