Analysis: 5 Guards Seahawks Could Target in Free Agency

Seattle has two open vacancies along the offensive line and needs to make some moves to upgrade each position in front of quarterback Russell Wilson. Luckily for the front office, several quality veterans have hit the market who could be affordable upgrades.

With free agency set to open on Monday, the Seahawks know their decisions will be under the microscope with quarterback Russell Wilson airing his grievances about poor pass protection publicly and trade rumors swirling as a result.

In order to appease Wilson and get the franchise back into the star quarterback's good graces, general manager John Schneider will need to find a way to find an upgrade at left guard with limited spending power and only four draft picks at his disposal. Luckily, the market has become saturated with quality veteran guards due to the NFL's league-wide cap crunch, opening the door to the possibility of signing a proven talent at a team-friendly rate to bolster the front line.

Which players could be on Seattle's radar? Here's a look at five veteran free agent options who would present true upgrades at the left guard position.

Joe Thuney

The undisputed headliner of this free agent class, Thuney turned in another outstanding season for the Patriots in 2020, receiving the 10th-best overall grade (74.2) for qualified guards from Pro Football Focus. As has been the case throughout his career, he was especially effective in pass protection, allowing just 17 pressures and two sacks on 511 pass blocking snaps. This performance shouldn't be surprising, as Thuney earned an elite 87.4 pass blocking grade in 2019 and earned Second-Team All-Pro honors after allowing a single sack and four quarterback hits on over 600 pass plays. In 2018, he was arguably even better, yielding zero sacks and just four quarterback hits on 629 pass blocking snaps. Though he's not a road grader who consistently can move defenders off the ball with power in the run game, he's a plus-athlete on pulls and traps and wins with technique and movement skills. Though he will be costly to sign, he would be a strong fit in a zone-oriented scheme like the only Shane Waldron will likely deploy in Seattle.

Update: Despite interest from the Seahawks and several other teams, Thuney agreed to terms on a five-year, $80 million deal with the Chiefs.

Kevin Zeitler

Somehow, likely due to playing on bad football teams for most of his career, Zeitler has never earned an All-Pro or Pro Bowl selection. But the 31-year old veteran has been durable, starting at least 15 games in five of the past six seasons for the Bengals, Browns, and Giants. He's also been criminally underrated, particularly in pass protection. From 2014 to 2016, he allowed two total sacks and 44 pressures on 1,700 pass blocking snaps. Though he was charged with allowing three sacks in 2018, he only allowed seven pressures the entire season and was rewarded with an elite 91.7 grade from Pro Football Focus. Like Thuney, Zeitler hasn't been quite as dominant as a run blocker, but he has enough athleticism coupled with punch off the line of scrimmage to succeed in any scheme. The biggest issue for a team like Seattle would be that Zeitler has played all but four snaps in his career at right guard. If he's willing and able to transition to the left side, he would be a substantial upgrade.

Update: Zeitler has agreed to terms with the Ravens on a three-year, $22 million deal.

Gabe Jackson

With the Raiders desperate for financial flexibility, Jackson was released earlier this month to create nearly $10 million in cap space. Still just 29 years old, he should have a healthy market considering his resume protecting quarterbacks. Last season, while Jackson received his lowest pass blocking grade of his career from PFF (69.9) and tied a career-high with 26 total pressures allowed, he wasn't charged with allowing a single sack and only yielded two quarterback hits against Derek Carr. It was the fifth season in his career where he surrendered one or fewer sacks and two or fewer quarterback hits, further showcasing his pass blocking prowess. The biggest issue with a Jackson/Seahawks union may be the scheme fit, as his two worst seasons as a run blocker came in Tom Cable's zone-heavy system the past two years. Known more as a mauler who excels in man/gap schemes, his play style could be a deal-breaker depending on what direction Waldron plans to take the offense.

Trai Turner

Turner hit the market only days before the start of free agency when the Chargers released him, but the five-time Pro Bowler should have no issues generating interest from other teams. Despite missing seven games due to injury and playing poorly in his lone season in Los Angeles, he has a steady track record dating back to his time in Carolina. From 2014 to 2019, the former LSU standout earned at least a 63.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus each season, including surpassing a score of 70.0 on three different occasions. In terms of overall talent, he's not in the same tier as Thuney or Zeitler and has had his share of issues protecting the quarterback, including allowing 30 or more pressures during the 2016 and 2019 seasons. However, he's still only going to be 28 years old and given his past success, he would be a good bounce-back candidate for the Seahawks to roll the dice on.

Jon Feliciano

If the Seahawks swing-and-miss on any of the aforementioned bigger names, Feliciano could be a fallback option worth consideration that would fit with the types of free agents they've typically courted. He struggled in pass protection for the Bills last season, allowing 32 pressures on 512 pass blocking snaps and receiving a dismal 46.4 grade in that department from PFF. But if there's a silver lining, he also didn't allow a single sack and only three quarterback hits. Two years ago, in his first season starting for Buffalo, he received a significantly better grade (62.5). He also excelled in the run game in 2020, scoring a 72.4, which ranked 14th out of 68 guards with at least 500 snaps. Just 29 years old, Felciano wouldn't be the sexy signing fans want, but an argument can be made he would still be an improvement over what Seattle had at the left guard spot a year ago and he offers positional versatility with over 300 snaps at center the past two years.

Update: Feliciano struck a three-year, $17 million deal to stay with the Bills.