The future of the OL

[kearly]

If we could strap PC/JS down and give them truth serum, I'm not sure if they could tell us all that much about what they plan to do at OL this offseason. Almost every decision they make will be influenced by how previous decisions went, and those previous decisions will contain elements out of Seattle's control, like for example how much teams offer Seattle's free agents, or how the draft board falls for OL.

So rather than spell out an exact plan with an exact five member lineup for 2016, I figured I'd just splash some random hunches and observations and see how the pieces fall together.


Hunch #1. This offseason will be all about improving stability on the OL.


Going for SPARQ warriors and late round picks at OL has been the MO of this team for the past several years, but a constant shuffling of players, combined with a greater than average number of OL injuries and some inexperienced play at center, has given Seattle one of the least cohesive offensive lines in the NFL.

Enough is enough. Rapport and experience matter a great deal on the OL, and in fact the greatest weakness Seattle's OL has had the past three seasons have been in areas where continuity and experience matter the most. Making line calls. Picking up blitzes. Knowing how the guy next to you is going to react to a stunt and being on the same page at all times.

It's okay if Seattle changes out a lot of pieces. They don't have to bring back the same five starters to have long term cohesion. What does matter is that the five starters they do have can be trusted to stay healthy and play at an adequate level for at least 2-3 seasons.


Hunch #2. Russell Okung has played his last down in Seattle.


When the offseason began last year, I was fairly confident that Max Unger only had a year left with the team, at most. It turned out, he only had a month left, as he was shipped to New Orleans in the Jimmy Graham trade. Unger was still a solid center when healthy, but durability had become an issue. Unger had missed 29 games over the previous five seasons, and had just two 16 game seasons out of six with Seattle (ironically, he started 16 games for the Saints in 2015).

Availability matters to Pete even more than it does for most coaches, it's something he's mentioned in radio interviews at times, including his recent sit down on Brock and Salk. It's also the reason why Matt Hasselbeck and Walter Thurmond were allowed to leave without Seattle putting up much of a fight.

Now, if a player is dirt cheap, I don't think it's quite as big a deal. Injury magnets like Paul Richardson and Jesse Williams will get plenty of chances for as long as they are on rookie deals. But when a guy gets paid, he needs to be available. Pete doesn't like paying guys who miss a lot of games.

And so it didn't surprise me at all when reporter Danny O'Neil said that he "knows for a fact" that a decision had been made to move on from Max Unger even before the Graham trade materialized. Reporters often know sensitive information from their time working behind the scenes, but aren't able to report it directly until after the fact.

With Okung being the only top 15 tackle on the market, he will get good offers from teams. His situation is similar to Jake Long three offseasons ago, when Long signed a $34 million deal. Long's contract, when adjusted for three years of NFL inflation, would likely top $10 million APY in today's money.

And I think with Seattle, they have an MO in the past of letting good players walk if they can't stay healthy, especially if parting ways saves Seattle a good chunk of money.

On a side note, I think Alvin Bailey might be gone as well. He's been in Cable's dog house since day one, and I just can't see Seattle offering him a pricey RFA contract. Which means that Gilliam would take over at LT, allowing Seattle to mull options at RT.

I wouldn't rule out Okung's return completely, but I think this will play out a lot like Golden Tate in 2014, with Seattle making a lowball offer and then waving goodbye. There's also a shiny comp pick to consider, and you know how much JS loves his comp picks.

Now, this isn't to say I agree with these moves, only to say that I think they will happen. Okung is a good player and would be my first choice among all Seahawks players to hang out with for a weekend (to talk about nerdy stuff like Game of Thrones, etc). And while I think Gilliam's skillset would work well at LT, there's no doubt he'd be a step down from a healthy Okung. But I could totally see this scenario playing out regardless, especially since the money saved on Okung could prove useful in the event that...


Hunch #3. Seattle will be "in on" some big name options at OL.


The money saved on Okung would put some options on the table for Seattle. Do they pursue Alex Mack? Do they call Cleveland about trading for Joe Thomas? Mack has started all 16 games in six of his seven seasons. And Joe Thomas has never missed a game in 9 seasons, a perfect 144/144 games played. If "availability" matters to Seattle, then I wouldn't be shocked if they were in the mix for those two.

There's also Stefen Wisniewski to consider, as well as any other lineman who could be acquired in a trade.

I'm not guaranteeing that Seattle will sign somebody big, but I do think Seattle will be in on a lot of these guys and see what happens, hoping that a deal breaks their way.

The last time Seattle made OL a high priority, they didn't just draft two OL with their first two picks, they also ended up signing Robert Gallery to a sizable deal. The 2011 OL was very young, and needed some veteran help. The 2016 line will similarly be in need of a veteran presence, especially if Okung moves on.


Hunch #4. JR Sweezy is expendable and could be gone. But odds are, he'll be back.


Sweezy is not the iron man that Mack and Thomas are, but he's been pretty durable on a line who's style of play seems to invite injuries. Sweezy has only missed 5 out of a possible 64 games so far, and three of those came his rookie year, meaning that he's 46 for his last 48 (and has perfect attendance in the postseason as well). Sweezy has also played four seasons at RG, making him the longest tenured member of the line if Okung is let go.

Sweezy is also just 26 years old. His age and durability make him an easy consideration as a building block player. The only question is his pay. Sweezy for all his strengths and flaws, is roughly an average RG. If the market bears out that he's paid like an average RG, he'll stay. And I think it probably will.

Even if it doesn't, I could see Seattle overpaying slightly for Sweezy, on account of his status as Tom Cable's beloved teacher's pet.

As said in hunch #1, I think Seattle is going to try to put an end to the constant shuffling of players approach used in years past, and Sweezy has all the elements required to be a low-key building block. Youth. Experience. Durability. Affordable. Adequate play.

If for some reason Sweezy is priced out and leaves, Seattle could move Justin Britt to RG and try Glowinsky at LG. Britt is a similar player to Sweezy, if a bit less capable. Glowinsky still has some things to learn, but he seems to be further along in pass protection than Justin Britt was entering his second season.


Hunch #5. Seattle will have a new starting center in 2016.


It may not be a big name like Mack or Wisniewski, but I would be surprised if Patrick Lewis or Drew Nowak started off the 2016 season at center. I think the PC/JS thought process last offseason was that Patrick Lewis or somebody who stood out in camp could stopgap the position for one season while the team prepared Sokoli for a 2016 debut, but reality proved to be not as rosy, with Pete officially acknowledging in recent interviews that Sokoli is a long term project.

Lewis has played well at times, but he struggled down the stretch in 2015 and athletically he's a poor fit for Tom Cable.

I think Seattle will look to add a new building block at center, preferably a veteran, but drafting a center early could be a possibility as well.

...

Overall, I look for Seattle to improve durability and dependability on the OL this offseason, with the hope that they might build a unit that can provide at least a couple seasons worth of stability and continuity. I would be very surprised if Seattle didn't bring in at least one veteran player in free agency.

PC/JS have been bitten repeatedly by wishful thinking on the OL the past couple years. Hoping injury prone players would stay healthy. Hoping that college DTs and late round picks could turn into quality OL. Hoping that inexperience at center wouldn't matter. I think PC/JS have learned lessons from those mistakes, and I think this offseason will feel like a reaction to those experiences, with the Seahawks putting a premium on experience and durability.

It would surprise me if Seattle did the same ol' song and dance all over again, using the same methods but hoping for different results for the fourth year in a row. I don't think that's going to happen. I think 2015 was a wake-up call, and as such I expect the 2016 offseason to be more pragmatic and less hopeful at the OL position than the previous three offseasons had been.

 

[theENGLISHseahawk]

RE: Britt to RG

They seem to have a 'type' at right and left guard. More power, size at LG and quicks/explosion at RG. Sweezy and Glowinski both excelled in the broad jump if memory serves. Sweezy is 6-5, 300lbs and Glow 6-4, 307lbs. Britt is 6-6 and 325lbs.

They seem to have established what they like at RG with Sweezy and Glowinski looked like he fit there. That's probably why they've never looked at him at any other position. During all the camp battles in pre-season they tried Britt and Bailey at LG plus I think Terry Poole. Glowinski never got a look from what I remember. They kept him on the right.

Britt at 6-6 and 325lbs would be much bigger than the two guys they had at RG and with his size fits more of what they seem to want at LG.

If Sweezy walks -- Glowinski probably gets the start at RG. I suspect Britt is getting replaced at LG one way or another -- veteran or draft pick. At the very least he's going to have to compete for his job.

 

[Hawks46]

Good topic Kearly, and thanks. I was thinking about putting one very similar together.

The OL as a group is probably the most fascinating as to how the FO handles it this offseason. On one hand, continuity is important, like Kearly mentioned. Look at the first half of 2012 and the first half of last year; both had major turnovers and it took half a season to work it out.

I also think they got a bit cute this offseason and it bit them in the ass. They relied too much on player development and it didn't provide any stability. Also, we honestly can't ask Wilson to keep absorbing so much punishment. Sooner or later, he's going to get injured and that could tank a season. So what to do this offseason?

Britt could get better. He hadn't played much Guard, so the theory is that he hasn't hit his ceiling. Then again, he might have a low ceiling at Guard. I also have a feeling he might not be done at RT. He only got 1 season at RT, and he showed some improvement towards the end of his rookie year. It's not common to see a team draft a rookie, then just give up on him after one year at the Tackle position. It takes time, and it's possible the staff wanted to get Gilliam some reps and they really needed to plug a hole at LG, so they slid Britt inside out of necessity and not performance. Yes, his pass pro was a hot mess, but he was one of the better run blocking Tackles in the league, as a rookie. We all know Cable values run blocking over pass protection. Ostensibly, Britt could slide back over and look better at RT in his third year.

I think Kearly was spot on about Sweezy. His best asset is his ability to get to the 2nd level and take out LBers, but his pass pro is below average. I have to imagine that Pete is getting tired of getting immediate penetration up the middle and watching Sweezy get put flat on his back. I hope we let him walk and plug Glowinski in there, but at this point we're already looking at replacing a Center, LT, sliding our LG to RT, and maybe starting a new RG if we're going hypothetically off of my post.

I really hope we make a good effort to get Mack and/or Thomas. I'd prefer to see Thomas first, but it would be interesting to see what it would look like if we got both. There would be some continuity there as both those guys are used to each other, even if they don't line up next to each other. Also, bringing veteran help in would minimize OL changes, as you're not training a guy how to play, and how to play with new team mates.

 

[Fade]

The wishlist is simple for me.

1) 2 new LTs, 1 via trade / cut off another roster ie Ryan Clady. 1 via draft.

2) Justin Britt doesn't start next year, and becomes a utility lineman.

I don't think Seattle persues pricey free agents like Alex Mack. It cuts into their compensatory picks. They will go after cut O-Line man like Ryan Clady to keep the compensatory picks rolling in.

 

[penihawk]

What would lead one to believe Denver would cut Ryan Clady after they had their own OL struggles this year? Health would be the only reason and then I would have to wonder why we would want him? We already have that guy. I personally think the interior of the line threatens Wilson & our offense more than the edges and the one thing we did miss from Unger (physically he sucked) was getting the line calls made and mental mistakes as a group down to a minimum. Give me a veteran C & LG and Glowinski at RG. Fix the T spots with current players,lower price veteran FA & draft picks.

Great post Kearly and additions to the others. I suspect your on target with all this, especially having to wait for FA to start to unfold before we get a clear picture of how they play this. One thing is certain, they cant stand pat and a bunch of rookies from this draft class isn't going to fix it for 2016. Gonna have to be a mix of all and I suspect your correct in durability being a huge part in dictating who stays,goes and comes. It's gonna be an interesting off-season for sure.

 

[Hawkscanner]

Great write-up Kearly!

And great insightful comments there on the RG/LG situation by EnglishSeahawk as well.

I'll go out on a limb and say that virtually 100% of us here at Seahawks.net are in agreement that the Offensive Line has to rank as THE undisputed #1 Priority this offseason. I lump myself in that category as well, as it's become painfully evident that the interior of the Offensive Line is the Seahawks Offense achilles heel. Blow up that center of the line with athletic DT's who can penetrate in to the backfield and you can pretty effectively shut down the offense. So from a pure talent standpoint, improvement in the middle of that line would seem like an absolute necessity.

But as you also so aptly pointed out above, effective offensive lines aren't made on the basis of pure athletic talent and on the field know-how alone ... they're made with CONSISTENCY. Case in point the Seahawks Offensive line circa 2005. Water Jones and Steve Hutchinson were unbelievable talents. They were great all around players. BUT, that 2005 unit wasn't great simply on the basis of talent alone -- they were great because all 5 of those guys had played together (as a unit) for 3 or even 4 seasons. They had played together so long that they knew each other’s tendencies as well as they knew their own. And that consistency is what transforms an offensive line from being poor to mediocre … to good and perhaps even elite.

There are going to be changes on this offensive line heading in to next season. That goes without saying.
The Russell Okung situation is definitely a 2 edged sword. On the one hand, many of us have been driven crazy over the years with his tendency to false start and his seeming inability to remain healthy and on the field. From that standpoint, many here would be happen to see him go … and to see John Schneider allocate his salary elsewhere. While I’m in agreement that he is undoubtedly gone, I would caution those who might wish to push him out the door to be careful what you wish for. Think about it – not since 1997 (when Walter Jones was a rookie) has this Seahawks team been without a LT that is either All Pro or near Pro Bowl level. We can argue whether or not Okung has been at that level for the past couple of season, but I would firmly contend he’s still among the top 10 LT’s out there. While Okung has gotten beat by elite rushers, in general Russell Wilson hasn’t had to worry a ton about the back side rush. What happens though when you remove a solid LT from that line though? It’s a sword I believe Schneider is reluctantly willing to fall on however, as Okung is going to be the #1 Left Tackle FA on the market. He is going to have needy teams lined up around the block, so I don’t think there is any question he’s gone because the Hawks aren’t going to want to enter in to a bidding war. That said, I’m hoping there is a decent Plan B – be that Ryan Clady, a trade for Eugene Monroe, or perhaps even a potential draft target such as a Taylor Decker (if he happens to fall that far – which seems like a longshot at best). In the end, I don't think Schneider's going to really have much of a choice. He's undoubtedly going to have to prepare for life without Okung.

At RG, I tend to think that Glowinski will be the starter once the 2016 season opens. People were admittedly nervous about him being in there heading in to the Arizona game. He not only held his own in that game though – he shined. To me, he looked BETTER than Sweezy – much more physical, much more fluid, and just all around polished. If I had to hedge my bets, at this point I’d say Glowinski’s the guy there.

At Center, Patrick Lewis did an admirable job this season. With where this crew was at when he took over the helm on a full time basis, he needs to be lauded for bringing stability to the position and transforming that unit from “suck” … to “moderately successful”. An Alex Mack would be a dream acquisition that would certainly upgrade that position, but as Fade pointed out – and I concur – I just don’t see Schneider and company being willing to sacrifice compensatory picks to nab him. Then again, they’re traded away picks over the past few years to get Percy Harvin, Jimmy Graham, Kelcie McCray, etc. … so who knows?

Just a thought – Center might be a position where the Seahawks could potentially strike gold at the tail end of the 1st Round (or maybe even early 2nd if they want to trade back and get extra picks). I’m thinking that Ryan Kelly (arguably the #1 Center prospect in this draft) would still be available in the late 1st to early 2nd Rounds, so could that be a possibility for the Seahawks? Schneider reiterated this week his philosophy of looking at BPA when it comes to draft choices. If it comes down to drafting the Best Overall Player at #26, I’m thinking that might be an option for them. Drafting a blue chip center while having Patrick Lewis still in the fold would be a smart move IMO.

With all the changes that are going to happen this offseason in terms of the Offensive Line, it’s going to be interesting, that’s for sure. It goes without saying that this team badly needs to upgrade its offensive line. I’m hoping that we make the sweeping changes that are necessary this offseason … as I don’t want to be having this same exact conversation 12 months from now. With the new blood that will certainly be coming, we need to expect that there will be growing pains. I’m hoping though that after this offseason that the massive changes that appear to be coming will be over and done with for awhile … and that this unit can start to develop some familiarity with one another through consistent play. Here’s to hoping that by the end of the 2016 season we see the beginnings of an Offensive Line that has the makings of a unit who is going to play together with one another for awhile.

 

[bjornanderson21]

Continuity helps, but if you need continuity just to become an average (or below average) OL then it means you don't have enough talent at OL.

I WANT to think that the Hawks have finally learned their lessons, but year after year after year of failures by Pete/John/Tom have made it hard for me to be positive about it.

Their repeated failures make it even harder to fix their failures. Unger needed to go (injuries and salary) but we didn't have an adequate replacement. Okung needs to go (injuries and salary) but we don't have a definite replacement for him. Sweezey is no longer going to be cheap but he also isn't good enough to justify paying him.

Years and years and years of neglect and failure continue bringing us to the point where we "need a new offensive line."

The problem is, we can't afford more than 1 or 2 proven vets on the OL, we don't have high-quality guys on rookie deals, and we have a TERRIBLE track record with drafting OL so we can't expect to fix our OL for 2016 in this year's draft.

My heart of hearts tells me that 2016 is likely to be another rough year for the Hawks OL. Until the Hawks can go 2 years in a row without tripping over themselves our OL is always going to be an ugly work in progress.

 

[randomation]

Honestly I think that we need to build from the inside out to take advantage of Russ's strengths. If we could somehow get Mack I think that would actually be better than Thomas.

 

[Largent80]

Great topic and as usual Kearly and Scanner give awesome credibility to this site.

Nothing to add, except, if we draft linemen, one can't expect too much improvement from a rookie.

 

[TDOTSEAHAWK]

Great post.

I generally agree that we are going to focus on center and tackle this offseason and probably find guards from what we already have. Also likely that Sweezy is retained - though I do not worry about losing him.

I also agree that we are going to be linked to every free agent under the sun.

I would lastly be shocked if our first pick in this draft was not a tackle.

 

[sutz]

Good stuff as usual, Kip! When Pete says he's going to focus on something, he generally does, so some offseason moves nvolving the OL would appear to be in the offing. I hope it works. It's like we've wasted a couple of the Lynch legacy years. Too bad, he's a bad man and when we had some kind of an average line he killed the league.

Problem is, the OL could take some time to gel, so we could be off to another slow start next season. Hopefully the schedule in '16 is a bit more friendly in the Sep/Oct time frame so a slow start would be a bit more manageable.

Even the D has the feel of coming a bit unraveled, so getting the O-line up to speed is kind of critical.

 

[mrt144]

I don't think the FO is going to pursue free agent OL simply because the cap hit is larger and for all intents and purposes, the FO treats the OL like a dump stat. It's to the point that I don't even think they'd take an OL in the first round simply because of salary considerations. The rookie salary curve is extremely favorable starting around the 3rd round. Sweezy might be retained but only because his cap hit would low and he's the only player with any appreciable amount of time at that cost. Sweezy has a job long term because of a rostering experiment.

 

[Happypuppy]

I think it has to be considered that Wilson in short. Drew B had the team built around him and they went with short guards. It makes sense as well. I'd move him back to RT. Not that he was good but he will provide completion with Gilliam unless they move Gilliam to LT.


Gilliam has good feet and was working at LT before they needed him at RT. A whole offseason to add some bulk and strength? It could be interesting.

 

[pmedic920]

Kip, as always, well thought out and very well written.

Thank you for your time.

The "O" line is a big concern of mine.

Lack of protection has ruined more than one QB that had great potential. I call it David Carr syndrome. RG3 is another guy that comes to mind in recent history. IMHO our guy is several notches above those 2 but the concerns are there for me.
We need to protect our guy. I hope/pray the the problem is addressed this off season.

 

[hawkfan68]

What would lead one to believe Denver would cut Ryan Clady after they had their own OL struggles this year? Health would be the only reason and then I would have to wonder why we would want him? We already have that guy. I personally think the interior of the line threatens Wilson & our offense more than the edges and the one thing we did miss from Unger (physically he sucked) was getting the line calls made and mental mistakes as a group down to a minimum. Give me a veteran C & LG and Glowinski at RG. Fix the T spots with current players,lower price veteran FA & draft picks.

Great post Kearly and additions to the others. I suspect your on target with all this, especially having to wait for FA to start to unfold before we get a clear picture of how they play this. One thing is certain, they cant stand pat and a bunch of rookies from this draft class isn't going to fix it for 2016. Gonna have to be a mix of all and I suspect your correct in durability being a huge part in dictating who stays,goes and comes. It's gonna be an interesting off-season for sure.

Kearly, a great thread. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree with your a lot of your points. I think they need to move from Sweezy though. As you mentioned, he's an average RG. Glowinski has a bigger ceiling and has shown that he would be more than adequate replacement now for Sweezy. That saves the Seahawks some money in not bring back Sweezy, as Glow is still on his rookie deal. I believe Bailey can be a solid LG if given the opportunity. The problem with Bailey is that he's been moved around so much that he's not had a chance to learn and get settled at one spot. If given the opportunity at LG, he'd be fine. I don't believe he's athletic enough to play LT. He has struggled against speedier DE's. Didn't he play against the Rams and struggled against William Hayes? Who heard of William Hayes before that game.

Penihawk, there's a rumor that Denver is making a huge push to acquire Joe Thomas via a trade. If this happens, then Clady would be released to make room for Thomas. Clady would be a good addition but he's 29 and has played in 18 games since 2013. He's been injury prone of recently - Torn ACL and in 2013 suffered from a Lisfranc injury. Among others that may be available could be Eugene Monroe. Eugene is losing favor with the Ravens and rumors are that they may release him. He was considered really good in pass protection coming out college. Couple of potential FA's that may be worth a look are Jake Long and Andre Smith.

 

[MysterMatt]

I really appreciate this thread and the (mostly) well-reasoned responses to the OP. I would just like to point out that we have invested some draft capital to OL, starting with Okung, but we haven't hit pay dirt much. Carpenter is okay (playing for someone else), Moffit was a fail, Britt is a giant question mark, and the other late round/FA guys are all sort of TBD at this point. Glowinski shows promise at RG.

As for what I wish would happen, I do like Lewis, but I can't ignore how his lack of athleticism is a factor against upper-echelon DTs, and I wonder how adept he is at line calls and what not. I think we could do worse than Lewis, but I would love an upgrade in the worst way. Finding a veteran C who is reliable and makes the right calls would be grand, especially if Lewis can continue to study and find ways to play to his strengths. At least getting a solid draft pick for competition is essential, particularly if we pay up to keep Sweezey and/or Okung.

And speaking of Okung, I'm seriously ill at the thought of gambling on Gilliam, or even Bailey, at LT next year. Both those guys can play a bit, but would you bet Russell Wilson's health on either of them for long? Maybe if we got a real stud at RT a move would make sense, but that seems like a wish. That said, how much do you gamble on Okung remaining healthy? He is simply not reliable for a season, especially as we get to the playoffs. Even if we have to sign him, I hope the deal is structured to move on from him without too much pain, and I hope and pray that we draft a replacement for him this year. I just don't see a viable FA replacement that really gets us much.

My point is that LT and C are, to me, the two positions I would like to solidify. Even if Sweezey leaves, I'm ok with Glow or competition at RG, and I think Gilliam was fine (not great, but not a disaster) at RT. Britt needs to take some ballet or something, but I think he can be a solid LG in pass pro with experience and conditioning.

And no matter what mix we have on our OL, it's imperative that we have game plans to address our competition. Teams like the Rams and Panthers with great interiors need to be met with a spread O for Christ's sake, but we don't seem to want to do that until half a game has slipped by.

 

[Seahawkfan80]

Great posts. I think that the consistency that was spoke of by Hawkscanner is fairly large. If they change up the roster by adding in someone on the line, they need to be on the same page within the first 3 regular season games. After all, Green bay, Carolina, and Minnesota are not gonna be easy for those first 3 weeks. (Just guessing). :shock:

 

[massari]

Not re-signing Kearse and cutting Graham would free up an extra 12M or so to spend on the OL (9M from Graham and about 3-4M from Kearse). I'm hoping they do this.

The Seahawks spent 12.8M on the OL last season with only two other teams spending less. Would be nice if they can double that number in free agency to go along with some high draft picks next season.

 

[Happypuppy]

I really appreciate this thread and the (mostly) well-reasoned responses to the OP. I would just like to point out that we have invested some draft capital to OL, starting with Okung, but we haven't hit pay dirt much. Carpenter is okay (playing for someone else), Moffit was a fail, Britt is a giant question mark, and the other late round/FA guys are all sort of TBD at this point. Glowinski shows promise at RG.

As for what I wish would happen, I do like Lewis, but I can't ignore how his lack of athleticism is a factor against upper-echelon DTs, and I wonder how adept he is at line calls and what not. I think we could do worse than Lewis, but I would love an upgrade in the worst way. Finding a veteran C who is reliable and makes the right calls would be grand, especially if Lewis can continue to study and find ways to play to his strengths. At least getting a solid draft pick for competition is essential, particularly if we pay up to keep Sweezey and/or Okung.

And speaking of Okung, I'm seriously ill at the thought of gambling on Gilliam, or even Bailey, at LT next year. Both those guys can play a bit, but would you bet Russell Wilson's health on either of them for long? Maybe if we got a real stud at RT a move would make sense, but that seems like a wish. That said, how much do you gamble on Okung remaining healthy? He is simply not reliable for a season, especially as we get to the playoffs. Even if we have to sign him, I hope the deal is structured to move on from him without too much pain, and I hope and pray that we draft a replacement for him this year. I just don't see a viable FA replacement that really gets us much.

My point is that LT and C are, to me, the two positions I would like to solidify. Even if Sweezey leaves, I'm ok with Glow or competition at RG, and I think Gilliam was fine (not great, but not a disaster) at RT. Britt needs to take some ballet or something, but I think he can be a solid LG in pass pro with experience and conditioning.

And no matter what mix we have on our OL, it's imperative that we have game plans to address our competition. Teams like the Rams and Panthers with great interiors need to be met with a spread O for Christ's sake, but we don't seem to want to do that until half a game has slipped by.

Really well thought out post

Okung in the last game ( perhaps his last as a Seahawk as well) he had his shoulder dislocated by a punch.

Odds are if we had beat the panthers he would have been unavailable. It sort of sums up the majority of his time here.

 

[AgentDib]

I do agree that Okung will likely not be back because he is not going to be a good value. He is a UFA left tackle who can play well when healthy and some team out there is going to overpay him as a result.

I don't agree with the sentiment some have that the FO wants to minimize investment on the offensive line. Gallery is a good counter example as is all of the draft capital we have spent: Two 1sts, a 2nd, a 3rd, two 4ths, a 5th, a 6th, three 7ths, and a ton of effort spent on UDFAs. Many of those guys just haven't worked out but it's misleading to think we've been ignoring the unit.

The FO is simply looking for good value because they have confidence in themselves as a developmental coaching staff. They would absolutely jump on a Thomas/Mack type if they thought the value was there.