Gary Gilliam is getting a chance at right tackle
“We have to get better”
“We can’t go out there, struggle early in games and take some hits that we don’t need to take”
“We couldn’t wait much longer to do this”
…The words of Pete Carroll today following a concerning opening pre-season performance from his offensive line.
It isn’t usual for a team to have question marks at three O-line positions heading into the second week of a pre-season game. Lines rely on chemistry and understanding to succeed. Carroll’s choice of words above is certainly justified.
This is a concern.
That’s not to say Seattle’s line play has always been flawless. Nevertheless, Breno Giacomini did a better job making the right tackle spot his own compared to James Carpenter and now Justin Britt. After a year of Chris Spencer, Max Unger became the bonafide starter at center. Carpenter, for all his inconsistencies, never appeared truly troubled after switching to left guard.
This year Alvin Bailey hasn’t done enough to nail down a guard spot — despite seemingly being given every opportunity to do so. Lemuel Jeanpierre’s familiarity is being seriously challenged by Drew Nowak’s upside — yet it doesn’t seem either player has really separated from the other.
Now there’s another possible switch in the offing. After a sometimes torrid rookie season at right tackle, Justin Britt is being tried at left guard. Carroll, in his typical fashion, talked the move up as a review of Garry Gilliam’s good play in camp. They want to see him at right tackle. That’s fair enough — they clearly rate and trust Gilliam.
It’s also a move they haven’t tried one single time before Britt’s poor display against Denver on Friday. A lousy attempt to block Von Miller was a steady reminder of his struggles with pass protection. As much as this might be a chance for Gilliam, it’s also a sign that Britt might not make it as a right tackle in the NFL.
The Seahawks found themselves in a tricky spot in 2014. After deciding to go receiver (Paul Richardson) with their first pick instead of an offensive lineman — they left open the possibility they might miss out on the O-line class altogether. It was a somewhat risky move given the superb depth at receiver that year and the minimal riches at tackle or guard.
Having owned the #32 pick after winning the Super Bowl, they traded down twice to #45. Guard Xavier Su’a-Filo went at #33, tackle Joel Bitonio at #35, center Weston Richberg was drafted at #43 and Cyrus Kouandjio at #44. This quartet have had mixed fortunes with the exception of Bitonio — a blog favourite before the 2014 draft. Even so, this constitutes a small rush and diminished the O-line options.
Seattle took Richardson who they clearly really liked and waited until pick #64 to take an offensive lineman. After Jack Mewhort was taken by the Colts at #59 — options were running out. The Seahawks didn’t have a third round pick because of the Percy Harvin trade and pulled off a minor shock when they took little-known Justin Britt (a player many graded in the later rounds).
It seemed slightly desperate. Tom Cable usually hands a list of candidates he likes to John Schneider. It’s apparent that list was running dry by #64 and a reach was worthwhile to land at least one of the names. Britt fit the profile.
Unfortunately it’s at least somewhat possible he’ll be Seattle’s second failed early round pick at right tackle after James Carpenter in 2011.
It’d be easy to use hindsight to second guess the 2014 draft. Bitonio has shone in Cleveland while the likes of Davante Adams, Jarvis Landry and Martavis Bryant have performed well after being taken around or beyond the #64 pick. Richardson’s injury and Britt’s play makes it easier to wonder what could’ve been. The Seahawks don’t have any time for that — and it’s why they’re making these moves.
Britt at guard seems like a much more comfortable fit. His short arms and struggles in space 1v1 will be less extreme playing in-between a tackle and center. Gilliam is a superior athlete with superior footwork and length. He has a better chance to deal with some of the athletes playing edge rush in the NFL.
It’s yet another walk into the unknown though. Can Britt and Gilliam adjust? How alarming is it that the Seahawks are still some way off knowing their best five guys and their best five positions on the offensive line?
Have they done a good enough job drafting for the O-line? They didn’t whiff on Okung or former project J.R. Sweezy — but they missed on Carpenter and John Moffitt. Britt could go either way at this stage.
The uncertainty could linger into the season. They might still be working this out a few weeks in. That’s why I think it could be partially responsible for a possible 0-2 start before a likely ‘worst case’ 4-1 to follow.
The fear is the Seahawks have gone from a functioning if far from elite O-line to an inexperienced, unfamiliar unit lacking in quality.
Hopefully this latest change will provide some stability up front. It’s absolutely necessary and critical if the Seahawks are to start as they mean to go on in 2015.
Another dynamic to consider — the only two somewhat reliable starters (Okung and Sweezy) are both free agents in 2016. If they want to improve the line and avoid further issues in the future, these two might end up being priority re-signs in the off-season.
So who wants Okung to walk now?
I just don’t buy the arguments I’ve been hearing about Okung being easily replaceable. Justin Britt to LT? He can’t even handle RT. Gilliam? Unproven. Sokoli? Raw.
If he signs at 7-8 mill/year, that is more than reasonable for a top 10 tackle.
He will be looking for 10M + per season. He will walk.
He can look for 10M. Doubt he’ll find it though.
I agree that 10 million is too much and if he finds that, so be it. My comment is more directed at people saying that he must be willing to play for 5 million or less. That’s just unrealistic for a good LT. If he’s willing to come in at around 7 million, that’s more than reasonable. Quality LTs in general are really, really rare.
I agree Alex. Personally I don’t think there’s more than 5-6 guys in cfb right now that can play LT. Nor do I think there’s a team in the NFL that will let a LT that’s any good hit the open market.
The alternative to Okung is a raw prospect from the college ranks or a bargain bin FA. And isn’t that our whole problem right now?
THey just invested 21 mill into their qb, so I think they find any way possible to bring Okung back. You could see Pete’s postgame comments he looked ragged and almost shocked. I wonder if he’s starting to pull back Cable’s decision making a bit and saying enough is enough.
He doesn’t have to walk. He will probably miss half the season to injury, which has the same effect as walking. That’s why we cut bait with Unger.
Hard to imagine that after trading Unger the bigger question this camp has been, “how do we replace James Carpenter?” This potential move also allows Bailey to slot in as a back up at either tackle and left guard. So if Gilliam really can stick it might put more guys in better suited roles. I wonder if Okung uses name tags on the left side of his mates’ helmet to figure out who the heck is next to him now.
Chris Myers coming in at C would help me feel better about what I witnessed last Friday. Granted he will be 34 on Sept. 15, but a proven, low cost vet in the middle might be enough glue to help speed this group’s growth from abysmal to below average. It’s a one year fix in a year where every other position group screams “Super Bowl Champs”!!!
They had to do something. Gilliam can’t be worse than Britt in pass pro.
You’d think, but then I watched Alvin Bailey (supposedly better at pass pro) fill in for an injured Britt in the NFCCG vs GB and get absolutely schooled.
Pass pro is difficult. But pass pro for a scrambler like RW is almost impossible.
Hang on to your butts guys, this could be a bumpy ride.
This switch seems to be a good trial. Gilliam did play RT in HS some, so maybe it’ll come back to him and he can grow into it…
Okung? All comes down to money… thankfully the cap should rise around another $10 million per team this next year…
Has Evan Mathis signed yet?
WIlsons cap hit increases by the same amount as the cap is predicted to from 2015 to 2016. So any increase is immediately eaten up.
Percy’s dead money is also accounted for with increases in cap hits to Sherm, Lynch, ET among others.
I look at it from the perspective that Britt was overdrafted to play a position he wasn’t suited to. That’s not his fault. Everything I heard and read about him after the draft in terms of measurables and athletic traits showed that he probably fit guard rather than tackle anyway. Short arms, not great lateral movement, but good strength and get off. At the same time, Bailey and Gilliam are very capable pass protectors who fit playing tackle. If you spot thinking of it as an indictment against Britt and embrace how fluid the offensive line positions seem to be on this team, then it really makes complete sense to just switch Britt and Bailey. I still think Britt is a fundamentally good player.
I can’t help feel that while the current situation isn’t desirable, the offseason moves to let Carp walk and trade Unger were the correct moves. Unger was becoming injury prone and we learned last season that the Hawks can win w/o him. Carp was Carp, capable of some nice plays but also capable of some real clunkers. Is left guard in worse shape with Bailey or Britt playing there?
We also played all season with Britt at right tackle and although it was a wild ride the ride ended with the Hawks vying for another world title. Obviously offensive line play is important and it would be nice to see it settled but is the situation any worse this season than it was last year?
I’m not pushing the panic button this season any more than I did last year. Britt whiffing on Von Miller isn’t going to make me say he’s a bust because a lot of really good tackles whiff trying to block Von Miller and I really want to see how he does at guard as well. It seems like it should be his best position so why not play him there and see how it goes? I know people like to freak out about things but the alarm I’ve seen on the internet seems overblown.
I do agree with what you are saying. Prior to Miller’s ACL injury, he was arguably a Top-8 DE. Having our RT get blown up him isn’t necessarily a knock on Britt, more as it is a testament to Miller’s skill… Either way, its Preseason Game I in the books and its still tweaking time…
He’s not a bust, he’s a player playing out of position.
Britt didn’t even get a hand on him. It led to a strip sack and turnover. While everyone is killing Christine Michael over his fumble, Britts poor block also led to a turnover. This switch smacks to me as “the last straw” with PC. At least Michael is a backup, but this team has no choice but to go forward with Britt as a starter. Might as well try him at a position that fits his skillset.
If he was adequate at RT I doubt they make this switch.
The OL played poorly overall. But I thought Glowinski played decently when he was in…. and a year down the road he might be the guard they have been really looking for all along.
Right now, I’m all for mixing and matching parts to make a functional OL… capable of average pass blocking and above average to great run blocking.
I would like to see Nowak start preseason week #2, to see what he has against a very tough front 7 in KC. If he is serviceable, you might have to roll with him into the regular season.
If Glowinski IS the “guard they have been really looking for all along.” then what happens to Britt in a year?
My guess is he takes over for Sweezy at RG after he gets a big payday in free agency. . .?
I do not think it matters honestly. If the guy is the long term answer, they need to roll with him.
Glo’s more likely to take over for Sweezy at this point, since we Britt for another 2 years after this season.
I dont get how ever when discussing our Oline, everyone still excuses Sweezy from ridicule. Okung is the only proven starter on this line imo. Sweezy has had some good moments, but when his bad moments involve getting DangerRuss almost killed, the negatives outweigh the positives.
With bigger money invested in our QB now, we need better protection for him.
“It’s not where you end up, it’s how far you’ve come in the process…”
That may be a tired, old adage, but in Sweezy’s case it’s true. I think he gets a “pass” on criticism because he’s virtually the first DL-OL convert in the NFL. He’s kind of like Carp in that he has some good plays peppered in with some ugly ones. He’s totally not like Carp in that he gives 100% on every play, even the ugly ones.
I don’t know that Sweezy will get a big offer from another team. His biggest asset is that he is healthy. He probably plays average for a guard. The negative is that there are a lot of guards out there. Based on all that, he is worth 2-4 million a year. I would be suprised if he got more.
he’s a good candidate for the “he played on a good team and from a winning culture” market premium.
I agree that he’s not worth more than 4 mil a year Alaska (assuming he doesn’t improve his pass pro this year) but Carp got 5 mil. Some team will be willing to step up and overpay.
That’s the difference between getting picked in the first round vs the seventh. He won’t be perceived as having a great value by anyone except the Seahawks. Plus he will be competing against all those other guards.
I agree with Arias…. someone will pay him 5M. They throw money around like drunken sailors. A good example, the Raiders have to spend a boat load of money, might as well overpay a decent young guard.
My worry is what if there simply isn’t a decent OL possible with this group? I just hope that this doesn’t prove the Achilles heel that sinks the chance at a dynasty.
In the same way that we have traded picks for CB depth, I’m really hoping we can pull in someone better than our possibly below replacement level RT’s. They wouldn’t have to be a good player, or even an average player to be an asset for this line…
I think the log-jam at LG is the 2nd biggest issue BEHIND what I saw out of the RT play on Friday. I think Gilliam potentially starting at RT is a pretty good move. He seems to be much lighter on his feet compared to Britt and the added athleticism (former TE) could potentially help buy more time on the right side in pass protection.
If Britt succeeds at LG, Bailey goes back to backing up Okung. Here would be the proposed OL in my head
LT: Okung/Bailey
LG: Britt/Sokoli
OC: Jeanpierre/Nowak
RG: Sweezy/Glowinski
RT: Gilliam
My thought is that we only carry 9 OL and IF we were to go after Chris Myers, LJP or Nowak would be the cut to get him. I personally think we’ll stick to the lineup above…
Having BOTH Okung and Sweezy becoming Free Agents after the ’15 season, I kinda get the feeling we’ll lose one, IF not both. In my head, I have some semi-crazy thoughts about other guys I don’t see being around after ’15 which would open additional $ up, but I’ll reserve those thoughts for now.
IMO, OL could/should possibly be a early addressed position in the ’16 draft
I like to think of this as Gilliam getting a promotion but after what miller did to Britt it’s hard to look at it that way. A lot of people look at the wilson sack as the cause but the one when miller blew by him on his I side move was more troubling to me. Britt couldn’t even get a hand on him and just fell to the ground. I felt embarrassed for Britt after watching it, he simply didn’t belong.
IMO Cable is a fantastic line coach but is NOT good at evaluating talent…
As much as people want to sugar coat it, there’s no way to ignore the fact that two O-lineman we were counting on in a major way, A.Bailey and J.Britt, have both majorly failed to impress. A suspect line to begin with, now with two major cogs both playing under-performing, is not good at all. RW could’ve been killed last year … this year might be worse.
I think we see one of sweezey or Okung extended by the end of camp. It seems that with the FO’s recognition that something must be done will lead this situation. I think now is the time to extend Sweezey if they are going too. He has never been elite to this point but has been pretty darn good. Right now we can get a good player that may continue to develop and become one of the best RG in the league and at the right price. I don’t see Okung signing early and honestly don’t know his intentions after the season without having an agent which I completely respect his take on. They simply cant replace both of these players with Rookies, can they?
I think you are right but they work to extend Okung rather than Sweezy. The fact is they have lots of possibilities to fill Sweezy’s spot but not Okung.
Have to agree. LT’s of Okung caliber are far harder to get than guards.
I’m only partially joking when I say the FO should head down to Home Depot and grab a dude from the parking lot to play QB this week while they figure out the this whole offensive line crap. I really don’t want to see Russell standing behind a line that consists of a RT dropout who has spent a total of four days at LG and John Ryan’s favorite pass catcher starting at RG. Let them prove they can leak less than Edward Snowden before we put our star QB in harms way.
There were a number of articles in the media the past couple of days asking, ‘is it time to panic over the Seahawks O line?’ The sage and sober opinion of the ink-stained wretches was that No, it is not time to panic, things will work out. Well, among elite coaching staffs in the NFL, what happened to the O line today was a reaction of panic, and it was well-overdue.
Since Friday, I had been posting until my mouse pleaded ‘no mas,’ that Britt had to be moved to LG, and thank goodness he was. He is now the second RT hand-picked by Tom Cable who had to move to guard after a shocking impression of the French army at Maginot. The era of the road-grader run blocker who thinks he is playing dodge ball in pass pro is mercifully over, thanks to Pete’s panic… even Tom Cable, in his comments today, seems to believe that the pass blocking had reached the point of desperation.
Pete clearly had to step in and intervene and take command of the O line. The days of run-first, and Russ-run-for-his-life second, is now over, god willing. Britt never could, cannot now, and never will be able to pass block elite DE’s, so this was a move that had to be made. As a LG, he has lots of promise, so the eventual success of this move is up to Gary Gilliam, who can take a big step toward the big payday of an OT’s 2d contract, perhaps even replacing Okung, if he can perform as we all hope. He certainly has the ideal size and speed for an OT, the only question is can he bulldoze in the run game. If he can, then we have solved our O line woes in one fell swoop, killing three birds with one stone: 1) moving Bailey back where he belongs: swing backup OT; 2) moving Britt to OG, where his skills and liabilities are better suited; and 3) finally installing a RT who can actually protect Russ in the pocket.
You don’t mean Russ scrambling and making plays on the move are over do you?
Scrambling is fun.
Running for your life… Not as cool.
Absolutely. I’m hoping that’s what was meant. Just a little confused.
Exactly, scrambling to extend a play is a good thing; running for your life as the pocket collapses 2 seconds into the play is a recipe for disaster.
“He is now the second RT hand-picked by Tom Cable who had to move to guard”
Carp is 100% on TC. He’s the guy TC wanted, he’s the guy SEA took. He was a bust (at RT).
Britt not so much. As Rob pointed out, the RT options available to SEA when they selected him were poor. Moreover, if they waited until R4 (as they didn’t have an R3 pick) the options would’ve been even worse.
If anything, I’d say JS/PC’s drafting strategy (going WR in a draft deep at that position instead of taking an OLer) led as much to TC asking for Britt as anything.
It is hard to believe that this front office would not see this coming. Maybe they just knew what the cap would look like after Wilson and Wagner signed and crossed their fingers? But the Bitonio miss was seen by most on this site as a bad move. Most of us fell in love with him after Rob introduced him to many of us. If we draft him at 32, we still could have gotten Britt to play guard in the 4th, or maybe even later. He wasn’t a hot prospect. We only drafted him as such. We had better hope that Poole and glowinsky can develop.
Rob, I try not to point out spelling or grammatical errors that don’t matter, but I think it’s different when it comes to a guy’s name. This might go back to 3rd grade when a typo lead the teacher to call me ‘Michelle’ on my first day at a new school… Either way, Gilliam spells his first name “Garry”.
Is that kind of like guys that are named Jeff but spell it Geoff?
Thanks for the tip.
I like the move getting a look at a more athletic OT in Gilliam at RT. Britt is often over matched in pass protection.
The drama of our starting 5 Oline is intriguing and a bit sketchy. Our DL rotation, on the other hand, is looking downright scary! Bennett, Avril, Mebane, Rubin, Clark, Marsh, Hill and Irvin. Is there a better rotation in the league? Highly doubt it! This group is every bit as explosive as our 2013 rotation.
Couple of things. John Schneider has said that Cable does not pick the OL players. He said they would never draft a player that Cable doesn’t want, but Schneider chooses what lineman to draft. Schneider (and the scouts) give Cable a list of players. Cable then works out the players and lets Schneider know what players he likes and what players he doesn’t. An NFL coach just does not have time to go out scout all prospects.
Regarding Carpenter, I don’t think miss is quite the right word. He started for several years and may be a decade long NFL player. Not saying he was necessarily a hit, but miss is not quite right either.
Regarding the other lineman, other than Bitonio (whom a lot of teams passed on as well), most have been underwhelming. It was just a bad crop of lineman.
Whatever method they’re using, they’re bad at choosing O-lineman.
Regardless of how pathetic it may seem, since Schneider started at GM, this board has been far more successful at identifying good O-lineman and wide receivers than they have.
Every other position … not so much, but those two positions in particular they’ve sucked at for some reason.
Yeah, they should just skip that middle step of asking Cable his opinion, if these are the guys they target. And now at first blush it seems as if Poole and Sokoli can’t play, either.
I don’t necessarily think it’s TC not identifying good, quality O-lineman, but rather Seattle has rolled the dice waited on the good ones and missed out like Rob said.
I’m pretty sure TC has no say about other positions being selected first.
I never considered Sokoli or Poole contributors from day one. It was pretty obvious they were developmental picks, that might pay off in 2-3 years.
Poole seems to be doing much better now that he is back to his natural position at RT. Sokoli can still emerge… lord knows he has the athletic skills to be dominant, but he appears to be so raw that a full year of development is necessary. The good thing about this is that no other team is likely to pluck him for their 53 man roster, since he is not ready to play and contribute.
Judging Sokoli now is way too early IMO.
Gee whiz thank you. The guy has played OL for maybe a couple of months now, at the highest level in the world, and people are talking about how he can’t play. I don’t remember anyone saying Sweezy was a world beater after the first preseason game. Sweeny is a solid interior o-lineman and it takes time. But I suppose people are just as likely to completely lose their minds singing someone’s praises way toof soon as they are to indict them. It goes both ways
I do not think bad at finding OL is the right term. They tend to be frugal or cheap with picks at the position. They have as much success early as late in the draft finding guys. Perhaps the scouting and evaluation is a bit off for what they think they need.
This OL will never be the Dallas Cowboys OL. They have invested HEAVILY in front line 1st round draft picks. You can;t have premium players everywhere, so Seattle has to take chances on the OL apparently.
Okung was a 1st, Carpenter was a 1st, Unger was a 2nd, Britt was a 2nd, Moffitt was a 3rd.
It’s not like we’ve been going the UDFA route. There has been draft capital spent on the O-line, but of their picks, only Okung was been a moderate (which is nothing to clap about given where he was picked) success.
I would honestly say that we spent more draft capital on the OL than WR, RB, QB, TE, DL, LB, S, CB. As sad as it sounds, it’s the one position where we’ve sunk more early draft capital than any other position.
Over the years, we’ve spent nothing but 5 and 6th picks on corners.
With the exception of Thomas who is a mid 1st, all our safeties are 5-7th rounders.
Our LBers are typically taken in the 3rd and 4th round. Wager and Irvin (2nd and 1st round) are the exception.
DL seems to always be a late round pick, trade, or free agency pick up.
TE from my memory is one of the least drafted positions.
QB- with the exception of Wilson as a 3rd rounder, all other picks are 6th round or later.
RB- we’ve spent anywhere from 2nd round-7th round.
WR- another position where we’ve spent a lot of draft capital (though not as much early picks as OL), but with mixed results. We typically draft our receivers in the 2nd-4th round range.
As you can see, we’ve never spent more than 1st OR 2nd round pick on any position except LB (and Irvin was initially drafted as a LEO, not LB). Yet in the case of the OL, we’ve spent 2 first round picks, 2 second round picks, and 1 3rd round pick. We’ve more than invested in the OL, but it just hasn’t worked out like it did for the Cowboys or the 49ers before last year.
I think that they need to worry a whole lot less about what guys Cable likes and doesn’t like…
Carp was drafted to be a RT. He failed as a RT. Unless he became an unmitigated success at LG, he’s a bust. He did not become an unmitigated success at LG.
Maybe they’ll finally decide ‘pass blocking’ is a necessary skill in an offensive lineman.
Nah.
The team announced today that Tarvaris has an high ankle sprain and could be out for longer than originally thought. Look for a free agent to fill the void.
In other news, of less importance, the team released 2 players and signed two corners. Released was LB Dakorey Johnson (Kansas State) and Jimmy Staten, DT, who was in his 2d try with the team. They signed corners Jeremy Crayton from Southern Arkansas, a rookie, and Keelan Johnson (Arizona State) who they list as a 2d year player, but don’t indicate where he played (or didn’t play) last year.
If I remember right I think Lucas played for Miam and another team just not sure which one.
Meant to say Johnson.
Staten was and still is the most baffling draft pick ever to me and that’s saying a lot considering this teams office.
Him and FB Kiero Small. Although. I think they wanted DT Beau Allen in the 7th that year and just missed out on him.
Small was a guy I really liked. I’m still mad about him being picked up by Cleveland off the scrap heap.
As for Staten, maybe they thought he could play … but now the DL looks like it is solidified, they might as well let him walk. You can’t hit on every draft pick.
Nice write up Rob on the situation as usual!
4 Points
#1 Our 2014 Draft was by far PC/JS worst. Most on this Blog led by Rob were clamouring for Bitonio and Martavius Bryant. Both could have be had! Think about the difference in our roster with those guys replacing PRich and Britt. No way to sugarcoat it. Prich and Britt were complete whiffs. I love Schneider but I think he was still in Super Bowl hangover mode when those picks were made. He said as much this offseason saying the previous one was a mess.
#2Britt is not an NFL Tackle and it had been clear since day #1 I know everyone defended him here last year and saw potential. His only decent game was the SuperBowl and the Patriots had little pass rush as they tried to set the edges and contain Russel keeping him in the pocket. He was the worst rated tackle in the NFL that say is all. I hope LG is a better fit for him and the Hawks.
#3 Okung must be re-signed. He is our most important re-signing after Wilson and Thomas. We have no other options at LT in house or in the draft assuming we pick the end of round #1. This team has a 3 year championship window and we need a LT. Let Sweezy walk if needed but Okung has to be resigned.
#4 Cable needs to pick 5 guys and let them gel. He also needs some help teaching pass pro. Wherever he has been his pass pro sucks. That is not a coincidence. I am sick of hearing about his genius as an OL coach. You have a $100 million quarterback and the best TE in the league. Teach some pass pro and at least give them a shot.
I still think us and GB are Super Bowl favourites! Get to camp Kam!!!!
Pretty much agree with every one of your points.
I agree with #1, 2 and 4. #3 however….. I’m sorry, but Okung has battled injuries and inconsistencies during his time with Seattle. If a team is willing to pay him premium LT money 8M+ / year.. you have to let him walk. The team can;t afford another “expensive” player .. and one that you can’t count on 10000%.
Seattle Seahawks, I’d like to introduce you to the 800 pound gorilla that every team in the NFL knows except you: Mr Seahawk meet Mr Cap.
There is simply not enough money under the Cap for ANY team to field a Championship Level team at every position. We’ve been outrageously favored by the gods in having a top 10 QB being paid like a water boy for the Sounders.
Gilliam is quick and agile but definitely not a road grader in any sense of the phrase. He’ll be quick enough at RT – but – will he be able to be bull rushed with some ease? I fear he will. Rob, I fear more than the first two games are at risk. Remember, we also have a LOB that STILL has Lane, Chancellor, Sherman AND Thomas all not fully healthy.
Lockett better return every second kickoff for a TD or it could be a long dreary season…Go Hawks! (At least we’re still allowed to cheer!)
How much wear and tear will the defense have if their on the field 48 out of 60 minutes? We won’t have anyone to play defense by the end of the season.
This ignores our defense. How many teams will have their offense on the field against our D for 45+ mins?
If lockett returns every other return for a td a lot probably.
I’d make that trade 🙂
The emphasis on pocket passing this season is misguided. He is about the only QB in the league that is not only capable of functioning, but thriving behind this OL with his unique skill set, and we better use him that way or like you say, it could become a long season.
Utilize the RW mobility advantage ….. in the pocket or out of it… doesn’t matter. But if they decide to put a handcuff on him and force him to stay in the pocket… it will be a long season.
One thing that we haven’t talked about is that there will be players cut from other teams that might fit in very well with our offensive line. Whether vets or drafted, there is a large pool of players available if the Seahawks are willing to cut the marginal players and move on. Seems like our line consists of a lot of development projects now. Only two positions established in Sweezy and Okung. So three positions that we have hopes for. Training camp was a good chance to evaluate everyone. But lets not cling to players when there are better available for free.
I see ET out there on the live feeds wering a red no-contact jersey.
And Seattle added QB Jake Waters who apparently wotked out with a bunch of Seahawks this off-season. Interesting.
I’m not concerned too much about rt. I think this move is about strengthening the middle of the o line more than panic about rt. the NFC west has some very good nose gaurd/3 tech players, and this Seattle offense needs room to operate with penetration up the middle. Wilson moved and sees well laterally but struggles when he is bottled up…see the NFC championship game last year. Teams will undoubtedly employ a similar defensive scheme that Green Bay used last year. Right tackle is perhaps the most irrelevant position on the field…tight ends/backs can chip, protection can be rolled, and certainly with the bevell offense…right tackle duties can be somewhat diminished to the overall efficiency of the offense.
^without penetration up the middle
I’m not as concerned about RT because I think Gilliam will be an upgrade. Britt belongs inside.
I know this has nohing to do with the O-line, but is LB Brock Coyle hurt?
Coyle was pulled just before Friday’s game. Minor strain?
Jake Waters set team records passing for Kansas State where he played with Tyler Lockett.
SEAHAWKS FOR LIFE !!!
https://youtu.be/33DWqRyAAUw
Should be titled ” Red Tailed Hawk Screeching “
I’m curious that maybe we’ll be searching the waiver wire after week 3-4 of the preseason ends, maybe Breno comes back?
Did you hear the Jets might cut Breno? We could definitely bolster are roster on the o line after team roster cuts. We shall see.
Wow. That would be a nice addition for sure if they were to bring him back. Kind of hoping they do if he is in fact cut.
Our long snapper Green Beret Nate Boyer was cut to make room for Waters. No shame for him. He is small for the position, but snaps well and someone may make room for him. I hope so.
Not only that, but what a great story. He at least deserved a chance for his bravery, courage, and dedication to the game. And even though he was never going to make this team in the 1st place, it’s very cool our boys are the ones who gave him his shot.
Okung or Sweezy need to be resigned next year (both)…I think Glowinski could be a very good pick at guard…even Poole is showing some good looks in last weeks preseason game at tackle. Seattle picked the kid from Marshal with the heart issue as a tackle in 14 and that went South. I do think that Gilliam, who has a year under Cable, is built a lot like Okung, and has much better footwork and quicks may well be an improvement at RT. Britt just wasn’t fast enough to contain speed rushers on the edge…I actually always though Britt’s skill set made him a better choice at guard anyway…Seattle needs to make a call…and get 3 weeks of consistency of O-Line, before a brutal 1st two weeks of regular season. This week against KC (Houston and Hali) should give us an idea if this is a workable solution…nothing like a baptism of fire.
2 biggest needs (OL/WR) continue to be 2 biggest problems. It’s not like we they haven’t invested draft capital in either position, they just have been striking out a lot. As big as a problem it has been, it will continue. Okung and Sweezy will probably want too much money. Okung is getting old and has injury issues, but it’s also easier to replace a G.
2015 Okung/Britt/Pierre/Sweezy/Gilliam
2016 Gilliam/Britt/Glowinski/Bailey/Poole (if they both leave)
It seems they will continue to draft at least 1 OL in the 2nd-5th every year to keep getting more options with all having the ability to play across the line.
I hope they gel, otherwise we really need to stop using the current method on evaluating and trying to upcoach
Isn’t Okung like a year or two older than RW?
Isn’t Okung coming to the end of his rookie deal. How is that old?
Yeah, when did 27 or 28 become old for a LT?
His body is old. It would be great to keep him, but he is brittle and may only be 28, but he misses a lot of games and plays hurt and below his ability in a lot of others. We can’t afford to pay 8+ million on someone who plays 10 games per year and comes out of half those games with a knee or ankle issue.
Nice to see Tharold Simon back out there. I know some aren’t a fan of his, I still think how he performed in the playoffs was due to inury rather than talent, but he’s much needed out there at this juncture. As it currently stands, O-line and a couple corners or a corner and CB/S hybrid are the biggest needs as Rob has pointed out.
Hopefully he can stay healthy.
Another little draft tidbit here. Not that it necessarily means anything, but I saw that 6 teams were at an Illinois practice recently and Seattle being one of those teams.
Maybe looking at DL Jihad Ward? 6’6, 295 lbs., lightning quick first step, violent tackler, productive, very good pass rusher, freak athlete, versatile, and a gritty backstory. Perhaps someone to monitor? Although it could’ve been someone else too.
Can we call Tyler Lockett ” Sweet 16 ” or does that sound too girlie due to the reference? Just watched the 103 yard kickoff return for umpteenth time. Yes I need to get a life, does anybody know where I can get one for a fair price?
LOL. Not sure you can find ‘life’ and ‘fair’ at the same place unfortunately.
Thanks Volume12 isn’t that the truth. Where do you live, do you watch Husky football as well? That John Ross kid is fast as the wind!
I’m from Seattle, but I live in Spokane.
Love me some Dawgs! Didn’t get to watch them last year as much, but yeah John Ross is a stud as is Jaydon Mickens aka ‘Legion of Zoom.’ Another guy I really like that’s underrated by some is OLB Travis Feeney. Sucks that Ross is out for the year.
That sucks didn’t realize he hurt himself. I’m hoping Jake Browning makes it as a true freshman for QB. We shall see
Volume12 I asked you this before but does your amp go up to 12? Haha, Spinal Tap reference.
LOL. It indeed does. I actually got the name from SB49 when Kurt Russell did the pre-game intro.
Ok instead of sweet 16 which I have quickly come to terms with the realization that yes that is a lame name. How about instead we start a club called ” Block it for Lockett ” since he’s a kick returner and he needs his boy’s to block for him. Better? I think yes. I’m only on my second beer so wait it will get better, or possibly worse.
How about ‘GLockett?’ It’s like the kid is shot out of a gun.
Now that is clever Volume12, unfortunately with all the violence and shootings in the U.S. probably not gonna stick. I like it however.
Yeah your probably right. ‘Pocket Lockett?’ LOL.
But if they call him ‘no E’ inside the locker room, then that might stick.
You have anyone your hoping to see flash tommorow night?
Hmmm well I’m still holding some hope for Kasen Williams I think that he could be a great reception reciever in the Nfl. He’s got the body type for it and apparently he used to jump out of the room before his injury. I’m also really pulling for the big Aussie Jesse Williams he was such a stud for Bama and with all he has been through I want him to make the team and earn some cheddar. After that I hope we keep BJ Daniels as well somehow. Um I also hope they keep Coleman and Tukafu also. I just Love watching my Hawks!
https://youtu.be/33DWqRyAAUw
Oh yeah I’m really rooting for Ryan Murphy the safety from Oregon st. I believe he’s Marshawn’s lil cousin and he can return kicks as well. I hope he at least makes the practice squad. You’re the best Volume12, you and Mr. Staton are awesome Hawks supporters and so knowledgeable. I wish I could entertain you as well. Take care my fellow Hawk!
https://youtu.be/33DWqRyAAUw
Thanks my man. I try to highlight as many ‘Seahawky’ prospects for you guys as I can. Even being mentioned next to Rob is flattering in itself, but he’s the big boss. IDK I’m the best, but your words are very heartfelt.
And I personally find your posts hilarious. Your unique that’s for sure. And I mean that respectfully. Love the enthusiasm and ‘glass half full’ outlook.
Thanks me M8!
Okay if no “E” stands for errors. If not I don’t know? Personally I don’t want Ricardo Lockette on the team. He might be an awesome gunner but I see his ass as a liability. Did anyone else see that slant pass in the supper bowl. What the fuck was that? How about a play action pass like the kind Wilson thrives on? By the way my last name is Wilson and I was born on January 3rd. So that’s pretty cool for me!!!
If BJ can keep making plays and provide some gunner qualities on STs, he’d make a fantastic replacement as that 6th WR role that Ricardo has occupied.
They could run some very cool plays/formations with BJ’s versatility.
Exactly they could do a Wilson roll out hand it of to Daniels pass to Tyler Lockett since he is so elusive touchdown. Boo ya ka!
Seahawks, my only Seahawks, you make me happy oh when you play. You make me realize how much I love my team. Oh off season don’t take my Seahawks away.
Glad it ain’t the off season.
GOooo Hawks!
https://youtu.be/33DWqRyAAUw
I look up Marshawn on YouTube alot and this is my favorite please enjoy!
https://youtu.be/9pl9vsPsMe0
I just realized Marshawn changed his number from 23 to 24 when he came to Seattle maybe he got mad respect for Ken Griffey Jr. Or maybe 23 just wasn’t available. I’d like to think it was because of Griffey! Smiley face.
Trufant wore #23.
That’s True, I mean Trufant. I should have known that. I do know Marcus went to Washington state and was raised in Tacoma. I ain’t no bandwagoner. Though I am a Bobby Bandwagner. How goes it Rob?
Damn, the wind is picking up in Wenatchee. Say a prayer for the people who are being affected by all the wild fires in eastern Washington. I’m a secular individual myself, but I do believe in the power of positive thinking. After all I was a Seahawk fan in the 90’s
That didn’t work out so much. Although I always used to get so excited as a kid when Joey Galloway was returning a kick!
I like the Nickname “No E” for Lockett…. it is organically derived straight from the locker room.
How about no Molly? Istead of E?
Oops I’m getting myself in trouble now. Okay I’m done. Time to go down town or better yet to sleep. I apologize if I annoyed anyone. Take care y’all!