2011 NFL Draft: Expectations for the Seattle Seahawks' Offensive Line

As the combine is starting, so is my first position analysis for the Seattle Seahawks.  I begin with the offensive line, as many see this as the likely use of Seattle’s first round pick in April’s draft. At the expense of brevity, I offer a review of the last decade for the unit, followed by a summary of where Seattle stands today, as well as steps needed for the future.

History

To completely understand why Seahawks fans want the offensive line to be a draft day priority, their recent history merits discussion. There is a combination of nostalgia and frustration with the unit built by Mike Holmgren and Ted Thompson from 2000-2004. Walter Jones was getting his Hall of Fame feet under him and had begun working with Chris Gray and Robbie Tobeck. 

The supporting cast was lacking in 2000, which led the team to some solid draft picks. Steve Hutchinson was taken 17th in 2001, and the offensive line that pushed the Seahawks to Super Bowl XL was rounded out when Sean Locklear became the 84th selection in 2004. 

There were a few draft clunkers along the way, too. Who can forget Chris McIntosh with the 22nd pick in 2001? Oh, that’s right, everyone except avid Seahawk fans, who try in vain to forget.

The offensive front began to disintegrate as soon as it was built. Hutchinson was gone after the 2005 season, lost via free agency to the Vikings when GM Tim Ruskell opted to transition tag the Pro Bowl guard instead of using the franchise tag. The NFL refused to enforce equal financial terms for both teams, and the cap hit along with the money Seattle would have to guarantee to re-sign him was impossible.  

Tobeck retired after playing just half of the 2006 season, followed by Gray at the end of 2007.

Walter Jones’ established injury concerns finally caught up with him and he last saw meaningful time during the 2008 season. Within three years of their Super Bowl appearance, the only carryover from the starting line was Locklear. 

Despite glaring need, Ruskell largely ignored the offensive line on draft day. His first draft pick with Seattle was used on G/C Chris Spencer in 2005. The next time the offensive line saw a selection in the top three rounds came in the second round of 2009. Three drafts—four starters lost—no draft-day priority. 

Seattle did have the opportunity to acquire solid prospects. Playoff appearances provided challenging draft positioning, but successful franchises work through late picks. 

Entering the 2007 draft, issues on the O-Line were becoming clear. They didn't have a first round pick (it was traded for Deion Branch), so their second round choice would be quite important. 

Still on the board was Ryan Kalil, the top center and one of the best interior linemen in that draft. Kalil became a Pro Bowl center after being taken by Carolina two spots after Seattle’s pick. The pick after Kalil was Samson Satele, and while not a household name around the NFL, he has been a solid starter for Oakland the last two years. 

Either of those names would have provided Seattle with needed help on the interior of the line, and would have helped stave off the unit’s looming collapse. 

Instead, Ruskell opted to select Josh Wilson, the speedy, yet vertically challenged CB from Maryland. While he became a fan-favorite, his size made him a questionable pick to cover the tall WRs in the NFC West. My then-14-year-old daughter was surprised he was an NFL player—we had the opportunity to host him for a weekend shortly after he was drafted and she was a bit taller than Josh. Pete Carroll shared her concerns, and traded him for a fifth round pick in the 2011 draft. 

When the 2008 draft rolled around, the failures of the Seattle O-Line were quite clear. However, the draft class was lacking, and when Duane Brown came off the board two spots before Seattle’s first round selection, there was no longer a viable first round selection for the O-line. Instead of reaching for the likes of Mike Pollak, Seattle reached on the other side of the ball and grabbed Lawrence Jackson.  Options in the second round were also ignored, leaving Seattle with large holes on the offensive line. 

Draft Day ’09 created the quandary of Mark Sanchez or their eventual choice, Aaron Curry. The other option—and one many Seahawk fans favored—was trading down from that spot to allow them to grab Eugene Monroe or Michael Oher later in the first round. 

Instead of looking at the offensive line with their second round pick, they traded for Denver’s 1st round pick in 2010 (which turned into Earl Thomas). As good a move as that was, fans were amazed that yet another draft would pass with nothing done on the offensive line. 

A little luck fell into place when Max Unger was unexpectedly available in the middle of the second round. Seattle acquired the 49th pick from Chicago to draft him. When the dust had settled, Seattle surrendered the fifth selection in the second, third and fourth rounds and left with the guy they needed in the second round and Denver’s first pick in 2010. These two second round maneuvers would become one of a few bright spots on Ruskell’s record in Seattle, even if slanted with a bit of luck. 

The 2010 draft brought the Pete Carroll era to Seattle. He and John Schneider had as good an initial draft as anyone, albeit with a little luck of their own along the way. 

First, enter the fortune of having Russell Okung slip to them at the No. 6 spot. The fairytale continued when Earl Thomas also dropped down the board to Seattle holding the aforementioned 14th pick acquired from Denver. 

Relative to Seattle using the sixth pick in 2010 on a tackle, a certain writer (OK—it was me) said the following: “I don't want to take anything away from Russell Okung. He will be an elite LT, and is the class of this draft. He looks solid in every aspect of the game, and will be a Pro Bowler at some point in his career. If he is there at No. 6 he will be a Seahawk. But three of the five teams picking ahead of Seattle need a LT, so there is no real chance he'll slide that far.” 

So much for casting draft selections a few weeks ahead of time. In my defense, I did predict this scenario unfolding the morning of the draft, as Washington started to tip their hand on their plans to take Trent Williams. 

Present

Okung figures to be one of the top left tackles in the league for years to come. Even hobbled with high ankle sprains, he was able to shut down elite defensive ends his rookie season, and blocked with agility and power in the running game (just ask Brian Urlacher, who didn’t take kindly to being knocked through the end zone by Okung).

The RT position is a little more fluid. Stacy Andrews, at 6’7” and 340 pounds, wanes in a gray area. Will he regain his prior form with a move back to RT, or continue to muddle through false starts, holding penalties and some missed blocking responsibilities that plagued him at RG?

To be fair, his size isn't exactly typical for a guard. The move back to RT should be favorable for him. Given Andrews’ age, he is worth the risk. If he can regain the form that impressed the Bengals enough to franchise tag him, he could be an anchor on the right side for several more years. 

Should Andrews not return to prior form, he will have solid competition from Ray Willis. While missing the 2010 season due to injury, he was the only offensive lineman to start every game for Seattle in 2009. Willis has also shown he can perform well at the guard positions.

As for the three interior slots—Max Unger will certainly occupy one of them. I expect him to take over at center, the position he was drafted to play. Things get murky from there, though. 

Locklear, Spencer and Tyler Polumbus are all unrestricted free agents. Locklear appears to be on his way out, as he struggled most of the season with the new run blocking scheme. However, he did seem to catch his stride the last few games of the season, and fans should brace themselves for the possibility that he could be re-signed by the Seahawks. Giving him one more chance to perform under Cable wouldn't be the worst outcome.  

Spencer and Polumbus are more likely to fit into Seattle’s future plans. Spencer had a decent season for Seattle, but not spectacular. This should make him an inexpensive option to return and compete for a starting position and offer depth. 

Polumbus has shown flashes of brilliance as he’s bounced around the O-Line as an injury replacement.  Mike Gibson has shown himself to be solid and versatile since Seattle acquired him in ’09, but not spectacular. Along with Willis, all three can compete for the guard positions and offer depth at tackle.

Future

Many fans want to see Seattle draft linemen early again this year. This is understandable with the manner in which the Ruskell era handled—or didn't handle—the position. Seattle definitely needs to add a bruising run blocker, either in the draft or through free agency. 

Tom Cable, Seattle’s new offensive line coach, provides a logical tie from his former team. The Oakland Raiders have voided the final two years of Robert Gallery’s contract, clearing the way for Bruce Campbell to get some playing time. Gallery has credited Cable with reviving his NFL career when he moved him to guard and dedicated coaching time to him.  It is almost a foregone conclusion that Cable will convince Carroll and Jon Schneider to sign Gallery, providing the bulk and attitude he wants on his line. 

Shoring up their O-Line with current players and via free agency would leave Seattle free to pursue other glaring needs in the draft.

Most notably, Seattle needs help at CB, still doesn't have a long-term plan at QB and could desperately use a nose tackle that can apply pressure on opposing QBs. It is likely that a quality option for one of these positions will be available with the 25th pick. 

Elite tackle options in this draft appear to be thin. There is a volume of what look to be quality picks, but none have differentiated themselves at this point. The combine will allow someone to step up, and I see that person as Tyron Smith. He looks solid against the run and can take on fast and strong defensive ends in the passing game. The concern is that at 285 pounds he lacks NFL size. There are reports that he has beefed up to 305 pounds, though. 

If Smith can sustain his mobility at the higher weight, I expect him to be the elite offensive tackle in the draft.  He’ll be gone before Seattle’s pick though, and better value will be available at other positions.

My concerns with the tackles in this draft have come under scrutiny by some readers. I stand by my assessment (for now at least), and I’ll provide a more detailed summary on the options following the combine.

Offensive guard might be a more difficult decision. It is possible that Mike Pouncey, G/C Florida, will be available. He has great size and holds the mental and physical traits to play the three interior positions. I contend his biggest strength though, is his twin brother—Maurkice certainly worked out well in Pittsburgh. 

If available, Pouncey will be a tempting option, but one I hope Seattle avoids. He moves well enough to get to the outside in the college running game, but I’m concerned he lacks the speed necessary to do so in the NFL. He is a solid blocker, but at times gets beat due to an apparent lack of concentration. He could be great in the NFL, but also has the potential to fall far below the bar set by his brother. 

The drop from Pouncey to the second best guard in the draft doesn't figure to be significant, and Seattle can likely draft Rodney Hudson or Danny Watkins with their pick in the second round—I am a proponent of this approach.

Don’t fret Seahawks fans. The O-Line is a lot closer to being good than many realize—and the addition of Cable should add the toughness needed to get them over the hump. He was able to push five non-descript linemen in Oakland to one of the best rushing attacks in football.

His presence alone will make a difference in the ground game, and Seattle’s pass blocking was much improved in 2010. Even with a less-than-nimble Matt Hasselbeck taking most of the snaps, and the use of 10 different starting lines, the team only gave up 35 sacks. While not elite, it still placed them in the middle of the NFL. 

Seattle needs to dedicate a few high draft picks to the offensive line very soon. The 2012 draft looks a lot more promising to get help at tackle, and waiting a year will also reveal if Andrews, Willis, or Polumbus can seize the RT position.

QThe second round of the 2011 draft looks to be a good time to grab a quality guard. What to do with their first pick?