Right now, the Seahawks will enter the 2009 season with the exact same starting lineup at offensive line as they did entering the 2008 season.
The only problem? That starting lineup failed to stay healthy and even when healthy, failed to perform at a high level.
Now, Seattle is facing the loss of perhaps their best backup in free-agent Ray Willis, a player, it could be argued, should be a starter in Seattle.
So how does Seattle plan to fill that hole, and more importantly, how do they plan to improve the offensive line?
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Addressing the line through free agency is not an option this year. The big names are gone, and the players who are still around are either too expensive or not better than who is already on Seattle’s roster.
The obvious way is to draft an offensive tackle in the first round. This may not be the most popular pick for the 12th Man (it never is for a fan base), but it may be the right pick to improve an aging offense.
Offensive tackles don’t throw pinpoint strikes into the corner of the endzone, and they don’t haul in shoestring catches along the sideline, one yard beyond the first-down marker.
All they do is give the skill positions time to make these sorts of highlight reel plays. And if they don’t have the blocking, they won’t be making the plays.
With four tackles valued in the top 10 in this draft, Seattle has a lot of room to maneuver. They can either stand pat, or they can trade down and still get one.
If Seattle can’t get the player they want, then quality players will still be available with Seattle’s second-round pick (Connecticut’s William Beatty, South Carolina’s Jamon Meredith and Arizona’s Eben Britton).
While these players won’t be ready to start right away like their top-four counterparts, they do have talent. They could be ready to start a few years from now while providing solid depth in the meantime.
Many fans are clamoring for an heir-apparent to Walter Jones, but he’s shown no signs of breaking down at this point like quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has and the receiving corps clearly have.
Meanwhile, Seattle has yet to adequetly address the hole at defensive tackle left by Rocky Bernard’s departure.
All three of these positions could be possible targets for Seattle in the first round.
Because the reality is, there are no quick fixes at offensive line. That’s a man’s position, ill-suited for rookies, and it stresses cohesion, making consistency in players and philosophy important.
Walter Jones, Mike Wahle, Chris Spencer, Rob Sims and Sean Locklear were the starting offensive linemen last year. Unless Seattle pulls the trigger on a tackle in the first round or manages to re-sign Willis, look for the same in 2009.
Reach Jeff Richards at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
