Taking Lestage: Canadian Undrafted Signee Hopeful to Play Into Seahawks' Long-Term Plans
At the start of the new league year, the Seahawks had numerous holes to fill on their roster heading into free agency. Among the positions considered greatest areas of need, with starter Ethan Pocic hitting the market, many expected the team to pursue an upgrade at center.
Much to the surprise of experts and fans alike, Seattle opted to stick with Pocic over other free agent alternatives, signing him to a one-year contract. Then in last month's draft, the team bypassed the opportunity to select Oklahoma's Creed Humphrey or Wisconsin-Whitewater's Quinn Meinerz in the second round, instead picking speedy Western Michigan receiver D'Wayne Eskridge. They didn't use either of their final two choices on the position either.
With the vast majority of the offseason now in the books, the Seahawks clearly believe in Pocic's ability to anchor the offensive line at center, at least in the short term. Otherwise, they would have done more to address the pivot position than re-signing him and bringing back Kyle Fuller as an exclusive rights free agent.
Looking beyond the 2021 season, however, Seattle may have found another long-term option from an unlikely place coming in the form of Canadian undrafted signee Pier-Olivier Lestage.
Like many other prospects, Lestage's world was turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic last year. After serving as a starting guard for each of the three prior seasons for the Montreal Carabins, the 6-foot-3, 310-pound lineman didn't get to play at all in 2020 due to the health crisis. Border restrictions prevented him from being able to hold an in-person pro day for NFL scouts and though he received an invite to the East/West Shrine Game, the actual all-star showcase wasn't held either and replaced by a virtual event.
Despite all of these obstacles limiting his exposure at the worst of times, several teams remained interested in Lestage throughout the draft process. He worked with renowned former Bengals offensive line coach Paul Alexander and participated in the Tropical Bowl in Orlando, Florida back in January, granting him the chance to play in front of 30 NFL scouts. Alexander also helped set up a virtual pro day for him, bringing some legitimacy to the showcase.
Per Lestage's agent Sasha Ghavami, seven teams contacted him directly wanting to sign him after the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft concluded and multiple offers were made in efforts to sign him.
Among those teams, the Seahawks stood out as the best landing spot for Lestage. He felt they showed the most genuine interest, as he spoke with coach Pete Carroll on the phone and also held virtual meetings with offensive line coaches and scouts from the organization. He also felt they presented the best chance for him to be able to battle for a roster spot immediately.
“It came down to the overall vibe I had with the team,” Lestage said via video conference. “It’s the team that showed the most interest. I feel like I have a good opportunity to go to Seattle and compete right away.”
After flying to Seattle and passing his physical, Lestage participated in Seattle's rookie minicamp over the weekend. Following the first practice session, Carroll indicated he would start out working mostly at guard, the same spot he starred for the Carabins while dominating north of the border.
However, with Lestage learning to snap the football with both hands while preparing for the draft, transitioning to the center spot could still very much be part of his future.
"We're going try him at guard as well being an emergency center type guy," Carroll said. "Right now we want him to feature playing the guard position. But that's Day 1; we gotta figure it out from here. I'm excited about this guy, he's really, really focused and jacked about being here."
Looking back at their first phone call, Carroll remembered the two had difficult conversing because Lestage was on a subway. But even with communication being hindered to an extent, the player's passion for the game and desire to compete in Seattle couldn't have been more clear.
"I could tell his enthusiasm and the juice for coming here and being part of this was there. He's a real bright kid, and I really look forward to him finding his way," Carroll added. "So, we're open to whatever, but we're starting him at guard. But he did take snaps at center today in early practice, and like we always say, the more you can do."
Trying to assess players during non-contact minicamps - which feel like glorified walkthroughs much of the time - can prove to be a fruitless exercise, especially for offensive linemen who make their money sparring in the trenches. Until training camp arrives in late July and actual blocking takes place on the field, the Seahawks won't know what they truly have in Lestage and where he may fit into their plans moving forward. There's no question he will be making a giant leap in terms of level of competition.
But with Pocic only on a one-year deal, Fuller having only a handful of NFL starts to his name, and no other centers on the roster, if Lestage can prove himself capable of playing the position in camp and during preseason games, he could be a surprise candidate to push for a roster spot. Beyond this season, with proper development, he could emerge as the latest gem stumbled upon by Seattle who unexpectedly competes for a starting role.
