Could Seahawks’ Offensive Line Actually Improve Despite Turnover?
Roster turnover is a harsh reality of any sports team. Nothing lasts forever and it’s especially true when trying to keep the same five behemoths on the offensive line for multiple years as they improve as a unit.
It’s well documented that Seattle’s offensive line has been suboptimal for the majority of quarterback Russell Wilson’s eight-year career. Last year was no exception. Despite having former All-Pro and Pro Bowlers at left tackle in Duane Brown and left guard in Mike Iupati, the squad struggled to stay consistent, especially when protecting their prized signal caller as he dropped back to pass.
Pro Football Focus ranked the Seahawks’ offensive line unit at 27th at the end of the 2019 season, as Wilson faced pressure on 42 percent of his drop backs, which led the NFL. Germain Ifedi remained a heavily-penalized player at right tackle, committing 46 penalties in his four years on Seattle’s line, an average of 11.5 flags per year. For reference, Brown has just seven penalties in 2.5 seasons in Seattle, an average of 2.8 per season.
Heading into 2020, Seattle faces immense turnover along the line. There is a potential for three new starters as long as Iupati stays healthy enough to start at guard once more. If he can’t, Seattle could have a new starter at every offensive line position except for Brown protecting Wilson's blind side.
Even if Iupati does start at left guard, his quality of play has been steadily decreasing over the last few seasons. Injuries and Father Time have crept in and he may not be long for a starting role in the future. Thankfully, Seattle has plenty of depth at guard if Iupati doesn’t last or regresses to the point he's not worthy of starting.
At center, Seattle lost their anchor on the line for the better part of six seasons in Justin Britt. He started 55 games at center over the last 4.5 seasons. While he hasn’t been a Pro Bowler, Britt was a steady presence while most of the line around him struggled with consistency and continuity. Seattle cut him earlier this offseason, opening the door for a new arm to snap the football to Wilson.
Free agent signee B.J. Finney is the assumed replacement for Britt. Finney spent the last four seasons filling in wherever he was needed along the Steelers’ offensive line, starting 13 games during that time at center and both guard spots. The Kansas State alum excels where most Seattle offensive linemen struggle: pass protection.
Per Pro Football Focus's advanced stats, in over 1,000 offensive snaps, Finney has only given up 2.0 sacks in pass protection. He was also penalized just once in over 300 snaps last season. With Joey Hunt also returning, there may not be as big of a drop off in quality of play at center as some believe.
FILM BREAKDOWN: Drafted in third round out of LSU, Damien Lewis looks poised to become an immediate starter for the Seahawks.
Incoming rookie Damien Lewis will go from a third-round pick to possibly the starting right guard. The burly LSU product is the ideal style for a Seahawks lineman with his run-blocking prowess. D.J. Fluker manned that spot for most of 2019 but received a less-than-stellar 60.4 grade from Pro Football Focus after allowing six sacks, tied for the second-most in the NFL. There is reason to believe the young, powerful Lewis will be an upgrade at right guard.
Ifedi occupied the right tackle slot for the last three seasons after beginning his career at guard. The Texas A&M product certainly had his struggles, with his numerous penalties as previously mentioned. He slowly improved during his time in Seattle but it’s not absurd to believe the assumed new right tackle, Brandon Shell, will be an upgrade.
Comparing Pro Football Focus grades, the former Jets tackle received a 63.6 mark in 2019 while Ifedi came in at a lowly 56.2. The biggest complaint about Ifedi was his susceptibility to the yellow flag. Shell committed just four penalties all last year while Ifedi was flagged 13 times.
Behind the assumed starters, Seattle has boosted their depth in 2020, especially along the interior. Phil Haynes and Ethan Pocic could both compete for starting roles as well but at minimum, they will provide better depth than most other teams have.
Former first round pick Cedric Ogbuehi comes to Seattle having experience starting at both tackle spots and could give Shell a run for his money at right tackle, providing some healthy competition. At worst, he's going to fill George Fant's void as a sixth lineman in heavy formations.
Overall, despite introducing at least three new starters to the offensive line, Seattle should be optimistic for improvement heading into 2020, especially with a healthy Brown leading the way. They got younger, and yet, in some ways more experienced. While they may not be one of the best units in the league, there’s reason for hope that the Seahawks’ offensive line will be good enough for yet another strong season running the ball while improving at keeping Wilson upright in the NFL's best division.
