Seattle Seahawks

Five things to watch in Seahawks vs. Broncos

Published Aug. 14, 2015 3:58 p.m. ET

foxsports

For the Seahawks, Friday marks a new beginning, a turning of the page into the 2015 season.

The ending to Super Bowl XLIX certainly wasn't what they envisioned.

So, GM John Schneider reloaded and acquired Jimmy Graham, traded up to draft Tyler Lockett and locked up a couple of key players including Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner.

Now they finally get to see how the new-look team looks on the field against live competition.

With that being said, here are five things to watch for in the Seahawks first preseason game:

1. The new-look Legion of Boom?

It's no secret now: Kam Chancellor is still holding out and Earl Thomas is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. That left DeShawn Shead and Steven Terrell as the beneficiaries of first-team reps in training camp. Dion Bailey is another name to watch in the preseason, as the coaching staff has been impressed with his play. Richard Sherman will likely not play, which opens the door for recent acquisition Mohammed Seisay to make an impression. It's certainly not the worst thing that these young players are getting an opportunity. Should injuries strike, the depth of the Seahawks secondary shouldn't be an issue come fall.

2. New No. 1 offensive weapon

During his first three seasons, Russell Wilson has never had an offensive weapon quite like Jimmy Graham. Now the Seahawks offense looks that much scarier, even if it's just on paper. The chemistry between Wilson and Graham is a work in progress, but regardless, the Seahawks should be thrilled to see how these two develop during the preseason.

3. Welcome to the NFL, Tyler Lockett

The rookie out of Kansas State has been as good as advertised. The Seahawks originally envisioned Lockett helping them on special teams, but that stance has changed during training camp because of his abilities at wide receiver. Exactly where he fits in on the depth chart at wideout remains unknown, but the coaching staff is giving him the opportunity to contribute in more areas than one. How he fares in his first game action will be interesting to watch.

4. Offensive line identity?

To acquire Graham, the Seahawks parted with long-time center Max Unger. They also lost left guard James Carpenter in free agency. Those two positions have been a hot topic to watch in training camp. It was expected that Alvin Bailey would fill the void at left tackle, but the Seahawks have rotated four players - Bailey, rookies Kristjan Sokoli and Mark Glowinski, and Keavon Milton - during training camp. As for the starting center gig, it appears to be a two-way battle between Lemuel Jeanpierre and Drew Nowak. The rest of the offense looks to be fine, but up front is where there are bigger concerns, at least for now.

5. Backing up Beast Mode

Robert Turbin and Christine Michael are likely the favorites to spell Marshawn Lynch again come fall, but one name to watch is undrafted rookie Thomas Rawls. During his senior season at Central Michigan, Rawls totaled 1,103 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in just nine games. So far, Rawls has been a pleasant surprise in training camp and the coaching staff has been impressed with his abilities. Could the Seahawks have found another diamond in the rough?