THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Questions linger as Seahawks open camp

It’s on.

NFL teams have opened preseason camp, and fans by the millions are shivering with excitement.

This month or so of thrilling workouts (lol) includes the Seahawks, of course.

So.

I’m going to get hit with an endless stream of questions about Mike Macdonald’s gladiators —and soon, too.

The Hawks’ first exhibition game, against old pal Pete Carroll and the Raiders, is barely two weeks away on Aug. 7.

The real thing kicks off on Sept. 7, with the Seahawks entertaining the 49ers at Lumen Field.

Let’s tee it up.

You’re going to note a very specific theme as we pore over questions about the Hawks and, specifically, where they sit in the ever-shifting NFL universe.

Bottom line: I don’t know a damn thing.

Or at least, no more than anyone else.

The Hawks’ defense should be outstanding, and it will basically carry the team.

On the other side of the ball, can QB Sam Darnold find a second good season (after six clunkers)?

Sam was surrounded by talent last year in Minnesota, after failures with the Jets, Panthers and 49ers.

That’s a lot of ugly tape.

LET ME put it another way.

Darnold took the Vikes to the playoffs a year ago, and they were so excited, they dumped him.

Even more painful, they tossed Sam under a bus in favor of J.J. McCarthy, who was injured as a rookie a year ago — and still hasn’t played in the NFL.

Some endorsement of Darnold, eh?

It might be an exaggeration to say that Seattle GM John Schneider is the only executive in this league who feels comfortable with handing his team over to Darnold.

But it’s not MUCH of an exaggeration.

Anyhow, I’ve already received the predictable stream of emails asking if I thought Darnold could repeat last year’s regular season success.

The truth is that I don’t have a clue, so you can send all your “Darnold footwork” questions to someone else.

Athlon, the national magazine group, is running a series that purports to answer the ONE critical puzzle that faces each of the league’s 32 franchises.

Their predictable question for the Seahawks: “Can Sam Darnold be more than a one-hit wonder?”

Yawn.

We can put that question into the “Duh!” file.

Darnold’s success in Seattle (or lack of it) basically will determine the Seahawks’ season, and right now there’s no way to guess if Sam will perform the way Schneider believes he will.

The new QB won’t have the offensive line and skilled receivers who helped make him look good a year ago in Minnesota — but the Seahawks WILL have Klint Kubiak’s new offense to boost a running game and give Darnold room for play-action passing.

HOW IT might all play out, nobody knows.

Certainly not me.

In fact, each year I laugh at members of the media who see parts of team practice sessions and make some pronouncements, like, “Those two tackles look really good, pulling in the outside run game.”

Maybe they did.

And maybe both were a quarter-second off the correct timing and would have gotten the play blown up.

What do WE know, watching massive men explode from the line of scrimmage, grunting and shouting as collisions are coming from all directions.

You might as well witness a 20-car accident on I-90 and try to fill out an accurate police report.

Not a chance.

It does give fans a feeling of being involved, just getting into a big, loud argument in some saloon — maybe defending the linebackers, or something like that.

The truth is that it’s almost impossible to know what the heck is happening when the ball is snapped.

There are players who lose track of blocking assignments and when they’re supposed to go in motion.

Here WE are, perched with Snoopy up in the MetLife blimp, trying to understand what we’re seeing from a few thousand feet.

Hah!

Even right on the sideline, staring down the line of scrimmage, it all turns to chaos in an instant.

There are some sports that I truly understand, and can explain to fairly deep levels if readers — or just plain fans — hit me with questions.

Baseball, basketball, even soccer.

Let’s do it.

But football?

Preseason training camp?

I’ll just let the players and coaches sound off.

For now, anyhow, I’ll take them at their word.

At some point, that could change.

Oh, yes.

Email: [email protected]

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”