SalishHawkFan":1pmg37yd said:
jblaze":1pmg37yd said:
hawknation2014":1pmg37yd said:
jblaze":1pmg37yd said:
Via twitter today they said Bowie is up to 330, Bailey at 320, Sweezy up to 320 and Carp down to 320 so they've very happy with where they're at.
Bowie, Bailey, and Sweezy are going to be beasts this year. The development of these young linemen, as well as the health of the Pro Bowlers Unger/Okung, is pivotal to their pursuit of a second championship.
I agree, I saw a lot of development last year during the Okung/Breno/Unger injuries. Then they get a solid offseason with Cable and they should be much better. I forget where I read it but I read somewhere that they don't intend to spend a ton of money on the OL or use high draft picks. The way the offense is built with a run first philosophy with a big play pass game doesn't require the OL commitment other offenses do. The way most teams spend their OL money is on two guys (LT and one other), and rookies or journeymen in the other spots. That appears true on our team as well.
I think they'll continue to draft mid to late round guys for the OL and grab some UDFA's as well and just let them compete. They've got to be discount shoppers somewhere and apparently that's where they think they can get value.
If you have followed Tom Cable at all, you know his OL's never are top 10 in pass pro but are very good at run blocking. With the zone blocking scheme, they want athletic guys who can get to the second level and pancake block in the run game and be sufficient in pass pro.
I think JR is above average but not great obviously. He's a project. I love the idea of taking a DT and coverting him though, takes a ton of confidence and foresight to see that and make it happen.
We aren't "sufficient" in pass pro. We're dead last in the NFL. That has to improve.
Yeah, that was last year.
Where the Seahawks lost:
Okung, who some apparently feel is a top 5 LT for 8.5 games... his replacement was an experienced but unathletic guard playing out of position in Paul McQuistan.
Giacomini who some felt was evolving into a premium right tackle for 7.5 games... his replacement was a 21 year old rookie, Michael Bowie, who came from a small school.
Unger, who some feel is an All-Pro talent at OC was lost for 3 games and he was obviously unhealthy throughout the season.
You're three most important and most experienced players were hindered by injuries that caused them to miss 19 collective games plus under perform in many others.
Carpenter, the LG was not only overweight but was playing tenatively safe on the haunts of back to back knee injuries that hindered him serverly the last two years.
Sweezy, the RG missed 1 game, but he was also a 2nd year converted DT in his first full-season as a starter.
The other back-up linemen were both 21 year old undrafted rookies Alvin Bailey and Caylin Hauptmann and 3rd year, Jeanpierre whose last start came in 2011.
A lot of reason why the Seahawks were dead last.... a lot of it was health and inexperience in the O-line.
But other reason includes:
TE Zach Miller often a "6th Linemen" missed two games and was hobbled around in others. His replacement was a 5th round rookie who was the 2nd TE taken from his school, Luke Willson. Willson only got starts because 4th year TE Anthony McCoy was out for the entire season.
Michael Robinson who is very solid protector missed 7 games and his replacement was an RB convert that never played FB in Derrick Coleman who happens to also be deaf.
But the worst of it wasn't the Seahawks missing their most important protectors... it was Russell Wilson and the lack of WRs that could gain separation. Everything collided into catastrophe because not only the back-up linemen struggled to maintain blocks, Wilson held the ball forever because WRs weren't getting consistent separation. It didn't help losing his biggest and most experienced target in Sidney Rice who was hobbled by a bum knee and then later tore.
It didn't help not having Percy Harvin and itts definitely the biggest reason why the Seahawks threw multiple picks plus a gold mine to secure him. WRs like Percy take some big pressure off Wilson because Harvin is a big time play-maker that can break ankles with his agility. Teams can't pin their ears back and just harass Wilson and Lynch. We saw this in the Superbowl with a healthy Harvin.
And speaking of Superbowls the Seahawks won one with the worst pass-protection in the NFL per snap... and it still ranked 8th in points scored despite facing many of the NFLs most elite defenses.
The offense and the protection will naturally get better with the young getting more experience and the experienced getting healthy all the while building up the necessary chemistry that leads to consistent performance unless the Seahawks ofcourse have injury woes where 8 or so players miss 65+ accumaltive games.
Yeah, don't think so. This offense is going to be top 5 next year, just wait, with the better protection that you seek including from sand irritating your undercarriage.