Seattle Seahawks: OTAs bring offensive line into focus
As the Seattle Seahawks go through Organized Team Activities, the offensive line pecking order is taking shape.
The Seattle Seahawks are in a transition period. Among the areas of concern is the offensive line. During OTAs, the line is starting to take shape.
Guards
Unless there is an injury, Seattle’s guards are locked in. Eight-year veteran Gabe Jackson will be on the right, and Seahawks 2020 third-round pick Damien Lewis mans the left. It’s fair to say they are the anchors of this line.
Behind the duo, Phil Haynes and Pier-Olivier Lestage are taking second-team reps. Both of these guards could make the final roster. Then again, they could just as easily find themselves on a practice squad when the season begins.
Center
Seattle allowed Ethan Pocic, who started 24 games at center the past two seasons, to leave as a free agent. They signed Austin Blythe, who missed most of last season recovering from hernia surgery, away from Kansas City. It’s his job to lose. Kyle Fuller and Dakota Shepley are in a battle to be Blythe’s backup.
Austin Blythe excited to be the Seahawks’ new center who has also started in NFL at guard reuniting with “heavy zone” read run game offense with his former Rams assistants Andy Dickerson (SEA OL coach), OC Shane Waldron. @thenewstribune pic.twitter.com/sIoWQEldWn
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) March 21, 2022
Tackle
This is where the Seahawks had their biggest offseason turnover. Veterans Duane Brown and Brandon Shell are gone.
LT
The future is now. As the Seattle Seahawks see things, this year’s first round pick Charles Cross wasn’t drafted to sit on the bench. Since OTAs began, he’s been the first-team left tackle.
2021 sixth round pick Stone Forsyth is currently playing with the second-team offense. Recently signed undrafted free agent Liam Ryan will look to push Forsythe for the job.
RT
Here is one of the biggest position battles Seattle has. When Shell went down with another injury in mid-December, and his backup Jamarco Jones was already on injured reserve, undrafted free agent Jake Curhan took over the job.
He played reasonably well. Even so, the Seattle Seahawks didn’t guarantee him a starting job. They drafted Abe Lucas from Washington State in the third round.
For now, Curhan is with the number one offense. But look for these two to battle it out for the starting job all the way through training camp.
New tackles @CharlesC_67 & Abraham Lucas going to work. 💪 pic.twitter.com/BsVb2K8bMq
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) May 7, 2022
What do you think the Seattle Seahawks offensive line will look like on Opening Day? Let us know in the comments section below.