Will Charles Cross take a big step forward? Is Abe Lucas still a viable long term solution at right tackle? Are any of the interior linemen any good?

These were questions that needed to be answered this season. After 12 games, they’re either unanswered or have produced negative results.

Let’s start with Cross.

Early in the season it seemed Seattle’s media and a section of the fan base had determined Cross had taken the next step and was now a stud left tackle well worth a big extension. It’s become conventional wisdom among many that he’s playing well. Statistically though, the evidence suggests he hasn’t progressed as much as some think.

On Sunday he was easily beaten for a sack by Will McDonald with a speed rush:

This concerned me. Cross’ calling card is speed and athleticism. He’s never been particularly strong at the point of attack. Yet his athleticism and feet should make him a good match against pure speed rushers like McDonald. Here he was though, looking flat-footed.

I looked at his numbers for the season. Among NFL tackles, Cross has given up the second most hurries and pressures. He’s tied with Trevor Penning and Tytus Howard for hurries (26), trailing only New England’s struggling Demontrey Jacobs (28). For pressures, he’s tied with Nicholas Petit-Frere and Terence Steele (35) and again is second only to Jacobs (41).

Cross has also given up five sacks, tied for ninth most in the NFL. Five of the players he’s tied with are rookies, with the other players being Cam Robinson, Jake Mathews and second-year right tackle Darnell Wright.

In fairness, Cross has played 495 ‘allowed pressure opportunity’ snaps (when the ball isn’t spiked and a penalty isn’t called) compared to Jacobs’ 387 and Penning’s 424. However, it’s still not great company to be in. This is especially the case given Cross is a finesse pass-blocker. Three years into his career, he’s giving up a lot of pressures and hurries in the passing game.

On my stream yesterday with Jeff Simmons, someone asked whether having Lucas back at right tackle had helped Cross and had there been an improvement in his numbers. The answer, sadly, is no. Of the five sacks Cross has given up, four have come in the last three games since Lucas returned. He’s also given up nine pressures and four hurries.

His PFF grade of 82.1 for the season is still very reasonable and is good enough for 11th overall among tackles. However, when you look at his game-to-game performance, it paints a different picture. For example, Cross received an elite 94.8 grade for his display against Denver in week one. Between weeks 2-13, his average grade is only 69.1.

So what does this mean?

I’m not suggesting for a second that the Seahawks need to go out and acquire a replacement in the off-season. I just don’t think there’s any evidence suggesting Cross deserves a massive extension in the off-season, while his level of performance warrants more scrutiny. He is an ‘OK’ left tackle who is yet, in my opinion, to justify the top-10 pick Seattle used on him.

Trent Williams, the highest paid left tackle in the NFL, is getting $27.5m a year. I wouldn’t be rushing to commit to Cross on a deal that would be in that range. The Seahawks can’t afford to pay great money for OK performances.

The fifth year option on his contract buys them some time but I still think the jury’s out here. If he has improved in 2024, it hasn’t been a significant jump.

It’s still too early to have any read on whether Abe Lucas can be a long-term answer at right tackle. We’re only a few weeks removed from wondering if we’d ever see him play again. He’s played three games now and has shown mixed form, which is to be expected.

So far he’s given up six pressures, three hurries and two sacks. He had a 76.8 grade against the Niners but that dropped to 48.6 against Arizona and 63.9 against the Jets. Nevertheless, a successful season for Lucas will be staying healthy, feeling confident going into next season and getting some game time back into his body. So far, he hasn’t looked amazing but he also hasn’t been a liability. That’s about as much as anyone could realistically hope for. Until we get to the end of the season and see him have a good training camp next year and start in 2025, the question mark over whether he can be a long-term answer at right tackle will remain.

If he can stay on the field I’ve no doubt he can be the guy. Lucas was a firm blog favourite pre-draft and I thought he deserved a fringe first round grade. His frame, athletic profile and physical attitude is perfect for a NFL offensive tackle. He can be the tone-setter, the figurehead and identity of the line. I thought he was a better player than Cross going into the 2022 draft and I didn’t see anything during their rookie seasons to believe that wasn’t fair.

Fans have every right to feel optimistic about Lucas but time is needed to find out whether he’s the guy we all hoped he would be when he was taken as a third round steal two-and-a-half years ago.

Now the interior line. Oh dear.

Laken Tomlinson will need to be replaced next season. Olu Oluwatimi, after a promising game against the 49ers, has not looked good against the Cardinals or Jets. The fact they promoted Sataoa Laumea to start instead of Christian Haynes is not encouraging at all for their third round pick. Laumea shouldn’t be judged too harshly on his debut, especially when he had to face a Jets team featuring Quinnen Williams, but he didn’t play well — giving up two pressures and two hurries and earning a 29.3 grade.

While the Seahawks would be right to bide their time with their two tackles and see how 2025 plays out, there’s absolutely no doubt they have to fix their interior O-line as a priority in the off-season.

A player like Tyler Booker could help solve the issue at left guard. He’s a plug-in-and-play type with great size. He’s a former 5-star athlete and has played consistently well for Alabama over two seasons. Booker is also a high quality individual, a captain and exactly the type of person the Seahawks have loved to draft in recent years. It almost feels too perfect for them to take him in round one.

He’s not the only option though. The likes of Josh Conerly, Donovan Jackson, Jonah Savaiinaea, Aireontae Ersery (who I see as a guard), Jack Nelson and Grey Zabel could also provide solutions and help at either guard spot. I am not a big fan of Wyatt Milum at tackle as his frame is far better suited inside at guard or center — but he’s a good run blocker.

There are also a small pool of appealing centers, including the brilliant Logan Jones, Jake Majors and Parker Brailsford, with Jared Wilson not too far behind. It’s not as hard as the Seahawks have made it seem to land a good center. Blog favourites Creed Humphrey, Tyler Linderbaum, Drew Dalman, Zach Frazier, Joe Tippmann and Cam Jurgens are playing well. Converted or prospective centers we liked such as Quinn Meinerz, Zach Tom and Landon Dickerson are also thriving. They need to finally solve this position once and for all.

You can’t help but feel the line lacks proven quality, experience and leadership though. Signing someone like Ryan Kelly, a pending free agent from the Colts, would add that immediately. James Daniels has done enough at right guard to warrant a look and you can do worse than Austin Corbett. I’m not sure you’ll get Kevin Zeitler out of Detroit but make the call.

It’s also time for the pro-personnel department to step up to the plate and find some solutions that aren’t commonly known among fans and media. That hasn’t happened enough.

The best O-lines in the league are not made up of five top-10 picks. Detroit’s line includes Graham Glasgow, a third rounder the Lions let walk only to re-sign three years later, plus Zeitler. Denver’s line has Ben Powers at guard, a fourth rounder signed from the Ravens, a fifth round center in Luke Wattenburg and a third rounder in Meinerz. The Eagles have a seventh rounder at tackle, two second rounders at guard and center and their right guard is Mekhi Becton, plucked off the scrap heap in New York. Tampa Bay has Ben Brederson, a free agent who’s bounced around a bit, plus Cody Mauch and Luke Goedeke, two second rounders.

There’s also the question of coaching and philosophy of course. Making changes to the line is necessary but not if your staff are incapable of supporting the line with a plan to run the ball with any effectiveness. It is headache-inducing to watch the Seahawks try and run the football, with Ken Walker having to work three times as hard as any other running back in the league to get positive yardage. Even a sub-standard line shouldn’t be as bad as Seattle’s is when it comes to needing to get a yard.

There’s a lot of work to be done here, some big decisions need to be made, and some truth and honesty is required about the players on the roster if the Seahawks are going to fix their offensive line play and running game.