Seahawks counting on draft to rebuild offensive line?

The Seahawks appear to be looking ahead to the draft as they prepare to overhaul their poor offensive line this off season.

We expected the Seattle Seahawks to take a sledge hammer to their offensive line this off season, after all it’s the one position group that may have prevented them from getting back to the Super Bowl for a third straight season.

But since free agency started a week ago all we’ve seen from the team are a couple of defections and a whole lot of………………

(crickets chirping….)

And no, today’s signing of Bradley Sowell wasn’t enough to quiet the crickets. He may not even be good enough to make the final roster.

So here’s a quick recap of the other offensive line-related moves for the Seahawks so far:

• Starting right guard J.R. Sweezy left as a free agent, signing a $32.5 million dollar deal with Tampa Bay
• Reserve T/G Alvin Bailey signed with Clevelend
• The Seahawks have also met with free agents Ted Larsen (Arizona) and Raiders free agent T J’Marcus Webb.

Meanwhile, starting left tackle Russell Okung continues his self-represented free agency tour, making the Houston Texans the fourth team he’s visited in the last four days.

More from Seattle Seahawks News

• 4 prospects Seahawks could reach for at No. 20 in 2023 NFL Draft
• Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft: Post-first wave of free agency 
• Seahawks podcast: A review of the first week of free agency
• 4 experiments the Seattle Seahawks could cut short in 2023
• 3 pros and cons of Seattle Seahawks drafting Anthony Richardson

Much of what happens next up front for the Seahawks will be based on whether they can retain Okung. The fact he’s reportedly been offered contracts by multiple teams yet still continues scheduling visits indicates he’s not getting the type of long-term, lucrative offers he expected. The fact he’s coming off major shoulder surgery appears to have impacted his market. He’s said his plan is to finish up his tour, then sit down and weigh all the offers and situations before making a measured, final decision.

Meanwhile, it appears the Seahawks are waiting on that decision before making any other moves. They reportedly made an offer to Okung last week, and there’s a fair chance he ends up back at CenturyLink Field. If he does, that leaves the team looking for upgrades at left guard and center (look for last year’s fourth round pick Mark Glowinski to take over for Sweezy at RG).

If Okung signs with someone else, things become much murkier. They could move Gary Gilliam over from right tackle, but that still leaves them searching for three new starters. Some have suggested moving Justin Britt from left guard back to RT where he started as a rookie, but he may be the team’s weakest link in the entire position group. Finding an upgrade over Britt should be atop the team’s to-do list.

Either way, the Seahawks don’t appear eager to look for solutions in free agency. They’ve been linked to free agent LT’s  Kelvin Beachum and Donald Penn, but Beachum is coming off an ACL injury and Penn is 32 years old. There are still some attractive veteran interior linemen available such as Evan Mathis, Jhari Evans and Stefen Wisniewski, but Seattle isn’t known to have had contact with any of them.

What appears clear at this point is the Seahawks are content to wait until next year’s draft in an attempt to rebuild the line. It appears to be a strong group of guards and centers, but the tackle class drops off significantly after the top of the first round. This would bode well for the team if Okung re-signs. Seattle could conceivably add starters at center and guard in the draft, giving them lower-cost upgrades and allowing them the opportunity to have some continuity while building their line long-term.

But this begs a bigger question; how comfortable would you be with that approach? The Seahawks don’t exactly have a storied history under John Schneider and Pete Carroll of nailing their offensive line draft choices. 2011 first round pick James Carpenter is now with the Jets, and we’ve already talked about 2014 2nd rounder Britt. Last year, two fourth round selections were spent on O-linemen; Glowinski looks like a keeper, but Terry Poole spent the year on the practice squad after being cut at the end of training camp. Sixth round guard Kristjan Sokoli is another of Tom Cable’s defensive line conversion projects. It’s doubtful he could be counted on in 2016.

This year there will be more pressure than ever to nail their picks. If they hit them right; say…. Alabama center Ryan Kelly in the first round and someone like Texas A&M’s Germain Ifedi in the second, they could be setting themselves up to truly build an outstanding, perhaps even dominant, offensive line for years to come. Kelly is the best center in the class and capable of starting from day one. Ifedi is a physical freak who could play guard immediately, but has the length and skill set to be groomed to possibly kick out to LT after Okung is done.

Without Okung in the mix, the Hawks may be forced to try and move up in the draft to get a starting-caliber rookie left tackle. Even the second tier of LT’s in this class, Michigan State’s Jack Conklin and Ohio States Taylor Decker, are widely projected to be gone before Seattle is on the clock with the 26th pick.

Next: Seahawks hosting two more DT's Monday

So much is unsettled at this point, it’s hard to be anything but nervous about the state of Seattle’s offensive line. What’s clear is the Seahawks have to improve up front, or risk becoming an also-ran in the NFL West. How they go about executing that improvement, with or without Okung, could very well determine the course of the franchise of the next few years.