Should Seahawks Consider By-Committee Approach at Right Guard?
As evidenced by past mediocre offensive line units coached by none other than Tom Cable in earlier years, the Seahawks know a thing or two about the importance of continuity in the trenches.
After allowing Russell Okung to depart in free agency in 2016, Seattle went through several seasons playing musical chairs at left tackle. The other tackle position wasn’t much better and it seemed like new guards were sandwiched around center Justin Britt every other week.
As a result, quarterback Russell Wilson seemed to be running for his life every time he dropped back to pass. And after boasting one of the NFL’s best rushing attacks for several years, the Seahawks plunged to 27th in rushing yards in 2017, leading to the dismissal of Cable and a significant coaching staff overhaul.
Keeping that in mind, the argument I’m about to make may not make much sense initially, but the Seahawks have a unique midseason competition brewing at right guard that may demand a bit of an innovative approach.
With both players proving themselves more than capable of helping the team and possessing different skill sets, Seattle should strongly consider platooning D.J. Fluker and Jamarco Jones from here on out. Let me explain…
When Fluker exited Seattle’s Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Rams with a hamstring injury in the first quarter, the team made a surprising move replacing him with Jones, a reserve tackle who had never played a single snap at either guard spot at any level of football.
All Jones did after checking into the game was post a 95 percent pass win rate against a defensive line featuring future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald. He surrendered a single quarterback pressure in over three quarters of play, allowing Wilson to carve up the Rams for 268 passing yards and four touchdowns.
Jones has since started two games in Fluker’s absence, continuing to impress on the field and forcing Seattle’s hand trying to figure out who should start at right guard moving forward. When asked if Jones’s strong play could affect Fluker’s playing status, coach Pete Carroll confirmed his ascendance makes the decision tougher.
“Somewhat, because he’s competing and he’s done well.” Carroll said on Monday. “That means that he’s raised the question, ‘does he deserve to play, should he start?’ He played terrific for us for three weeks in a row now. It’s a good situation for us, it’s as competitive as can be and D.J.’s got to come back for us ready to go – which he is.”
As well as Jones has performed in pass protection, however, he doesn’t fit the typical body type line coach Mike Solari prefers at either guard position. Listed at 293 pounds on Seattle’s website, moving bodies off the line of scrimmage with power isn’t his game and he’s more of a technician.
Considering how much the Seahawks love and emphasize running the football, that presents a bit of a problem. After re-watching Sunday’s 30-16 loss to the Ravens, he had trouble creating push as a run blocker against Baltimore’s stout interior defensive line.
Fluker, on the other hand, excels using his 342-pound frame to bully defenders at the point of attack and wins with physicality and brute strength. Seattle’s run game took off last season after he made his debut in Week 3 and he played a pivotal role in the team leading the NFL in rushing yardage.
From a scheme standpoint, Fluker may still be the better fit and he’s revered in the locker room. But then there’s the issue of him staying healthy, something he’s struggled to do during his two seasons as a Seahawk.
By using a by-committee approach with each player’s skill sets complementing one another, Seattle could keep Fluker fresh and Jones could receive valuable regular season snaps to accelerate his development, as he’s likely still going to be a tackle in the future.
Depending on the opponent and game plan, Seattle could rotate the two players as needed, creating a potential advantage on offense. Much as teams use situational running backs and tight ends, this could be work if utilized correctly and the players buy in.
Under most circumstances, making such a move could be catastrophic from a chemistry standpoint. Based on his defiant tweet on Monday night, Fluker doesn’t sound too keen on the idea of losing his starting job.
But both Jones and Fluker are team-oriented players who will do whatever needs to be done to help the Seahawks win football games. If the idea was pitched appropriately by Carroll and Solari, I don’t think either player would bat an eye.
Ultimately, I’d be surprised if the Seahawks actually employed this strategy. It's probably a bit too out in left field for Carroll and his staff to seriously consider. But if there’s a time where such an approach could work on the offensive line, this would be it and I'd be intrigued to see how it played out on the field.
