5 questions facing the Seahawks in training camp

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The Seattle Seahawks were one play away from repeating as Super Bowl champions, and will enter the 2015 season focused on vengeance.

Seattle still boasts the league's most talented roster, but getting back to the Super Bowl for a third consecutive year may prove to be an insurmountable task.

Here are five questions facing the Seahawks entering training camp:

Who will win the right cornerback job?

Byron Maxwell was paid handsomely to join the Philadelphia Eagles, signing a six-year, $63-million contract in the offseason. As a result, the Seahawks' starting right cornerback position is vacant, with superstar Richard Sherman locking down the left side.

Seattle signed Cary Williams in the offseason, and the veteran may be the leading candidate to fill the role. Williams struggled last season with the Eagles, and many wondered why the Seahawks took a chance on a 30-year-old who openly scrutinized his previous regime. However, his press technique and man-to-man skills are coveted assets in the team's base Cover 3 scheme, and he could win the job outright.

Jeremy Lane and Tharold Simon were long groomed as eventual Maxwell replacements, and the former's familiarity with the defense could get him starting repetitions. Lane excelled in nickel packages, and the 25-year-old would've almost certainly started on most other teams.

Simon, a capable athlete, entered Super Bowl XLIX after Lane exited with a broken arm. However, Tom Brady roasted him throughout the game, and some believe the organization's confidence in him dropped dramatically.

Head coach Pete Carroll is almost unrivaled in his ability to develop defensive backs, and for a coach that fully advocates competition among his players, this will be a very stimulating battle to monitor.

How will Jimmy Graham's presence affect distribution?

Jimmy Graham was acquired via trade on the first day of free agency, providing Russell Wilson an elite receiving option for the first time in his professional career. Graham is a tight end, but will almost certainly get the majority of the receptions for the club, especially in red-zone passing downs.

Luke Willson became an increasingly important part of the Seahawks' offense last year, and the team can now flex two-tight-end sets in a number of situations. Willson and Graham can be used simultaneously in the run game to clear out holes for Marshawn Lynch, or stretch the field, as both players boast above-average speed for their position.

Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse maintained for years that they don't need many touches to make an impact on the game. This theory will certainly be tested this season, with Graham gaining the majority of targets. However, Baldwin and Kearse could line up next to Graham in bunch formations, and his presence ought to free up space for both players.

The Seahawks have operated a run-oriented offense in the Caroll era, and though the game plan may not deviate much with Graham's presence, touches could be hard to come by for the wide-receiver group.

How will the Seahawks replace Max Unger?

Max Unger played in a mere six games last season, but when he was healthy, the 29-year-old was the Seahawks' best offensive lineman. The two-time Pro Bowl center was traded to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for Jimmy Graham, creating a void on the offensive line.

Patrick Lewis and Lemuel Jeanpierre are considered the two contenders for the starting role, with the latter viewed as the favorite. Both played fewer than 300 snaps last season, but Jeanpierre is more familiar with the team's run-blocking scheme. However, Lewis played admirably down the stretch, starring against the Arizona Cardinals in a Week 16 rout.

Lewis is the more talented run-blocker and may be the better long-term option for the Seahawks, but the organization views Jeanpierre as a versatile prospect. Given that the Seahawks operate out of a run-heavy scheme, this training-camp battle may have major implications come December.

Will Marshawn Lynch surpass 300 carries?

Seattle's rise from NFC West afterthought to perennial Super Bowl contender is often attributed to Wilson and the Legion of Boom, but Marshawn Lynch's contributions may be paramount. The fact that Lynch didn't miss a game over the past three seasons despite a tremendous workload shouldn't be understated.

Lynch is firmly implanted as the Seahawks' feature back, and his bruising style of play not only takes a toll on opponents, but on the 29-year-old running back as well. The five-time Pro-Bowler was held under 300 carries in 2014, but went over that threshold the previous two seasons.

Injuries haven't been a major concern over the course of his career, but neither of Lynch's planned successors, Robert Turbin and Christine Michael, showed they could be the lead back in the event that he gets injured or fatigued. Lynch is the key cog of the high-powered Seahawks' engine, and whether the team ensures he'll be effective in the long haul by providing him with rest - and giving Michael and Turbin touches in sub-packages - will be something to keep an eye on.

Will Tony McDaniel keep his starting spot?

The Seahawks boast one of the deepest groups at defensive tackle in the entire league, and Tony McDaniel may be hard-pressed to retain his starting spot alongside Brandon Mebane, who appears fully recovered from a season-ending hamstring injury.

McDaniel was supplanted by Jordan Hill last season, but Hill suffered a season-ending injury in the Seahawks' regular-season finale. Seattle signed Ahtyba Rubin in the offseason, and the former Cleveland Brown provides some depth, but he struggled in 2014.

Hill and Rubin will certainly put pressure on McDaniel, and Carroll always encourages competition for spots, regardless of stature, so McDaniel isn't safe.