Week 4, Seahawks at Giants. Part II
Yesterday, I touched on the injury devastation to this team's offensive line, also wrote about the auxiliary blocking group, and asked why there is still reason to feel upbeat about this group overall. Let's review the linemen next...
LT 1 - Charles Cross: 2nd year starter is listed as Doubtful with a turf toe injury. Sounds small, but it's a tough injury to overcome. He needs the rest, and with next week being the bye, I don't expect to see Cross on the field tonight.
LT 2 - Stone Forsythe: Drafted by Seattle (6th round) in 2021, listed at 6'8" tall & 307 Lbs.
College Career: Finished career with 40 games played with 28 starts for the Gators, seeing time at both guard and tackle during his career. Appeared and started in all 12 games in 2020 and protected the blind side of Heisman Trophy finalist Kyle Trask to help the Gators lead the nation in passing yards per game (378.6), while ranking eighth nationally in yards per play (7.28) and ninth in yards per game (509.8). Named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll following the season.
My Observation: Serviceable backup that has become better over the few years he has been with the team.
LG 1 - Damien Lewis: 4th year starter, and while not on the current injury list, he seems to be injured often, and then just plays through them. He has that warrior mentality, plus he's the best pulling guard the team has. If Lewis cannot complete tonight's game again, then Ben Brown is the likely candidate to relieve him, like last week.
LG 2 - Ben Brown: Entered the NFL as an Undrafted Free Agent in 2022, listed at 6'5" tall & 313 Lbs.
College Career: Played four seasons (2018-21) at the University of Mississippi after red shirting his freshman year in 2017. Started all 40 games played, playing three seasons at right guard and one (2020) at center. Suffered season-ending injury after starting first six games as a senior. Played 816 offensive snaps in 10 starts at center as a junior. Earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors after starting all 12 contests at right guard in 2018. Blocked for a passing offense that ranked fifth in the country in passing yards per game (346.4) and ninth in total yards per game (510.5).
My Observation: Sounds like a young man that can play, but he suffered his first injury at the exact wrong time.
OC 1 - Evan Brown: Signed by your Seattle Seahawk's this year, Brown's original path into the NFL was as an Undrafted Free Agent by the NY Giants in 2018. The Giants later cut & released Brown several times. So far this season, Brown has been a solid upgrade to what the Seahawk's fielded a the Center position last season (Austin Blythe). Unfortunately, he's listed as questionable for tonight's game because of a quadricepts injury. Next man up...
OC 2 - Olu Oluwatimi: Your Seahawk's 2023 5th Round Draft Pick. Listed at 6'3" tall & 309 Lbs.
College Career: Started 49 of 50 games played for Michigan (2022) and Virginia (2019-21). Began collegiate career at Air Force, but did not play. Won the Rimington Trophy, Outland Trophy and was named a second-team AP All-American following the 2022 season, allowing no sacks in 410 pass-block snaps. Named second-team All-ACC at Virginia (2021) and was honorable mention All-ACC in 2019.
My Observation: No sacks allowed in 410 snaps? This young man is going to get better with NFL experience. A LOT better!
RG 1 - Phil Haynes: Mostly a career backup at this position since the Seahawk's signed him in the 4th round of 2019, he's a good player when healthy. The often injured and non-productive RG Gabe Jackson was the proposed starter last season, but Haynes had to step in a lot, and now Haynes seems to be having injury troubles too this season. And so we go to...
RG 2 - Anthony Bradford: Seahawk's 4th round pick in 2023. Listed at 6'5 tall & 332 Lbs.
College Career: Started 17 of 29 games played for LSU over his four-year career (12 at right guard, five at left tackle). Played in 13 games with 12 starts (11 at RG, 1 at LT) in 2022. Played in six games with five starts in 2021 (one at right guard, four at left tackle). Member of LSU's national championship team in 2019.
My Observation: One of the strongest linemen I've seen this year, offense or defense, I like him already. A pancake maker!
RT 1 - Abe Lucas: Seahawk's 3rd Round Draft Pick in 2022, and projected second year starter here in 2023 is now on Injured Reserve due to a knee inury, and not able to return until after the Bye week. Dude is going to raise some hell later on.
RT 2 - Jake Curhan: Another 3 Year Unrestricted Free Agent the Hawks signed in 2021. Listed at 6'6" tall & 316 Lbs.
College Career: Started 40 of 42 games at right tackle during his Bears career. Was a two-time honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection in his final two campaigns as a 2019 junior and 2020 senior. Had a string of 39 consecutive starts snapped when he did not start at Oregon State due to COVID-19 protocols but did return to the starting lineup for his final career game. Honored with the Pac-12's annual academic recognition for three consecutive seasons as a second-team Pac-12 All-Academic selection as both a redshirt freshman and sophomore, as well as a member of the league's initial Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll. Named Cal's winner of the Brick Muller Award as its most valuable lineman on offense as a junior. A three-year varsity starter at Redwood High from 2013-15 who didn't begin playing football until he was a sophomore in 2013. Earned first-team All-State Medium School honors from Cal-Hi Sports, San Francisco All-Metro honors and was named the Marin County Athletic League Lineman of the Year as a 2015 senior after moving to left tackle and anchoring the offensive line for a team that averaged 212.9 yards per game on the ground. Also played on the defensive line as a senior and had team highs of 6.0 sacks as well as the team's lone safety for a squad that reached the North Coast Section Division II playoffs for the first time during his prep career. Also played one season of basketball as a sophomore in 2013-14 and participated in 26 games. Graduated from Cal in December of 2020 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.
My Observation: An Offensive Right Tackle, with six sacks on defense? I think he can move his feet around well enough.
Solid player.
Summary: I'm only a Hawk's fan that enjoys watching good offensive line play, and while I have been watching this team for almost 5 decades now, this current group of offensive players happens to excite me the most. If you don't agree, please keep your comments to yourself. Just kidding, jump in anytime and tell me why! (Laughs)
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