OL 2026

[toffee]

Another offseason, another OL thread. I think our OL will be at least top 10 in 2026, but top 5 is entirely possible.

What do you see as our strength and where are the area for improvements?

toffee's OL threads over the years:
2025: https://www.seahawks.net/threads/ol-2025.200917/
2024: https://www.seahawks.net/threads/ol-2024.196821/
2023: https://www.seahawks.net/threads/ol-2023.187916/
2022: https://www.seahawks.net/threads/ol-2022.179637/

 

[bileever]

If we can improve on our ranking last year of #15, I would take that. You can win with a line that's 15 or better. We spent so much time in the last few years at the bottom, and we all saw what that looked like.

I like the continuity of our line, every important player returning from last year. I like the re-signing of Josh Jones for depth, and getting Beau Stephens in the 5th round. I really liked that we were able to retain John Benton, who really came with Klint Kubiak from New Orleans. He also has long ties to the Kubiak family, so being able to keep him from going to Las Vegas was a big victory.

I'm hoping that one more year playing together, plus one more year with Benton will only improve on their ranking this year.

I would have liked it if they could have added a solid free agent guard. But a player like Alijah Vera-Tucker ended up being way too expensive.

 

[toffee]

The year Anthony Bradford honored as a pro bowler.

 

[SocialParasite]

The year Anthony Bradford honored as a pro bowler.

I'll take "Things That'll Never Happen" for $500, Alex.

 

[toffee]

I'll take "Things That'll Never Happen" for $500, Alex.

LOL, "Schneider got better eyes" for $1000.

 

[bileever]

You might be joking about Anthony Bradford, but he got one of the biggest performance-based bonuses this year. The performance-based bonuses come from a pool of money that is set aside by the collective bargaining agreement. The bonuses reward young players who are not highly compensated, and is based on a formula.

Bradford got his salary of $1.03 million doubled by getting a bonus of $1.098.

Seahawks Anthony Bradford earned huge performance bonus in 2025

Drake Thomas also earned one of the largest performance based pay bonuses in the NFL, but it’s much less inflammatory to put his name in the title.

www.fieldgulls.com

Drake Thomas was the other Seahawk to get a bonus under this system.

 

[Wsumatt1982]

I say top 10. We saw much improvement across the entire line. Even Bradford. Like anyone else continuity and health will be the deciding factor but Benton is a damn good line coach

 

[toffee]

You might be joking about Anthony Bradford, but he got one of the biggest performance-based bonuses this year. The performance-based bonuses come from a pool of money that is set aside by the collective bargaining agreement. The bonuses reward young players who are not highly compensated, and is based on a formula.

Bradford got his salary of $1.03 million doubled by getting a bonus of $1.098.

Seahawks Anthony Bradford earned huge performance bonus in 2025

Drake Thomas also earned one of the largest performance based pay bonuses in the NFL, but it’s much less inflammatory to put his name in the title.

www.fieldgulls.com

Drake Thomas was the other Seahawk to get a bonus under this system.

I have been talking up Bradford:
2024: https://www.seahawks.net/threads/anthony-bradford-didnt-suck-yesterday.199385/
2025: https://www.seahawks.net/threads/biggest-surprise-player-2025-anthony-bradford.202982/

I have been somewhat tough on Charles Cross:
2024: https://www.seahawks.net/threads/please-help-with-dissecting-the-game-of-charles-cross.199924/
2023: https://www.seahawks.net/threads/charles-cross-review-and-expectations.188117/
2022: https://www.seahawks.net/threads/do-we-need-to-worry-about-charles-cross.180757/

 

[CallMeADawg]

Top 5. The investments will finally be fully realized this year.

 

[LeveeBreak]

We need to spend at least $50m on an ok, high potential, injured FA OL and add another $20m OL just to be safe.

JS Sucks!!!

Wait...2025 time warp...nm

 

[MORGULON]

I picked top 15. I hope the others on here with better optimism are correct . I could see it happening for sure but if they at least stay as good we might be ok.
They had a Superbowl Champion Offensive line last season.

 

[flv2]

The Seahawks had a good O-Line in 2025. On paper the Seahawks haven't added or lost anyone significant. The Seahawks were probably top 5 in fewest snaps lost by O-Line starters in 2025. If they stay healthy it could be similar to last year. I think they have good back-ups at T & C but i'm not convinced about G. Few teams have quality players below #8 on the O-Line depth chart.

 

[Hawkstud]

Although they didn't add any other veteran o-linemen to the mix, they won the whole shooting match with the same horses that are still there.
The fact that they have continuity and another year of playing TOGETHER, I see them taking things to a whole another level.
My estimation? Top Seven...Whiskey ain't let me down or lied to me yet. ;-)

 

[toffee]

The Seahawks had a good O-Line in 2025. On paper the Seahawks haven't added or lost anyone significant. The Seahawks were probably top 5 in fewest snaps lost by O-Line starters in 2025. If they stay healthy it could be similar to last year. I think they have good back-ups at T & C but i'm not convinced about G. Few teams have quality players below #8 on the O-Line depth chart.

We had non-stop OL issues in the Wilson and Geno era, and the same issues followed Wilson to Denver, and Geno to Vegas. Wilson's OL problem has been dissected by dot net experts, mainly too short and hero-ball. Geno? I watched a 3-minute Raiders' training camp clip, where 3 QBs stood in a line and threw to their receivers, no pass rush, just throw. In the entire 3 minutes, balls left Geno's hand a second or so slower than the other QBs.

 

[nwHawk]

Russ went to a Denver team that already had a “very good” offensive line. That changed and Broncos line was ass. Russ wasn’t helping any of his lines.

Glad that ship has sailed.

 

[Ruminator]

Check out the below from an ESPN writer. Solidifies my Top 5 prediction vote! Anyone who voted lower want to reconsider? I think the poll is still open.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Considering that Murphy is a "bust".........meh.

/sarcasm

 

[sutz]

Check out the below from an ESPN writer. Solidifies my Top 5 prediction vote! Anyone who voted lower want to reconsider? I think the poll is still open.

View attachment 80999

I just love that we're bringing the same 5 guys back for camp. Continuity is one of the most important factors in O-Line quality play.

 

[Trackhawk]

I think they will comfortably be in the top ten, but not quite crack the top 5 I would guess 6th or 7th. There are some good, but very expensive, lines out there.

I do think they will be number 1 in value, largely thanks to the rookie contracts across the middle.

Bradford is a bit underrated here on dot net, and Zabel is a bit overrated. Some of Bradford’s more obvious looking “blunders” last year were not actually his fault. He just didn’t do well with adjusting to other’s mistakes until later in the year, when the scheme became more reflexive for him, and he didn’t have to think about it so much.

I think another year in the system will improve Bradford’s ability to adjust on the fly, and he will be viewed in a more positive light here.

Zabel will likely become the player that so many here think he already is. He is definitely realizing his potential as a likely future HOFer.

Hopefully the Cross of last season will be the Cross of the future.

Lucas has been so consistent. Not much to say, except that he is absolutely worth everything we are paying him.

Another year of Zabel-Sundell-Bradford working together should yield big improvements across the line. It will be interesting to see if Benton will introduce any new kinks, now that the players are getting used to each other and the system.

The biggest question, as it always is with o-lines, is, can everyone stay healthy? Thankfully we have a great backup squad.

 

[glenwo2]

To me, Bradford's mistakes usually happened in Pass-pro.

As a run-blocker, he's excellent imo.

And I know that in the latter half of the season he was very good (so no one think that I'm ignoring that).....

Hope that he's improved the former 'cause if so, that only makes the OL more rock-solid.