Offensive Line Remains Work in Progress for Seahawks

With three experienced starting linemen set to hit free agency, Pete Carroll hopes to keep most of the unit intact for 2020. But based on results, it may be time for substantial changes in the trenches.

It may sound like a broken record, but heading into another busy offseason, the Seahawks have plenty of questions to address with their offensive line.

Despite winning 11 regular season games and advancing to the divisional round before bowing out in Green Bay earlier this month, Seattle’s front line struggled to meet high expectations. The unit finished 28th in ESPN's Pass Block Win Rate metric, allowing 48 sacks on quarterback Russell Wilson, while the run game wasn't quite as effective as 2018.

Injuries played a key role, with Seattle's five projected starters entering the season missing a combined 15 games.

Left tackle Duane Brown grinded through knee and bicep injuries, eventually undergoing knee surgery late in the season and missing five total games. Center Justin Britt tore his ACL in Week 8 and missed the rest of the season. Left guard Mike Iupati managed to start 15 regular season games, but he missed both playoff games with a neck stinger.

Additionally, Joey Hunt, Britt’s replacement at center, played the last few months with a painful stress fracture in his ankle and right guard D.J. Fluker missed two starts with a hamstring injury.

Constantly shuffling reserves into the lineup throughout the season, including in the playoffs, the Seahawks failed to find consistency in the trenches. Still, with right tackle Germain Ifedi, key reserve George Fant, and Iupati all scheduled to hit free agency in March, coach Pete Carroll hopes most of the group can be kept intact.

“It is important. I hope we can keep our guys connected; I don’t want to see a big change there,” Carroll said. “I think the whole group could be a really solid group coming back. I would like to see the guys who have been playing for us to stay with us.”

Out of all the positional groups in football, continuity may be most critical along the offensive line. With four returning starters from Seattle’s 2018 playoff team, stability was one of the reasons Brown believed the unit could emerge as one of the best in the NFL.

But continuity only matters when players are available to play and injuries were a problem for the group before training camp even opened in late July.

Fourth-round pick Phil Haynes landed on the PUP list after sports hernia surgery, oft-injured third-year guard Jordan Simmons was lost to injured reserve with a knee issue, and undrafted rookie Demitrius Knox suffered a quad tear in the preseason. While Haynes wound up playing some snaps in the playoffs, none of those three players played a single regular season snap, hurting depth from the outset.

Therein lies one of the reasons Carroll remains optimistic about the Seahawks line play moving forward. Haynes, Simmons, Knox, and Jamarco Jones will all be back in 2020 to compete for playing time.

“We have made good progress, we have really good young guys, a couple guys got banged up this year that you haven’t seen a whole lot. Jordan Simmons, [Demetrius] Knox, those guys coming back, the competition will really be good. Jamarco [Jones] did well. To see Phil [Haynes] play like that too, that was really, really helpful for us going forward.”

But aside from Jones earning a share of spot starts at guard and tackle this year and Simmons starting three games in 2018, that cluster of players doesn’t offer much regular season experience. Given the uncertainty surrounding Seattle’s starting unit, can they be counted on to play significant snaps if needed?

Brown returned to start Seattle’s playoff loss in Green Bay and after an injury-marred season, the three-time Pro Bowler expects to be fully recovered from knee and bicep issues. But he will turn 35 in August and already showed signs of regression during his second full season with the team.

On the opposite side of the line, Ifedi was the only lineman on the Seahawks to start all 16 games. Just 25 years old, he will likely have plenty of suitors on the free agent market and could command $12-plus million per year. Fant also has a chance to have an active market as he pursues a starting opportunity, leaving Jones as the only remaining player with prior starting experience.

Set to turn 33 years old, Iupati has battled constant injuries over the past several seasons and the team may want to go younger at the position with Haynes or Simmons. Fluker is under contract next year and though cutting him could save a few million, he’s a popular player in the locker room and should be back.

The biggest question mark looms at center, as Seattle must decide what to do with Britt coming back from a severe knee injury. Per Carroll, he’s making excellent progress during rehab, but he carries an $11.4 million dead cap hit in 2020, making him a cap casualty candidate if he’s unwilling to restructure his deal.

Behind him, Hunt will be a restricted free agent, while Ethan Pocic missed most of last season with neck and sports hernia injuries and will be entering the final year of his rookie contract.

As the Seahawks try to hash out plans for the offensive line in coming months, general manager John Schneider will have plenty of options to consider when looking to add talent to the unit. This year’s draft class features great depth at the tackle and center positions, while some reasonable short-term alternatives could be available in free agency as well.

Keeping that in mind, though Carroll has indicated he wants to keep most of the group together, results indicate it's time to make some changes. Expect to see a far different cast of characters when the Seahawks report for organized team activities in May.