{"id":13146,"date":"2017-02-20T12:59:06","date_gmt":"2017-02-20T17:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=13146"},"modified":"2017-02-20T12:59:06","modified_gmt":"2017-02-20T17:59:06","slug":"making-a-case-for-the-seattle-seahawks-offensive-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2017\/02\/20\/making-a-case-for-the-seattle-seahawks-offensive-line\/","title":{"rendered":"Making a Case for the Seattle Seahawks Offensive Line"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Seattle Seahawks offensive line\u00a0was blamed unequivocally for Seattle’s\u00a0lack of offensive consistency in the 2016 season. \u00a0It started in Week one, where, early in the third quarter, Ndamukong Suh<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>blew past guard\u00a0Mark Glowinski<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>on his way to sack\u00a0Russell Wilson<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0In the process of trying to escape, Wilson fell and Suh stepped on his ankle, spraining it severely. From that point on the offensive line was asked to do something a Seattle line hadn’t been tasked with in six years, protect an immobile passer.<\/p>\n

Making a Case for the Seattle Seahawks Offensive Line<\/h2>\n

Inexperience and Injuries<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In Week one the starting offensive line consisted of no true rookies but Glowinski had only started one game in 2015 prior to becoming the starting left guard. The unit\u00a0did,\u00a0however, field two career backups in\u00a0Bradley Sowell<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>at left tackle and\u00a0J’Marcus Webb<\/a><\/strong> at right guard in place of injured\u00a0rookie Germain Ifedi<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0That\u00a0remained the starting lineup until Week four against the New York Jets when Ifedi returned to the lineup and took over for Webb.<\/p>\n

In Week six Sowell sprained his MCL against the Arizona Cardinals and\u00a0George Fant<\/a><\/strong>, a rookie, and former basketball star, took over the left tackle position. After that, center,\u00a0Justin Britt<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0sat out one game with an ankle injury and Sowell and\u00a0Garry Gilliam<\/a><\/strong> battled for the right tackle spot. In the end, Gilliam won out.<\/p>\n

Protected Their Quarterback Better Than Expected<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Seattle ended the year starting two rookies and one red shirt player on the offensive line. Britt was by far the best\u00a0and he earned\u00a0pro bowl honors as an alternate, while Glowinski was a distant second. Webb was cut halfway through the season and Sowell lost his job to a basketball player who recorded one catch and two tackles in college. With\u00a0all of the shuffling of the offensive line, the inexperience, and an injured Wilson, it was expected that Seattle would rank last in sacks given up.\u00a0But, instead,\u00a0they ranked sixth with 42 sacks given up.<\/p>\n

No Continuity <\/strong><\/h3>\n

The starting line up in 2016 only returned two players from their 2015 campaign, Britt and Gilliam, with only one playing the same position. In the off-season Seattle lost\u00a0Russell Okung<\/a><\/strong> and\u00a0J.R. Sweezy<\/a><\/strong> to free agency and cut their previous center,\u00a0Patrick Lewis<\/a><\/strong>, in the preseason.<\/p>\n

One of the key pieces to a successful offensive line is continuity. Players need to intuitively know what their teammates on the line will do when faced with stunts, delayed blitzes, and anything else a defense can throw at them. Even though Britt had a career year he was still playing in his third position in three years; only Gilliam has had any continuity over the last two years.<\/p>\n

Changes<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Many fans of the team are calling for a change in coaching or personnel going into 2017. Offensive line coach, Tom Cable<\/strong>, along with head coach Pete Carroll<\/strong>, have made it clear their plan is to grow\u00a0the young line together. Their track record supports that this could be a successful endeavor. Sweezy, a seventh-round round pick in 2012, was given a 5-year, $32.5M contract this last off-season and both James Carpenter<\/a><\/strong> and Okung\u00a0also earned sizable contracts after leaving Seattle.<\/p>\n

That’s not to say a free agent acquisition wouldn’t help\u00a0Seattle’s offensive\u00a0line get better. The Seahawks could improve at either tackle spot. Some of the veteran linemen available include\u00a0Andrew Whitworth<\/a><\/strong>, Ryan Clady<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0Kelvin Beachum<\/a><\/strong>, and\u00a0Riley Reiff<\/a><\/strong>. Any of these players would provide an anchor for a young line. But replacing too many\u00a0players on\u00a0the existing line is going to leave Seattle with the same issue they faced in 2016, lack of cohesiveness.<\/p>\n

If Seattle can bring in just one offensive lineman while returning four other starters they are set to make a huge jump in effectiveness. The idea of blowing up the line and bringing in multiple new players to “fix” the issue will only waste draft capital and use up cap space in free agency. Seattle has the answer to the offensive line within the VMAC in Renton, WA. They just need to give it time to mature, and like a fine wine, it’ll be worth its weight in gold in the coming years.<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n