Starting O-Line.......

[Pandion Haliaetus]

http://www.seahawks.com/video/2015/09/05/seahawks-saturday-night-tom-cable-micd

A video worth watching. Lots of praise for Gilliams. Lots of harping on Bailey. Lots of really cool insight into Cable's new coaching style.

And it was interesting to see him and Seto working closely together quite often . . . the two primary rivals for future head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

This deserves its own thread.

Damn, just watched and read the article. Cable is an awesome coach, very good at what he does.

It may not seem that way but now I completely feel that some of the guys he's coached up to be serviceable linemen probably shouldn't have been NFL linemen in the first place. Yet, he's taken a bunch of fringe players, projects, reclamation
players and has really done a good job.

With Wilson, the WR depth (really a lack of a big, dominant target), Darrell Bevell's play-calling, and numerous injuries to the best blockers over the last 2-3 years, it hasn't been the easiest task, but he's has always made it work, with minimal talent.

I don't know how many teams in the NFL can say that. Its really crazy in retrospect. For all the Cable hate, he has really been doing a great job but unfortunate situations out of his control has depleted the needed chemistry to galvanize the unit.

Hopefully, the health luck changes for the best.

Couple of other thoughts:

1. Cable transitioned both Jeremey Newberry and Tarik Glenn from college defensive linemen to outstanding Pro-Linemen. He then challenged himself to see if he could do it at the Pro Level skipping the Collegiate learning curve altogether with Sweezy. That takes some big balls and really strong belief and self-commitment to his coaching and craft. Not a lot of teams would allow such a thing.

2. In relation, Carroll said:

“If we did it once we can do it again. So we’re pretty deep into it right now, we got a lot of defensive guys, that’s going to help us during the season they can go over there and play defense for us. I think there’s an openness about it and a kind of a feeling of confidence that we’ll uncover it if it can happen, and if it can’t we have to go another way, but it looks pretty good right now. It allows us to really upgrade our players athletically, we’re moving pretty well right now up front.”

I love it. Utilizing experience and versatility and getting the most out of these guys. I don't think Carroll was referring to Nowak and Sweezy (starters) as much as he was Kristjan Sokoli (9th OL) and Will Perciak (PS).

 

[Exittium]

I love the versatility this team keeps. Its allows for so many possibilities its just insane.

 

[IrishNW]

Damn our O-linemen look sexy. I think Cable might be ahead of the curve on this athletic o-line thing

 

[McGruff]

Damn our O-linemen look sexy. I think Cable might be ahead of the curve on this athletic o-line thing

I don't know how you meant "sexy" but you put Sokoli, Sweezy and Gilliams in street clothes and there is no way they look like linemen. Those two guys are just flat out freakish athletes for 300 pound men.

 

[Twelver]

It has been a while since we have had bookend tackles. There is a lot to be excited about with this oline.

Yea the hype about the OL's deficiency is way off.

 

[Kamcussion]

Nowak is keeping the spot warm for sokoli.. once he is ready he will take over at center.

 

[hawknation2015]

Nowak is keeping the spot warm for sokoli.. once he is ready he will take over at center.

I don't know how likely that is . . . Sokoli does not seem to have the precise technique or mental fortitude to play the center position. IMO, he is more valuable at guard or even right tackle than moving back to center. They have a pretty strong two deep going at center with Nowak and Lewis over the next two seasons.

They could lose Sweezy and/or Okung after this year, which opens up more opportunities at guard and tackle. I could see Sokoli starting at left guard next season if Britt is moved back to RT and Gilliam to LT to replace Okung, or even starting at RT if they prefer to keep Britt at LG.

Sokoli is 6'5 with the same arm length as Britt (33.25'') and much better lateral agility. Most likely, he stays at LG, but there's definitely a chance he could move to RT, once he gets comfortable with the blocking fundamentals, with his freakish strength and athleticism. He would first need to develop an understanding of blocking angles.

I would say there is a greater than 50% chance they bring Sokoli along more slowly than they have with other players and he ends up as a backup guard or tackle next year. With more seasoning, he might be able to fill the utility roll that Bailey has played over the last two seasons.