Seattle Seahawks Roster Battles: Offensive Line

There is no position group on the Seattle Seahawks that is more up in the air than the offensive line. Two starters from last season are gone, and there was no apparent heir on the roster when they left. Add in three draft picks fighting for jobs, and you probably the most intriguing set of roster battles in training camp this year.

This is the final chapter in our series about roster battles on the Seahawks this season. Once the preseason begins, we’ll update each position based on everything we’ve seen from practices and the games.

Roster Spots Available: 9-10

Locks: Russell Okung, J.R. Sweezy, Justin Britt, Alvin Bailey, Gary Gilliam

On The Bubble: Lemuel Jean-Pierre, Patrick Lewis, Kristjan Sokoli, Terry Poole, Mark Glowinski

Longshots: Keavin Milton, Drew Nowak, Kona Schwenke, Will Pericak, Jesse Davis,

Russell Okung is in the last year of his contract. He’s not going anywhere this season, but the search for his successor is on. The only really option to become a starting LT on the roster at the moment is Gary Gilliam. This is a big training camp for him, as the team has a tough decision to make on him after this coming season.

J.R. Sweezy isn’t going anywhere. The real question is going to be if the team can extend his contract at a reasonable value. Justin Britt is entrenched at RT as well.

The remaining two spots are wide open. The end result of the two positions are also related. The team will only go into Week 1 with one rookie starter on the line. If one of the rookies win the job at left guard, then we know that they’ll begin the season with a vet at center.

Left guard has three players vying for the starting job. Alvin Bailey starts out at the top of the depth chart, but there’s no reason to assume he stays there. Bailey’s greatest asset is his ability to competently play four different O-line positions. He hasn’t shown that he has Pro-Bowl potential at any of them, but that kind of versatility is extremely valuable on game days when rosters are limited to 45.

Behind Bailey are a pair of rookies. Terry Poole has the inside track since most of his playing time will come at LG in the preseason, but do not count out Mark Glowinski. Glow is the more athletic and powerful player, which will help his transition to the NFL be smoother. Both of them have the potential to claim the starting job at LG.

Center is a bit more complicated. Lemuel Jean-Pierre and Patrick Lewis lead crowed field of five guys (including two defense-to-offense converts) who are vying for the job. Jean-Pierre is the only one of the five that can play multiple positions, which will be extremely important in deciding who makes the final 53-man roster.

Kristjan Sokoli is the only 4-sigma athlete in league history (or at least the only one that Zach Whitman has data for.) There is zero chance this guy passes through waivers to get to the practice squad. As a guy who played NT in college, his conversion to center will take time. He’ll likely be eating up a roster spot all season, putting pressure elsewhere on the roster where depth will have to be sacrificed.

Next: Kasen Williams mixes up the battle at wide receiver

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