Carolina's Jordan Gross is young, talented and will enter
free agency as the most sought after offensive tackle.
While the offensive line struggled to stay healthy in 2008, the Seahawks will enter the 2009 free agent period likely not looking for much along the offensive front.
With every starter going to down for multiple games, General Manager Tim Ruskell got a good, long look at the backups and even some scout team players, who may have played themselves into a permanent roster spot.
Of their own free agents, Seattle is looking at only two along the offensive front: Ray Willis and Floyd “Pork Chop” Womack. Womack has been injury prone his entire career, and at 30 years old, it’s unlikely Seattle brings him back for anything but at a discount rate.
As for Willis, he played exceptionally in 10 games as a starter last season. He played inside and outside and could be a starter for someone next season, even if it isn’t for Seattle.
Both tackle positions are locked down by entrenched starters. However, the possible departure of both Willis and Womack would put a big dent in the position’s depth.
To Continue...
There are many good young players available in free agency. Unfortunately, Seattle only has bench positions open, and they won’t break the bank for a good tackle.
So with all of that in mind, let’s take a look at the offensive line free agents:
Carolina's Jordan Gross is the prize in the free agent crop, but he’s far out of Seattle’s price range, though he would be an upgrade at right tackle over Sean Locklear. In fact, you should probably ignore most of the top 10 available, along with all restricted free agents (Seattle won’t give up a draft pick for any of these guys)
Instead, Seattle is likely to target some of the lesser names like John St. Clair, who had no business starting 16 games for Chicago last year but is still a valuable bench player due to his ability to play multiple positions.
Carolina’s Frank Omiyale is another option for his versatility and experience in a zone-blocking scheme, which new offensive coordinator Greg Knapp said he wants to develop.
Should he develop no strong interest, Jacksonville’s Khalif Barnes would also be a nice pickup. He’s failed to develop into a good starting left tackle, but he’s still young at 26 and has terrific athleticism, which makes him a better fit for a zone-blocking scheme where his lack of strength won’t hurt as much.
Seattle’s best option is to re-sign Willis and replace Womack with a draft pick. Willis is likely to be a cheaper option than others at his ability level, and we know he can produce. The only concern is whether “Big Die Slow” has the mobility to zone block. While the team won’t be completely transitioning to it, Ruskell will still want to mix in some new players who fit that scheme.
Defensive tackles
Wide receivers
