#Seahawks were calling around all day, looking for a OT for depth in exchange for a late pick. Settle on Matt Tobin, while getting 7th back
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 21, 2017
NOTE — I’ve updated this piece following the trade reported above. Below you’ll find some thoughts on the roster at the mid-way point of the pre-season.
Matt Tobin is a 27-year-old former UDFA in 2013. He’s been with the Eagles for his whole NFL career, starting 21 games (although he only started once last season).
It’s not a particularly cheap trade. The Seahawks have had some success in round five over the years (Sherman, Chancellor). The swap sees them move down two full rounds. The Eagles get Seattle’s fifth, the Seahawks get Tobin and a seventh.
Clearly they felt they needed more competition at tackle following the George Fant injury.
Eagles fans seem mixed on this. Scanning through the reaction on social media, there’s a genuine even split between ‘great deal’, ‘fair deal’ and ‘WTF?’.
His 2017 cap hit is $900,000. He’s a free agent at the end of the season, so it’s a rental. This further illustrates why the Fant injury is so frustrating. The Seahawks are forced to be pro-active in acquiring the cheapest tackle they can get, purely to have some depth at the position.
Yes, this move for Seattle is about depth and flexibility. https://t.co/8D1LVepWD0
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 21, 2017
Moving onto the roster thoughts…
Room for an extra runner?
Thomas Rawls, Eddie Lacy, C.J. Prosise and Chris Carson will make the roster. Last year the Seahawks carried four running backs and a full back — so add Marcel Reese to the group and that could be a complete quintet.
But do the Seahawks need the insurance of another running back?
Last season Rawls, Lacy and Prosise combined to miss 28 (!!!) regular season games. Rawls and Prosise missed the Minnesota game on Friday with minor injuries.
It’s unlikely Mike Davis and Alex Collins will clear waivers if they’re cut. Seahawks running backs are regularly snapped up. If you needed to add a running back mid-season (and Seattle has faced this dilemma in each of the last two years), you’re unlikely to find anyone as good as Davis or Collins.
Keeping one more runner just provides that extra insurance in case of an emergency. In the past Seattle has had a ‘red shirt’ player on the roster (think DeAndre Elliott, Kristjan Sokoli or Benson Mayowa). Maybe this year instead they simply retain another running back?
It could even be J.D. McKissic. Yes he had the fumble against Minnesota but he’s also provided some special teams value and he can play the Prosise role if needs be too.
The receiver position appears fairly resolved
Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett and Paul Richardson are locks to make the team. Brock Huard recently mentioned some chatter that Jermaine Kearse could be moved. Until it happens, it’s hard to make a roster projection that doesn’t include one of the few experienced and consistently healthy receivers on the roster.
Kasen Williams has done as much as anyone in pre-season to warrant a roster spot and appears locked in too (at least for the time being). They could potentially keep a sixth receiver (especially if Lockett needs time as he returns from a broken leg) and presumably that would be third round pick Amara Darboh.
It’d be rough on Tanner McEvoy. He’s not had the opportunities in pre-season he had a year ago. He made a handful of plays as a rookie transitioning to a new position. Unless the Seahawks intend to move Kearse to go with a youth movement or opt to cut a player in Darboh whom they recently invested a third round pick — it’s hard to find a way to fit him in.
O-line could provide some intrigue
It’s reasonable to expect the Seahawks to retain nine O-liners, possibly ten if they’re willing to sacrifice someone at another position. Several spots are clearly secured — Luke Joeckel, Rees Odhiambo, Justin Britt, Ethan Pocic, Germain Ifedi, Oday Aboushi and Mark Glowsinki will almost certainly be on the roster.
Newly acquired Matt Tobin likely makes it considering the outlay they just spent on him.
So who else makes the cut?
Pete Carroll spoke glowingly about Jordan Roos at a recent press conference, suggesting the rookie UDFA was also a virtual lock to make the roster and provide depth at guard. That could be the group, unless they want to carry ten given Fant’s injury.
Tyrus Thompson comes in to essentially tryout but he doesn’t have much time. He’ll have to impress when he gets an opportunity and the Tobin deal is ominous for him. The big knock on Thompson coming into the league was effort and desire. He’s running out of chances in the NFL.
According to PFF Joey Hunt has been Seattle’s best ranked pass protector in pre-season. Meanwhile Will Perciak is second only to Germain Ifedi in run blocking. Either player could be retained if they want to carry an extra man.
How will the front seven shake out?
Athyba Rubin, Jarran Reed and Naz Jones are locks as interior D-linemen. It’s an area that still looks a little thin and they could use one more rotational player. A trade to add another D-liner still feels possible.
If not, you can make a case for several players. Rodney Coe is among Seattle’s best defensive performers in pre-season according to PFF. They traded up for Quinton Jefferson in the 2016 draft and Tylor Harris and Garrison Smith have had the occasional good play this year.
At defensive end, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Frank Clark and Cassius Marsh will be on the roster. David Bass couldn’t have done any more really to win a roster spot. That could be the five.
This really comes down to how they view Marcus Smith. Carroll spoke positively about him last week and he played well in his debut against Minnesota. As a former first round pick with upside, they could see an upside and value that isn’t present in Bass. Alternatively they could keep Bass and cut one of the linebackers to retain Smith.
It’s a move that could impact D.J. Alexander. Yes he’s a very good special teamer — yet the likes of Dewey McDonald have done enough to warrant keeping around and they’re not going to cut Michael Wilhoite or Terence Garvin. So if they want to keep Smith and Bass, Alexander could be the odd one out. Several players from Chris Carson to J.D. McKissic to Kasen Williams have shown up on special teams in pre-season. That might make them consider whether they want to keep a player like Alexander who is solely a special teams ‘specialist’.
Secondary looks settled and sorted
There’s nothing to debate at safety (Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Bradley McDougald, Delano Hill and Tedric Thompson should make the team) and the cornerback position is pretty settled with Richard Sherman, Shaquill Griffin, Jeremy Lane, Tramaine Brock and Neiko Thorpe all likely to make the cut.
Brock’s addition probably doesn’t spell good news for DeAndre Elliott. They liked Elliott enough to redshirt him a year ago though so they might keep some faith in that particular project.
It’s interesting though how little hype there is around Pierre Desir. He’s played well in the two pre-season games so far (something that is recognised by PFF) and yet there’s an air of resignation already that he’s on the outside looking in.
Again, some of the thinking here changes dramatically if the Seahawks trade Jeremy Lane (something being discussed among fans recently). Although Tramaine Brock’s addition increasingly looks less like a Lane replacement plan and more like the team insuring themselves against needing to start someone as inexperienced as Elliott if one or two injuries occur.
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I’d love to see Roos get a shot at LG. His upside, coupled with his club control makes him an intriguing option there. We could then shift Joeckel out to LT.
Will also be interesting to see if they try Pocic at LT this week or if they want him as RG/RT.
Why not play guys like Roos against starters? It’s better than getting your starters hurt and not giving yourself a chance to get the best 5 on the field. I love this idea and Roos and I think he’d nab LG real quick off of upside like Fant did last year
I would like to see the Hawks try Britt at LT. While it happened at Center, Britt just became a noticeably better O-lineman last year overall. While he might not take to the position it is worth a try. I think Pocic would be good at center and the line would be more solid overall.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but that has a next to zero chance of happening. He was a pro bowl alternate last year in his first year at C and just got a large contract as a reward. Britt manning the middle is literally the only solid piece of the OL after the Fant injury and there’s no way they would move him.
I’m with you Logan. Why mess with the one clear solid position that we have on the OL and why would the Hawks sign Britt to the extension only to move him from a position where he finally found success? I’m bummed as anyone with Fant’s injury but other than losing development time for him and the rest of the OL playing together, let’s face it, he still had far to go before becoming a good LT. We should try Odhiambo or Pocic or Roos or Joekel and they should be able to come close to duplicating Fant’s performance for this year. Keep Britt at center and build the rest of the OL around him.
So I am not the only one who thinks like this. 😀
I agree in principal, but in theory, there is a larger dropoff from Britt at LT to say Odhiambo or Thompson, than from Britt at C to Pocic. Pocic was an elite Center prospect.
Seems a classic case of making two problems to solve one.
Joey Hunts had a solid preseason with the twos
I wonder how the roster cutdown change will impact how teams fill their rosters out. With so many players all of the sudden flooding the market, it almost feels like the league would need a cutdown deadline, then a 48 hr no-sign/legal tampering window, then an opening time to sign cut players.
Of course a team as organized and efficient as the Hawks might be able to take advantage of the chaos and nab a player that could really contribute but feel through the cracks as other teams are poring over the other nearly 1,000 names.
*fell
OT Matt Tobin + 2018 7th round pick acquired from Eagles for 2018 5th round pick
It’s a head scratcher, it’s a pure panic move. Obviously they don’t believe the backups are worth anything
I’ve updated the article with some info on Tobin.
Hawks will get that 5th back (or better) by trading back and back out of the 1st round as they have done in the past
They might want to save the first round for their new left tackle.
Chances are that isn’t happening, unless they are reaching on someone. Where we are liable to be drafting, any tackle worth taking in round one will be long gone.
My buddy is an Eagles fan. He says “Tobin is serviceable”. I understand that he was probably roster-cut bound, but getting him in ASAP vs waiting for 2 weeks to get cut isn’t a bad move in my opinion. Let’s hope for the best
It’s a shame they were dealing in a sellers market. Instead of being able to flip a camp body (as they did with KPL) they got fleeced on the price here because teams knew they were desperate.
It’s weird, though, because he’s played guard almost exclusively in the NFL, but the press release lists him as a tackle.
Rob I disagree! Tobin could be really good. worst case Tobin is a great back up at RT, RG, & hopefully LT. Ohdiambo did not deliver the other night he has yet to prove he can be a solid back up so in my mind if we add better players were moving in the right direction as long as it does not negatively affect our cap,draft, &/or future team building.
I’m not sure what you’re disagreeing with Brad. Clearly it’s a sellers market. We made a deal to get someone in and it came at a price. I doubt Philly’s current third string O-liner per the Ourlads depth chart is likely to be ‘really good’ but they needed a guy competing at that spot and now they have one.
Rob I don’t consider Tobin a 3rd string O liner, he started at Right Tackle the other night. He could easily be the 3rd best tackle on the Eagles! In 2018 Eagles have $195,000 in cap space, Eagles have a huge problem & there is no way they are going to be able pay anyone next year. Eagles starting tackles will easily cost the team 20 million a year they must utilize medium to low draft pick salaries to back up their tackles. 5th round is the right price & fair for everyone if we gave a 6th that wouldn’t be fair.
Tobin was listed as a third stringer on the Ourlads Depth chart for Philly. He may have started at RT the other night — but how many players didn’t suit up for the Eagles?
I won’t try and diminish your enthusiasm for the deal. I haven’t passed comment on Tobin because I’ve never studied his play. But the Seahawks walked into a sellers market and paid a hefty sum for a guy not necessarily expected to make the final cut in Philly.
Rob Philly has 2 stud tackles that cost the team over 20 million a year & they have $195,000 available cap space in 2018. Philly must add cheap young back ups or cut one of the tackles, they cannot afford 1 million for a veteran. Tobin was a back up LT & started at right guard no matter how good Tobin is he’s getting cut unless he can beat out 1 of the 2 tackles Tobin has been with Philly his entire career & resigned that alone is worth more than a 6th round. Tobin has played more & better than Glow & Ohdiambo put together. We can’t assume Seahawks were the only team wanting Tobin!
According to the reports, the Seahawks spent the day on the phone trying to find someone and settled on Tobin as the cheapest/best deal. I don’t see any evidence there was a competition to claim him.
Nevertheless, I don’t have a problem with the deal per se. I merely highlighted that it came with a relatively high cost — which is a fact — and highlights how badly the Seahawks feel they need someone else on the roster. It’s nice that you’re positive about Tobin but it’s not very often you land an accomplished starting tackle from deep within another teams roster two weeks into pre-season. I hope he works out but I’m not holding out much hope.
I was just over at Bleeding Green and the overwhelming majority of responders to the trade thought that their GM got a great deal in getting a 5th round pick for a player that might not have even made the team. The most complimentary comment was that Tobin provided depth but that they wouldn’t want him to have to start multiple games at LT. I’m also hoping that he turns out to be a solid player for us but I agree w/Rob, if we weren’t desperate for OL bodies, we probably wouldn’t have given up a 5th round pick for him.
Rob have you considered the possibility were not ready to trade one of our expendables yet but we’re ready to add OL now? This year will be different because of the 90 man till the end we might see lots of trading.
Yes this is possible.
FresnoBad,
I feel the same way. The problem with injuries and the new 90-man rule, we weren’t going to wait around for the end of the preseason to get him in.
I still believe we’ll trade a guy or 2 and we’ll try to re-coop the 5th for Tobin.
I’m trying to find tape on the guy. My initial thoughts are a journeyman with experience (a la McQuistan back in the way). If he pans out, GREAT. If he doesn’t, he was a 1-year rental for depth
House Tobin is not a journey man. Tobin was a valuable back up in Philly caught behind 2 studs he’s exactly what we need since we’re not going to trade for a veteran LT (which we could still do)
FresnoBrad,
I know… My comment should’ve said “my thoughts were”. If he was stuck behind 2 guys and just didn’t see playing time, I’m good with potentially finding a steal. My one hesitation to be high on him is that if he was just “stuck” behind 2 really good OTs, keeping him and his versatility for a meager $900K would’ve been a smart move. Why would he have been on the chopping block?
Right now everyone is on the chopping block in Philly next year 2018 they only have $195,000 in cap space that is partly why they traded Jordan Matthews they have no $$. The previous coach screwd up the Eagles. look at the back up LT he’s undrafted & inexperienced. The Eagles are a mess they have 17 million dead $$ this year so far. I’m confident in Schneider & I believe Matt has been on our radar for years.
Odhiambo has a big night Friday hopefully he steps up!
Our team just got better by adding Tobin! We’ve traded our 5th before, this situation is a plus no matter how you judge it. Ohdiambo/some body else could get cut, Tobin should be easy to re-sign next year! Tobin has been moved around just like Justin Britt & has NFL playing experience I like this trade a lot & it’s a no brainier if Tobin is still growing as a player. Worst case scenario Tobin makes our right side better & it allows other players to contribute to the left side of the line. Let’s not forget Philly has stud tackles that Tobin had zero chance of beating out.
Odhiambo isn’t going to be cut.
As long as Tobin is a better player than Ohdiambo & other players at other positions are better than Ohdiambo, Ohdiambo can get cut! We still have 3 weeks anything can happen we’ve walked away from 3rd rounders before after year 1. We should all be upset with Ohdiambo because of his play as far as Ifeldi he gets a pass for now because he got knocked out violently.
Dude, I don’t mean to be disrespectful but you are out in left field. This website is for more educated and nuanced takes and you’re a little off base man. But welcome and keep it respectful please…
Sorry that came across a little rude…glad to have new voices. I just grumpy about Fant.
TBone no big deal besides I’ve been around for decades. Seahawks & USC Trojans die hard fan know the teams very well! I’m not upset at Fant he did nothing wrong. I’m upset at Ohdiambo’s performance he’s had plenty of time to be a stud back up if he can’t do that he needs to go! Watching his performance the other night really bugs, & with the addition of Tobin that’s a direct assault on Ohdiambo more than anyone else if we believe Carrol when he says Roos can play on the Seahawks! Also what’s up with Glow? In his 3rd year he should easily beat out an average G!
Carroll just praised Glowinski’s game against the Vikings.
C-Dog that’s good news so now it’s only the tackles, I’m not sure if it’s true but people are saying Matt Tobins best position is LT. I’m excited for Matt Tobin & I’m sure Cable is too, Tobin has played against good D-lines & seems to be durable.
It’s going to be interesting to see where Tobin fits. I think most of his game experience has been at guard, some RT, not sure if he’s ever spent much time at LT. I’m not sure where the enthusiasm about him being at LT is coming from. Maybe he has backed up Jason Peters there and has looked promising in the past. Doing a little digging, it does look like he offers some of the athleticism they covet.
They are not going to cut Odhiambo. We can say that with almost 100% confidence.
They just lost George Fant for the year. The last thing they’re going to do is cut someone with left tackle experience who actually knows the offense. It’s not unrealistic that Tobin usurps him over the next fortnight but Odhiambo will remain on the roster.
I hope Odhiambo stays! But he will not stick around if he can’t play LT BTW he doesn’t have much experience at all. I’ve followed Pete Carroll for decades as well as the Seahawks & I promise you if Ohdiambo has another repeat terrible performance, he will be traded or cut. We have too many cheap young players that are future starters to “Micky Mouse around” there will be options & unlike other teams we have the resources to add a player at LT.
I don’t really think there’s anywhere to go with this other than to say we’ll have to agree to disagree. However, if you genuinely think there is going to be a sensible LT option after the cuts that it is actually worth cutting Odhiambo to remove him from the roster, especially given the injury to Fant, I think you’re going to find that emphatically isn’t the case — however poorly he plays against Kansas City.
Seems odd to give up a 5th round pick without giving our backups the opportunity to showcase their skill. I want to be excited about the OL but this move suggests it may be another very long year of watching the Seahawks offense. I hope I’m wrong.
I can’t help but think that there would be a lot of deep fan concern right now if the Seahawks did nothing to address their OL problems. Sometimes, you just have to try whatever you can to make things better. Since Fant was injured they have brought in 2 OL players and will likely bring in one, two or more before the OL is set. The OL is their major area of concern and PC/JS are trying to make it better as best as they can. A 5-th with a 7-th back is just the cost of doing business as Rob says in a “sellers market”, but what else could they do, the OL needs help and competition just to get to the “average OL” that we all hope is the outcome this season. If RW has at least an average OL, look out, he and his brothers could be nearly unstoppable.
I hate this move. 37 players from each team are going to be cut in 2 weeks… 1,184 players to choose from and we gotta give up a 5th? C’mon that’s just getting too desperate.. anyone else getting the feeling we’ve switched into “win now” mode from win forever
Ok so let’s assume Tobin was cut by Philly (or player X from any other team). You then have to compete with the rest of the league to sign him. No sure shot there. They got the guy they wanted.
I highly doubt Tobin was the guy they wanted, the report said they were making calls all day and settled on Tobin because they got offered a 7th back with him
They might be laying the ground work for another trade down the road. Perhaps they are going to trade lane for a 5th… and come out with a net +1 draft picks in 2018.
Trading back from the 5th to the 7th in order to add much needed depth to this teams, by far, shallowest position group hardly qualifies as a “win now” move. You’d have to go back 7 years to 2011 to find the last time this franchise acquired an impact player in the 5th round. That is unless you view Luke Willson as an impact player, I do not. This was a necessary move made in a sellers market to add legit competition and protection in case of additional injuries.
Rob,
Sounds like (according to Pete via Sheil K.) that Odhiambo and Pocic will be the first two to get a shot at LT with Joeckel as the stop gap. That was my hope. I think Joeckel staying at LG keeps our left side solidified and is his best position. Sucks we give up a 5th but depth and flexibilty, but hopefully Odi or Pocic can be league average and we can move forward…
TBone4444,
I am personally hoping Pocic can win the job. Odhiambo seems to be a much better OG. Key word is “SEEMS” and with INCONSISTENT being the other word attached to him, its hard to tell what he’s gonna be
I was thinking this morning about Joeckel going to LT and Odhiambo/Roos playing LG. If Joeckel was to leave in FA next offseason, the 2017 LG starter would still be under contract and Fant could/would replace Joeckel @ LT.
Ya, that would be awesome if Pocic just came in and took the job! Odhiambo does seem a bit far from league average at this point
When the dust started settling, this was the scenario that I started to think the coaching staff might lean towards. They might favor the veteran connection Joekel and Britt could be brewing between each other, want to keep that together, and let the young guys battle it out at LT. I think pass pro has been the better aspect of Pocic’s game thus far. Not surprised to see them trying this.
C-Dog Pocic is a stud center we gave Britt 5 million fully guaranteed with 15 mill guaranteed for injury. We can trade or cut Britt in the future no problem. Seahawks are in a grove right now because everyone has bought into Pete’s culture the proof of this is the Kam, Britt, Bennett contracts we are on a roll with these team friendly contracts & were stacked with young talent. I think we’re gonna stabilize LG & C & go outside to fix LT which is exactly what we’ve done so far.
I’m not convinced Pocic is going to win a job on this line based on what we’ve seen so far. I hate to say it, because the media don’t really seem to be talking about this, but he doesn’t look entirely comfortable at tackle. And that’s not a surprise given he was LSU’s center. It’s good to have a guy who can play multiple spots but a second round center who will now never play that position unless Britt is injury is a bit of a head scratcher.
What other fan base cares about a 5th rounder.
Hope 5th is a conditional pick on him making the roster and active a certain number of games
I know everyone is in panic mode with the OL right now. By nature I am generally a pessimist as well, but here’s what I did. I went back to to the 2013 season and watched two games, the MNF Rams game and the home Buccaneers game. Both games saw a banged up OL with key starters like Michael Bowie and Paul McQuistan. People think of 2013 and think of the SB blowout, but go back over the regular season and you’ll see just how hard it was for this OL, especially in week 4 against the Texans with no Max Unger. Yet, this team keep winning despite some god awful OL play.
My point? The OL will struggle this year no doubt. But by no means does this mean the season is over. Joeckel and Britt have to stay healthy. They could anchor the line. Then we just need Odhiambo, Pocic and Ifedi to mature and play consistently. Finally, we hope Glowinski and Aboushi can stabilize the RG position. We don’t need 5 All-Pros. We need to stay healthy and grow. If so this line can be at least as good if not better than those lines the Hawks rolled out against Houston, TB and STL in 2013. Keeping my fingers crossed!
SeaTown,
I agree with you. We have had some sub-mediocre OLs in the past. I think we have a much deeper line than in previous years and you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned “healthy” and “consistent”. Those are 2 VITAL things we’ll need from the OL this year
They are more willing to look for players in preseason too. Fant going down is a terrible blow, but I think we have to wait and see how it all turns out. I hope someone steps up to fill that spot, and the whole line settles in and makes it through the rest of the season without injury. Lets see if they can coach them up and turn them into a great line!
There were a number of magical nail biter games during that season.
Paul McQuistan started eight games at left tackle in 2013, frequently bookended by 7th round rookie Michael Bowie. You’re right to highlight this perspective.
Aboushi should move to LG and let Pocic backup/battle Glow. We know Aboushi can start at LG, and Roos can back him up. Joeckel/Odhiambo at LT
one injury and the whole plan comes apart…not a good plan to begin with
That’s what we had this year and it already fell apart lmao… what’s different?
The gut is saying Lane may indeed be traded. Not sure why or to who….. I thought Desir has looked decent in the secondary. I’m not a big fan of PFF, but they have one opinion and I have mine… which happen to agree. We should always remember, they are playing the most basic of coverage concepts, so just because a guy “looks good” doesn’t mean he is doing everything right (when the lights are not on in the big game). They noted in the telecast that they were playing almost straight man to man during one quarter, even when they would normally play zone on a couple of down and distances (3rd and long etc)…. and it was to get tape on CB/S play in various situations.
Pocic will not be the week #1 starter at LT. Yes he has flashed some nice plays, but he also has gotten burned a few times (vs 2nd and 3rd teamers) like all rookies do. I’m pretty convinced they will go with Odhiambo at LT.
Also note, if they move Joeckel, then you have 2 unsettled spots on the left side, instead of one by leaving him at LG. This way, 2 spots are nailed down and you only have 3 others to figure out 😉
Carroll sure sounded like he was making a case for Odhiambo in the presser today, much more so than when asked about Pocic. I might be in the minority on these, but I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing what Rees does against the Chiefs working a full week at LT instead of bouncing between two positions. I’m no way near ready to start trashing on this guy yet.
I don’t understand why anyone is worried about a 5th round pick next year? Our Roster is completely stacked and we’re already going to loose guys we wish we could keep. I give my Faith to Pete and John to make the best most logical move they can make. We have a new player with starting experience at Tackle better then it was before. I’m in the it’s going to be alright and better then last year perspective even after Fant going down. Who knows what is going to transpire in the next couple weeks before the season starts?
Go Tobin
Go Hawks
Good take Howling!
The *all-in-one-whack* nature of the cut-down to 53 assures at least somewhat of a wildcard/not búiness as usual type of situation this year. I totally get why the troops are a bit gunshy as regards the o-line, but lets watch what kind of alchemy PC/TC concoct over the balance of preseason, and then watch JS go to work pulling rabbits out of his hat as per usual. Im with you in where Ill place my trust.
Agreed. I know I said earlier they should give Pocic a try at LT, the truth is that if either Odi or Tobin can legit win that job and be decent, we have great depth with Pocic as a reserve. Really sounds like moving Joeckel to LT will be the last resort option.
I think Tobin is a better player than Odhiambo right now & there’s a strong probability Tobin will be much better in 4 weeks! I expect 2 to 3 developmental tackles on practice squad I bet 1 or 2 come from NE they have lots of tackles in camp & they have zero openings, looks like they were hoping most of them will hit the practice squad, love it they’re ours. Also after 1st week of season we can sign a veteran without guaranteeing full year, I expect to get a LT on the 53. Strategically were still sitting above the rest and our Cap situation is really good. 2018 draft is looking good for LB, RB, & offensive tackle & we can 3rd or 2nd round tender for Rawls. I like some of the DT’s & mid round corners. We’re going to cut Kearse if the WR’s stay healthy it will save us 2.2 million this year & 5mil next year!
I think I remember reading cutting/Kearse would cause us to take on $2mil+ in dead money ( so essentially not saving any money)
and Odhiambo played pretty decent lastnight
I have been very negative about this team recently.
I won’t apologize, as I believe that having to look at everything through rose colored glasses should not be a requirement of being a fan. I’ll follow this team to my grave. That doesn’t mean I have to always be glowingly optimistic about their season prospects.
Anyways, I actually like the Tobin trade. Odhiambo is obviously not up for the task, so yes, we were forced into doing something like this. However I don’t think the price is outrageous for the player we are getting. He’s started a lot of games and done an OK job.
I think they probably just slide him into the left tackle position after Odhiambo flounders against the chiefs.
Kind of a desperation move, however I’m not too unhappy with the result.
I still like to think the front office finds a way to add a quality player. A Duane Brown or a Brandon Albert.
Not sure we can say Odhiambo is not up for the task yet. He’s been cross training at LG/LT. Maybe allowing him to focus on just LT will mean an uptick in his play? I don’t believe he’ll be any worse than Fant was last season (when he was arguably the worst LT in the league). In fact, it’s likely he’ll be an upgrade over the 2016 version of Fant if only for the reason that he played LT in college and has much more experience than Fant did. Obviously Rees he could be a dumpster fire, but I say we reserve our judgment for now and see how he does against KC.
I think we have a extra 5 round i pick from the marshawn trade from the raiders I believe I could be wrong
As best I can tell we have our 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 with Oakland’s 5 & Philly’s 7.
We’ve traded our 5 to Philly & our 6 to Oakland.
I don’t see Cassius Marsh as a lock to be with the team when the regular season starts. It’s possible he gets moved. We know what he is and that’s a core special teamer in the last year of his rookie deal. We’ve been accumulating special teams aces which in my mind means he’s redundant in that regard. So his battle is with the other pass rushing prospects for a roster spot and it’s a battle he could lose imho.
Regardless of who wins I am loving the pre season depth and battles on the D Line. It’s been a while since there were hard personnel choices to make there.
As far as the Running Backs go I have only one request. If you are going to be lost for the season sometime this year please do it before the cut down to 53 so we don’t cut someone else we would have otherwise kept.
Marsh is an unquestioned lock IMO.
He’s a core special teamer and that’s vitally important for anyone who is essentially #4 within their position group.
He played 36% of the defensive snaps last year, had three sacks and for what his role is on this team — he’ll certainly be kept around considering his thoroughly cheap contract.
+91
If Marsh has a break out year we’re going to resign him. I’ve been disappointed in him 1st 2 years but last year he flashed and this year in camp he looks like a stud. We don’t have to stress about paying Frank Clark 17 million, we can Franchise him in 2019 & then wave bye bye.
I don’t get what the commotion is over getting rid of a 5th round draft pick for a serviceable OL + 7th round pick. At worst you are giving up the #145 pick for a OL that has been in the league for a few years. Does anyone know the percentage of 5th round picks that make it in the league 3+ years. And I get the arguement of PCJS drafting but lets look at their history. Their 2 good picks in the 5th round were Sherman and Chancellor, both of whom were in the first 2 years of their tenure. I will also give Willson and Jefferson to the mix, but Collins is on his way out potentially. That is 4/11 hits or 36% chance of them staying with the team. If Collins makes it to the PS that is 5/11 or 45%. Looking at their 7th round picks you got scruggs, smith, sweezy, and carson all making a team (if not our own they are at least “serviceable”) and you could argue Moore and Lawler could make the PS squad. thats 6/16 or 36%. We are trading a 5th round pick for an upgrade in our line COMPARED to last year when this is our window + another chance to draft a 7th round stud. Not only this but it arms us with a 7th round pick to be able to have first dibs at a player that the Seahawks view as top priority of an UDFA and getting them in the seventh round. Before this last years draft we were all high on Isaac Asiata who went in the 5th round. If he is considered “serviceable” then for the same draft value we essentially trade Asiatas value to the Eagles for Asiata’s value + an additional talent. I know it’s an obscure way of looking at it, but I don’t think we overpaid for Tobin. PCJS like quantity of draft picks and they didn’t lose a quantity WHILE adding a serviceable player.
Kelly I agree it’s fair! Philly is a mess they only have $195,000 available cap next year that’s why they had to get rid of Jordan Matthews. The back up LT in Philly now is unproven 1 injury on the O-line & Philly fans will be complaining they traded Matt. I’m so glad Schneider is our GM, No way Philly GM gets the better of John Schneider, Schneider is the best! Were a better team today than we were yesterday!
I wouldn’t say there’s a ‘commotion’ — rather an acknowledgement that a relatively high price was paid for some who was probably going to be cut in a couple of weeks. It doesn’t mean it’s a bad deal, it just highlights they were operating in a seller’s market.
Matt Tobin is a far better player than the Odhiambo performance the other night (I’m praying for a Odhiambo I want him as a LT) we had 2 open LT positions available on a Super Bowl caliber team but now we have 1 open LT position also if Odiambo improves Friday we can keep the current line & work on getting a LT during the season. If Cleveland, SF, etc… goes 0-4 & the Seahawks are 2-2, 3-1, 4-0 we could trade & easily justify it because the same need will be there in the 2018 season.
Odhiambo was ok the other night. He had a bad open to the 3rd Q but before that and after he was ok.
Doesn’t a bad open to the 3rd quarter suggest possible halftime scheme/technique adjustments were the issue?
Good move because it was necessary. If he turns out to be serviceable, that might be better than Odhiambo taking his lumps out there like Fant last season.
As pointed out above, we have a R5 pick from Oakland, so we won’t have a huge gap there anyway.
I imagine it’s going to be hard enough to cut down to 53 with the depth of talent we have, every player will hurt. And then imagine cutting a couple more to bring in players dropped from other teams…
I definitely smell some more trades in the air. PC/JS know who the up and coming guys are that are ready to contribute, that should make a couple players (Kearse, Lane…) expendable if the compensation is right. Either go all out on a big name (S. Richardson) or start stacking up draft capital for next year.
I wouldn’t be surprised David Moore makes the 53 that dude is a monster receiver that breaks tackles I don’t see how we cannot keep him! I don’t see how Kearse makes this roster we need these promising receivers that are on cheap contracts, If we cut Kearse we save 2.2 million & 5 million next year. If we trade Kearse we don’t save as much in cap space.
I’m as much of a Moore fan as the next guy, but he’s PS material. Small school guy that has flashed a bit, but not consistently enough to get snapped up by another team. Let him have a year practicing and see if he can take a spot next year.
Really liked what I saw out of Moore against the Chargers. IMO, it’s going to be really hard for him to make this roster, but I’m rooting for him.
Yup. Nigh impossible.
He should make it to PS though. Hope they don’t give other teams too much of a look at him in these last preseason games…
I think we need to keep Moore no matter what, he’s exactly what we’re looking for, we have a track record of developing young cast offs into starters, he’s on a cheap 4 yr contract, Richardsons contract is up next year & Locket the following year, & again we finally found a real Beast at WR we’ve been looking for this guy for years.
This line is awful. Can’t sugar coat it. Can’t pass block as a cohesive unit and frankly, I’m worried that this is the unit that prevents us from winning another super bowl. “Worst tackles in the league” award is seattle’s to lose again this season. Not sure how they can remedy the situation.
Still went 10-5-1 last season and had 3 games we could have/should have won. I think we were an ET3 injury away from the NFCCG or SB. Our QB wasn’t healthy all of last season, and the top to bottom talent on this team looks to be better than last year. Yes, it is frustrating to be having the same conversation almost every year. I think it will be an issue as long as Tom Cable is here. But we’re still one of the most talented teams in the NFL.
I don’t think that’s the point. They can’t protect russell. It’s a problem going on what, 3 seasons now? They are simply not allowing this offense to be what it can be. Period. Just think at what they could have done with a decent line. The window will close before they figure it out.
It’s too early in preseason to be this negative. Good grief!! They can remedy it by moving second and third string players up and giving them more practice time with the first squad. Plus there will be a bunch more offensive linemen cut from all the teams during preseason. Seahawks are good at picking through the rubble.
We just need serviceable. I am fairly confident that we have that this year.
Our loaded RB room, who can also catch out of the backfield, will also relieve some pass rush pressure.
We will be fine. It’s not like Fant was the next coming of Joe Thomas yet either.
Exactly, Sea Mode! If the rest of the OL is decent/competent, we should still be able to come close to replicating Fant’s performance this year and our OL will be fine/improved from last year. Now if more injuries occur or if Joekel or Ifedi or any other presumed starter plays way below expectations then we might be in a world of hurt but I think that’s why they signed Tyrone Thompson & traded for Tobin…hedging their risk with more options. Let’s hope the starting OL, still to be determined, gels in the next few weeks!
Tyrone Thompson is a project unless the Jets really misjudged him He’s a good add because we need a LT for next year too. Matt Tobin demonstrates Seahawks are on it & continue to make good trade decisions, I can’t say exactly how it’s gonna get done but this year I’m confident Schneider will get it done. Our team is loaded with talent even though at the moment it’s not distributed exactly where we want it. Every year in the draft with our 1st pick we draft the position that the draft is strong at. WR draft Richardson DE draft Clark OL/DL Ifeldi/Reed, etc. Schneider is really in a groove now next year 2018 linebackers will be good to draft it just so happens Seahawks will have that need next year. Anyone watch Darrell Brown LT the other night?
Let’s give Rees some time actually practicing at LT before we write him off. He looked great week 1 at guard, after preparing all week to actually play that spot. The Seahawks may have the worst tackle combo again this year, but that was most likely the case before Fant’s injury anyways.
At what point are people going to start looking at the coach when it comes to the OL. I hate to mention this before they even play a real game but when I look at Ifedi I see almost a regression in technique. Rees has been in the Cable program for two years and looks lost technique wise. Glowinski has shown little or no improvement particularly in pass pro.
We draft these great athletes on the OL and then expect Cable to coach them up. The problem is not with resources being spent on the OL it is because these guys just don’t improve or get better. I think back to Okung and Carpenter both high picks with incredible upside who both struggled with technique until they went elsewhere.
That is why the Pocic pick gave me hope this year. He already has good fundamentals and technique. Joey Hunt despite his lack of size is the same thing. He was sound fundamentally before he came to the Hawks and it shows in his pass protection.
It could be argues that Britt is the outlier and seems to really settled in. I would agree with that. The problem is that it took him 3 years with 3 position switches to figure that out.
I had big hopes for this OL because they were young and ultra athletic. I figured they would grow and develop as a group with Britt as the vet leader. I have absolutely Zero confidence Cable can coach them up however and the loss of Fant compounds that issue.
Hey Trevor, glad to see you back! It’s frustrating seeing other programs with good offensive line coaching, and what they are doing. Dallas signed Jonathan Cooper, a massive bust, and so far he looks great according to them. Not to mention Chaz Green looks like a starter as well, and he was a third round tackle prospect. Tennessee signed Dennis Kelly, who was even worse than Tobin last year in Philly, and turned him into a serviceable player. NE re-hired their offensive line coach last year and turned Marcus Cannon into a stud.
If we just have one more young player improve like Britt did, that would be a massive upgrade over last year. Is that too much to ask for?
People say Glow is playing good if he continues to do that & beat out Obushi then you will have your player. Also Matt Tobin could shine.
Glow has looked pretty bad in preseason, but maybe you are right. Preseason only tells so much.
What about Will Pericak? He’s a DL convert like Sokoli (Saints) & Sweezy. Pericak has been with us 2 years he’s played in pre-Season this year, if he’s on our team he’s gotta be good at something? If Kaseem can do it Why can’t Pericak do it?
Yeah, Cable looks pretty bad. Haven’t seen any real good evidence that he’s a good line coach, but plenty to suggest he’s a bad one.
The pass sets he teaches are friggin’ terrible. You know how we get all excited about DL in the Senior Bowl practices because they look great in one-on-ones? That excitement is tempered by the understanding that they aren’t in a real game scenario: the OL has no help, and with no other linemen, the DL has all the room in the world to use any kind of spin move or counter, so the OL is on an island out there and at a severe disadvantage. That seems to be how Cable actually teaches our OL to set up!
Watching the cuts on Fieldgulls, there’s Ifedi immediately backing up three yards, which puts the DE closer to Russell and gives him time and space to plan his attack. Good job, Tom! Oh, and let’s make sure Ifedi is well away from the guard, so the DL can set him up outside and use any inside counter he wants. Good job, Tom. Last, make sure they are trying to hug the DL instead of punching him. That way the OL’s hands are easier to swat away. Tom Cable is a loser coach. His failings have been masked by Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson. Wherever he’s gone, the more authority he’s been given the more he’s failed.
Russ looks better than ever so far this off season. He looks like a man on a mission after last years struggles. I think if the OL can protect him at all this year he is going to have a monster season particularly with the weapons he has.
Baldwin (Top 5 WR and perhaps the best route runner)
Graham (Top 3 TE )
Prosise (elite pass catching RB) *If he can ever stay healthy
P Rich / Locket (Undersized burners who can also run routes)
Kasen Williams (Big jump ball / red zone WR we have lacked ) Dez Bryant clone this pre-season. Hope he can keep it up
This has the potential to be the most dynamic offense the Hawks have ever put on the field if the OL can even be serviceable.
Yep, it comes down to our OL again. We talent & depth at RB again and the receivers are stacked. If the OL can just be decent, Russell & the Hawks will have a monster year!!
Russ looks like an MVP candidate this year.
Fairly convinced that its due to Marshawn and Russ combo OL looked decent in the past. We need a RB like Marshawn.. otherwise no amount of OL draft capital or Cable’s coaching will help.
There are no other RBs like Beast Mode.
Even Beast Mode had troubles when the line didn’t block. I always said that Russ and Lynch made the offensive line look better than they actually were. At least statistically speaking. Bottom line, improve the offensive line and you will get better performance from the running backs.
Great post, Rob, and I and everyone here are so glad to have regular columns from you to read again!
In regards to the final roster, there are going to be some really difficult cuts! On the one hand, it’s great knowing that we have so much talent on the team this year but it’ll also be a bummer to see our talent being poached from the PS or on cut down day.
WRs – I think McEvoy is the odd man out also. I think Kearse stays, for reasons we’ve discussed so many times already on this blog, and I’m hoping we keep Darboh also. He hasn’t been bad and just unavailable due to injuries and it’d be too soon to give up on a 3rd round pick. McEvoy has made some good plays for us but I don’t see anything super remarkable about him and he’s probably the least likely among Kearse & Darboh to be snapped up if he’s cut.
RBs – I hope they keep an extra RB (after Rawls, Lacy, Procise, Carson) as a hedge for injuries and if so, I think it should only a choice between Davis & Collins as they can possibly be a three down back if necessary. McKissic is a fast exciting player who can also return the ball but he hasn’t shown to be so great at either RB or returner for us to keep him over either Davis or Collins. I don’t think McKissic is big enough to be more than a change of pace back.
DL – I haven’t seen enough of Jefferson this pre-season to know if he can be that disruptor in the middle but I’m hoping he proves himself worthy of us moving up in last year’s draft to pick him. I also like the idea of figuring a way to keep Marcus Smith. He’s played well and there’s always the hope of unlocking the potential he showed as a first rounder.
DBs – So many good players for us to keep all and I think that if Elliott and/or Desir are cut, they’ll be snapped up by other teams…sucks but it’s a good problem to have also.
Go Hawks!!
We’re cutting Kearse we save 2.2 million this year & 5 million next year I think Kearse stays if we get 2 injuries to our receivers other than that we must keep young receivers with cheap contacts especially these young receivers. If we do this we can load up on linebacker next year & still add an OL,CB,Kicker, RB & DT We can resign Marsh, ponder Joekle, ponder Avrill, cut Rubin etc…
Seahawks.com depth chart update:
-Rees LT1, Fant LT2 (won’t risk losing him on waivers like Bowie, so he’ll get sent straight to IR at cutdowns), Tobin LT3 (really LT2)
-Tyrus Thompson listed at RT4 behind Ifedi, Pocic, and Darrell Brown.
Obviously these aren’t set in stone, but it at least shows that Tobin will compete at LT. I’m sure we all assumed that anyway. It will probably be a race between Rees and Tobin, with some Pocic sprinkled in. Joeckel is a known commodity at LT and could be slotted over there if necessary.
According to Sheil Kapadia, who was paraphrasing a Tom Cable interview, it’ll be between Rees and Tobin for LT. He said Pocic is not an option and he views him as an inside guy. Apparently he also said they really like Joeckel at LG, so moving him out to LT would be a last resort kind of thing. I’m assuming they’ll be scouring the roster cuts or looking at other possible trades for possible upgrades. I can’t imagine they feel too comfortable with the LT spot right now. Then again as Schneider said, good linemen don’t grow on trees so there are plenty of other teams looking for good OL.
LT could be an ongoing situation through out the season with the hope of getting good play in the position by playoffs. This strategy does not mortgage the future, keeps the probability higher team can stay together, & still gives us a chance at the Super Bowl. If LT is our only big problem this season & teams like the Patriots continue to loose pass rushers I’m going to Vegas to bet on Seahawks to win Super Bowl @ 10-1 odds or greater.
Hey Rob,
Here’s an interesting name that Tony Pauline mentioned yesterday to keep an eye on as a Seahawks value OL pick: Martinas Rankins, LT Mississippi State. (SR, 6-5, 305)
Per Tony – http://draftanalyst.com/scouting-sec-mississipi-state
“Much was written about Martinas Rankins in the lead up to junior declaration day last January, oftentimes from myself. Entering the season a number of scouts have stamped him as a free-agent prospect but I disagree.
Rankins is fundamentally sound and relatively athletic. He’s strong, anchors at the point in pass protection and gets movement run blocking. He lines up at left tackle, but I believe Rankins could play right tackle, guard or maybe even center.
Rankins does not show great awareness and seems to get lost at times. Hopefully we can chalk that up to inexperience, but he must improve his football instincts or his draft grade will be sunk.”
Tony has Rankins tentatively listed as a 4th round prospect, but the Seahawks will already have scouted this guy. Not sure if he actually played multiple positions, but if so, that would be a huge plus. also, if this guy is a legit 4-5th round talent, that basically means a Seahawks 2nd – 3rd round talent.
Quenton Nelson Notre Dame that guy makes me drool, I’m praying Fant is good to go next summer & the 1st round is loaded with QB’s & Tackles so by some miracle Quenton drops to us.
Here is that run blocker that Cable loves and at a mid round price.
Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma
Height: 6-8. Weight: 360.
Projected Round (2018): 2-4.
Brown was a tough run blocker for the Sooners in 2016, opening a lot of holes for their talented tandem of running backs. He spent 2015 and 2016 at left tackle, but he’s too tall for that spot in the NFL (not sure I believe that). Brown could be a good right tackle candidate in his draft class.
If the rumors are true that Paul Allen is putting some pressure on PCJS to fix the OL, then a 1st round tackle would be in the mix, though I wouldn’t rule out RB either in the 1st round.
KD how long has Paul Allen been putting pressure on them to fix the line?
Likely at the end of last year according to Davis Hsu. Pressure may be the wrong word since it implies a consequence, but he really wants an emphasis on improving the OL
Looks like Paul Allen got his nuts crushed last Friday. We are very fortunate that the loss of Fant does not affect our cap unlike every other team in the NFL, that’s far worse than what we’re currently dealing with. I’m sure Paul Allen is seeing the bright side of things now. The fact that Marsh is turning out to be a great DE, Kaseem Williams, Britt, Rawls, Carson, & Russell Wilson on fire in camp this year makes me believe Paul Allen will leave the football decisions to Pete & John.
I have never Tweeted however I just found this under Seahawks news. Matt Tobin interview I like his answers and personality.
Go Hawks
https://www.pscp.tv/w/1gqxvOZgbqjKB
He can answer questions, but can he block pass rushers…
Based on Cable’s interview, Ifedi is set at RT. Pocic is moved to inside 3 (C&G).
Tobin will compete at LT and may be RT, has G experience for backing up LG
Glow/Aboushi at RG
Rees-Joecekl-Britt-Glow/Aboushi-Ifedi is set
Pocic, Tobin and one of glow/Aboushi are backups.
Hunt may be IR or PS. If they carry 9 on 53, it will be Roos.
Did anyone notice during FGs… was that Hunt hiking the ball in the second half(?)… I swear it was on at least 1 play.
Ive done some trolling today on the Philly web sights and to be seems like they as a rule had a pretty high regard of Tobin, with some even questioning why they gave him up for so little in return.
It was interesting to hear that he had gotten most of his practice work at LT, but most of his play time in games has been at guard.
Yes who new Tom was coaching in Philly to
Interesting vibes coming from Tom Cable today, I thought.
1. I didn’t sense any panic regarding the LT situation. Feels like it’s Odhiambo’s job to lose, and maybe it’s me, but I kinda sensed Cable’s confidence in the kid.
2. Matt Tobin was definitely brought in to compete at LT. Cable likes his work ethic, college pedigree, and his consistency when called into action. (It was interesting to learn from Tobin that he mostly practiced at LT in Philly)
3 Joekel is the last resort candidate for LT, Cable really digs him at guard and doesn’t want to shake thins up too much on the line if he doesn’t need to, understandably.
4. Ethan Pocic is not a candidate for LT, and it seems like his run at RT is over. Cable likes him inside at both guard spots and center. I think with the Fant loss, this makes a bunch of sense. Odhiambo is almost certainly a tackle now, Joekel is still coming back from injury, it’s possible they could view Pocic as the potential next man up should Joekel suffer injury, or Britt,and whoever ends up at RG. If Odhiambo wins the LT spot, which I think he probably will, Tobin likely becomes the swing tackle.
Pocic year #1 is going to be the Paul McQuistan spot…… just like Paul was on the 2013 team 😉
Year #2/3 I’m not as confident, but RG seems like a natural fit. He might not be strong enough year #2 for it, but year #3 he should be able to maul people…. he already has some nasty to his blocking and he is under strength slightly.
Cable can’t show anything but confidence. He has to mold these guys into OL and try to keep the QB and RBs upright. It is going to be a challenge, but maybe that is what the Seahawks organization loves…. challenges.
Interestingly enough it looks like Matt Tobin very much was the Paul McQuistan of Philly the last few years. With Cable laying the mini bombshell that Pocic is now being viewed more for the inside, and Joekel being on a rental, Britt being extended, I wonder if he’s going to end up being groomed for LG in year 2.
Could be LG, but I would lean RG. Glow hasn’t been great and may not be around next year. Aboushi is on a one year deal. Pocic seems to have some of the feistiness they like at RG.
Could definitely be that. I’d like to see Glowinski get a year at RG if he ends up winning the job. If he doesn’t beat out Aboushi, I would almost certainly peg Pocic there in the future. If Glow wins it and shows steady play all season, then they might have an interesting decision as to where to fit Pocic in 2018.
Boy wouldn’t that be a nice decision to have to make for once? Finding a spot for a good lineman on the SEA OL!
I was thinking about the OL situation and have a few theories about their thinking with the current lineup. Some have probably been discussed before, so I apologize if that’s the case. Here we go.
What was the missing piece many saw for this team on D? A game wrecking DT. That’s why McDowell was the first pick. Conversely, what’s the main thing that has shut down our O? A game wrecking DT. Aaron Donald, Calais Campbell, Gerald McCoy last year, etc. A dynamic DT has the ability to destroy both run and pass plays by getting early pressure.
Ok, so what’s my point? We need a strong interior OL to try and combat inside pressure. I think SEA is willing to sacrifice a bit on the outside to shore up the inside of the OL. This is why they want to keep Joeckel inside and also have 2 vets competing at RG. Theoretically, an inside of Joeckel, Britt, Aboushi/Glow would have the experience to deal with DTs and hopefully combat early pressure. Their game experience should help picking up stunts and blitzes on the inside. Ifedi struggled with this at times on the inside and it killed plays in the backfield. So, move him back out to RT where TE combos and chip blocks from RBs can help him. Same thing with Odhiambo/Tobin at LT. Give Russ a clean inside pocket where he can step up of the T gets beat on the outside. Essentially, focus on shoring up the inside and try to keep everything outside the T positions.
Now, as was mentioned above, there could also be some thought that Joeckel isn’t fully recovered from his ACL tear and it may be easier to hold down a G position especially early in the year. SEA already knows what he can provide at LT and I think they’ll give Odhiambo/Tobin every opportunity to prove they can at least be serviceable at LT. Joeckel only moves back outside as a last resort. I do still think Rees is a potential starting LG in 2018 unless he really balls out and locks down the LT spot.
Keeping Pocic as a reserve allows him to back up Britt at C and possibly saves a roster spot somewhere else if we don’t need to keep Hunt. They could roll with 8 OL if needed: Rees, Joeckel, Britt, Glow OR Aboushi, Ifedi, Pocic, Tobin, Roos. The loser of the RG battle between Glow and Aboushi would get cut. Pocic could back up LG/C/RG and Roos while playing mostly LG here so far played a ton of RG in college. Tobin can essentially play everything but C if needed. That extra roster spot could come in handy for an extra DL, WR, or RB.
All really solid points, IMO. It was discussed quite a bit last year when they put Ifedi at guard that Seattle’s agenda on the OL might be to strengthen the interior based on the key to affecting RW to disrupt inside. I was thinking about that yesterday in regards to Joekel and the value they see keeping him inside.
Great points
It’s how the Saints built out their line as well, and they’re the only other team with a QB who’s 6 foot or under. Really good post LL.
I agree with your thoughts. It started last year out of desperation with Fant at left tackle. They kept Ifedi at right guard, even though draft wise he should have been playing tackle.
It seems like they want to keep a solid core at guard and center. Also try out the new players at a position which doesn’t require as much finesse. And willing to let the tackle spot be less qualified until they can find the right players.
+1 to this whole thread
Pocic seems like a very good pick, one of the better OL picks they’ve made in some time. That said, he is still a rookie, and OL is not easy to understand and master. Back in the 60’s, when 270 was a large offensive lineman, it was felt by some that it took 3 years to make a competent lineman.
Pocic has great size, athleticism, and brain. He lacks experience and probably some strength. He seems the ideal backup. In a season or two he will start. I have been supportive and even excited by the prospect since he was drafted (never noticed him before hand as I just didn’t look at centers), and now I see him as one of our best picks recently.
He has shown some vulnerabilities in the preseason, so it is not wise to expect him to be ready to start this season. He will play. But, hopefully, not more than a few playing out the rout type of games.
+1
I think he’s going to end up being a pretty good player at whichever position he settles into. The offseason strength program will help him a ton.
I see him succeeding on the inside, likely at RG. 33 in arms and good brain and technique. Just needs a year in the weight room.
And an early take: I highly doubt they let Joeckel walk if he plays solidly at LG. We can deal with mediocre tackles, but with pressure leaking through the inside we have no chance.
Possibly. With the extensions to Britt and Chancellor, they’re going to have some interesting decisions to make with a number of players. Joekel and Graham at the end of the season, but also Lockett and Clark going into their final years in 2018. Can’t pay everyone.
Was thinking the same C-Dog. Have to think Clark and Lockett are priorities given their age – unless Clark has continued maturity issues and Lockett has trouble staying healthy. Joeckel seems to be the obvious ‘not a core guy’ in that group.
I think Graham is coming back. He has stated he would love to finish his career in Seattle.
I don’t know, Rees played really well at LG against the Chargers, I think there is a good chance they view him as the long term answer at the position. When Fant returns in 18 I could see a line of Fant, Odhiambo, Britt, Pocic, Ifedi. Save the cap space and let Joeckel walk, maybe extend Jimmy w the savings.
That could very well be. I thought Rees really good against the Chargers.
I don’t understand all of this left tackle panic. The Seahawks are not in that bad of shape relatively. If any team in the league, not just the Seahawks, lost their left tackle for the year their season would also be devastated. With that said, how blessed is Seattle to have a third round pick ready and willing to step in. How many other teams have a guy like that on the bench with that much upside. Everyone’s panicking, but the truth is we don’t really know that much about Reece. However we do know is that he was recruited by Chris Peterson to Boise State for his gritty nature and athletic upside. He is typically with the Seahawks look for and he fights for everything in his life, even after when his parents died. As I recall he was one of the stars in week one of the preseason. And honestly, I thought he did pretty well in the first half of that game against the Vikings. It was clear that his level of play was not as good in the third quarter, but I suspect that has more to do with Luke not being by his side helping him with his reads and protections. Seriously, how many other teams have a reserve guy with his pedigree ready to go? it is absolutely not ideal, but it is certainly better than sowell or webb or whoever else is on the street right now. It is likely better option and Brandon Albert as well. There’s a reason he’s on the street still. Go get em Reese. Go Hawks
I’m very interested in seeing what Odhiambo does this Friday.
Only worry about his injury history
Bear’s signing left tackle Charles Leno Jr. to a four-year, $38 million extension with $21.5 million in guarantees. He is a seventh round pick in 2014, looks like bears found a deal
Is he any good…?
league average tackle. Per PFF Bears is one of the top 5 OLs with 3 pro-bowl caliber interior and average tackles
it’s DA BEARS….
He got the dough!
Nice little article from ESPN up on Saquon Barkley:
http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/enterpriseBarkley/could-penn-state-saquon-barkley-best-running-back-country
I love that kid, really think he could be anything. Man, can you imagine him in Seattle?
There was an interesting story/interview on 710ESPN Seattle around the noon hour today.
The Spacial Teams Coordinator said that he thought this was the deepest Seattle Seahawks team he has been around since he got here…… in 2010. That includes the 2013/2014 Seahawks. :O
So far the preseason games seem to back this up. I’m really excited about this season.
I think it is the Patriots, Steelers and Seahawks on another level.. then everyone else.
With Malik and George we were probably the best Seahawks team all time.
Fant was going to be our best LT since Walter Jones. McDowell our best interior d line guy since Cortez Kennedy.
The two pillars of the team, imo.
Now they’re both out. Hopefully we are still good, but I’m more excited for the 2018 season
Wow, that is quite the take there.
Can’t tell if hot take or sarcasm. In all reality, Fant was going to be a league average LT at best this season. McDowell has all the physical talent but is shoddy in his fundamentals. I was thinking 5 sacks at best this season. Maybe in a 2-3 years these guys will be pillars for this team, but this season? You can’t be serious?
Rob — have you read the ESPN article this week that create’s a tier list of Qbs? Fifty league insiders placed 36 QBs into one of five tiers, with Tier 1 reserved for the best and Tier 5 for the worst.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/20400339/2017-nfl-qb-tier-rankings-new-england-patriots-tom-brady-green-bay-packers-aaron-rodgers
I know as seahawk fans we tend to be a little biased towards our own players but having Russell ranked as TENTH best qb overall just doesn’t seem right. Will this national perception of him as second fiddle to a strong running game and defense ever change?
Would love to hear your thoughts on this.
IMO, I think the article is more about some front office folks in the league that didn’t have RW high on their boards and still holding back on giving him his just credit. The comment of doubting his ability from the pocket kinda proves this when you consider what he did from the pocket in 2015 without Lynch, and that he produces the best QB ratings in the league from the pocket when not facing pressure, per Sheil Kapatia at ESPN.
In an unbiased way, no way do I put Philip Rivers, Matt Stafford ahead of Russ, and I probably don’t put Andrew Luck and Derek Carr ahead of him either.
I think it’s preposterous nonsense.
The trouble with selling Wilson as a great QB is that he also makes some bone headed plays. I mean rookie bone head plays – and they continue to this day. Like running backwards and getting stripped of the ball at the 10 yard line. He also has great QB stats. So generally speaking he is a great QB. But visually there are those individual plays where you wonder why he just did that?
How does Fants injury affect his free agency? Would he still be an RFA in 2019 or does that now get pushed back to 2020?
I think given that it’s a football injury his contract doesn’t change. Not 100% sure on that. I think this is an accrued season. With McDowell, it might not be an accrued season because it’s a non-football injury and possibly works against the language in his contract.
It’s been a while since I looked at it, but for McDowell to lose the accrued year for NFI reasons, the Hawks have to keep him on the NFI all year instead of reverting him to IR after the 3 week window opens after 6 weeks (total of 9 weeks to decide what to do with him). If he goes on IR for 6 or more games he accrues a season.
So the Hawks have to take more action than they’ve taken now, and it won’t be known about the accrued year issue at least until they decide what to do with McDowell after week 9 at the earliest.