Seahawks Position Battle: Defensive Line

In order for a team to succeed on both sides of the ball, they have to get after the QB.

The Seahawk's DL played a factor in the teams decline in overall productivity. They finished with only 35 sacks, a drop off of 10 from 2007. Thirteen of those sacks (over one third) came in two games against the San Francisco 49ers. Pro Bowl DE Patrick Kerney missed nine games. His presence was sorely missed, he drew constant double teams and opened up the rest of the DL to make plays. He was on pace to finish with 12 sacks at the time he got injured.

First round pick DE Lawrence Jackson was a disappointment, only tallying two sacks in 14 starts. The Seahawks acquired DE Cory Redding partly because of his 2008 performance.

The starting four DL spots appear to be set. Patrick Kerney and trade acquisition Cory Redding are slated to start at the two DE positions. The interior positions will be manned by DT Brandon Mebane and FA addition Colin Cole. The latter brings much needed size (330 lbs) to a unit known to be undersized.

The main position battles along the DL will ensue at the backup positions.

Early draft picks Lawrence Jackson, and Darryl Tapp, should both vie for the primary backup DE position. Both figure to be a factor in a deep DL rotation. Jackson has a lot to prove with his largely unsuccessful 2008 campaign.

The team would not have added DE Cory Redding if it was confident at who they already had at the position. Darryl Tapp saw time as the injury replacement for Patrick Kerney, yielding a mediocre 5.5 sacks in 11 starts.

The primary backup position for the interior DL should come down to DT’s Craig Terrill, and Red Bryant. Craig Terrill provides needed insurance in case a starter does go down and can fill the role competently. Bryant brings additional size to the interior, weighing in at 320 lbs. He was hampered by injuries in his rookie campaign, only appearing in four games and recording eight tackles.

Look for Terrill to have the edge as the main rotational backup for the interior DL.

Two new starters have been added to an underachieving 2008 unit. In addition to the return of Pro Bowl DE Patrick Kerney returning from shoulder surgery. With these new additions and the depth of former starters as backups, this unit is poised for a much-improved 2009 campaign  

The Seahawks front four must produce effective pressure, or 2009 will be another lost cause in the rainy city.