Seattle Seahawks: Building off a surprising 2022, Part 3 – Fixing Interior Offensive Line
Andrew Elderbaum
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On the other side, Gabe Jackson has been mediocre. While he only allowed two sacks in 2022, he’s been beaten on pressure far more often.
Jackson’s $6.5M salary looks like it could save the Seattle Seahawks some money if they moved on from him, but it isn’t that simple. Due to signing and restructuring bonuses, he counts $11.2M against the cap, and either releasing or trading him would mean a near $4.8M dead cap hit.
It might make more sense to keep Jackson and draft a guard to challenge him in training camp and develop as his successor.
In the middle, center Austin Blythe was by far the team’s worst offensive lineman. His contract is up, and considering Pro Football Focus ranked him 33rd among 38 centers in 2022, Seattle shouldn’t bring him back.
Phil Haynes, who was the primary backup at all three interior spots, was awful. Almost anyone would be an upgrade, surely Schneider can find a low cost replacement.
An upgrade at center and expected improvement from the tackles could pay huge dividends next season. It would allow the Seattle Seahawks to maintain continuity for the most part up front while improving their weakest position.
Keeping Jackson provides some flexibility, so the Seahawks wouldn’t rely on a rookie or lower-tier free agent in his spot.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it. Geno returns, the defense improves, and the offensive line solidifies. There are some smaller housekeeping things to address, like wide receiver depth, adding another running back and moving on from Penny, etc.
The pieces are in place for this year to be the beginning of another run of playoff appearances and NFC West titles. If Schneider and Carroll can hit big on a few more picks this year, who knows… maybe a run at even more.
What personnel changes do you think the Seattle Seahawks should make in the offseason?