Seahawks spotlight: Justin Britt

Justin Britt, so far, has surprised the majority of fans with his solid play during preseason, and it appears he has found his niche on the Seahawks’ offensive line at the center position.

For the amount of heat and negativity that has been directed at Justin Britt, it’s time that we give him some credit for his performance in preseason.  He’s playing his 3^rd position in 3 seasons, which is an extremely difficult task, and he has done very well learning the center spot thus far.

Britt started 16 regular season games in his rookie year at RT and made his fair share of mistakes, but these were expected as a rookie.  The hope was that in year 2 he could make a significant jump in his progression at RT and become a more consistent player.

His progression at RT was shut down when the Seahawks’ offensive line struggled mightily during the 2015 preseason.  Alvin Bailey wasn’t producing at LG, so Justin Britt replaced Bailey to insure that the top 5 offensive lineman were on the field.  Britt had to learn the position on the fly, with only a few weeks before week 1 of the regular season.

More from 12th Man Rising

• 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

Britt’s performance at LG was disappointing, as he looked out of place for much of the season.  It was evident that he had just learned the position and his performances were shaky, to say the least.  After the season the majority of fans were ready to throw in the towel on having Britt start for the Seahawks in 2016.

Seahawks’ coaches hadn’t given up yet; they wanted to give Britt the best chance possible to succeed. During OTAs, Tom Cable announced that they were moving Justin Britt to center in preparation for the 2016 season.  This essentially was Britt’s last chance for success in a Seahawks’ uniform.

From the reports during OTAs and Mini Camp it sounded like Britt was making progress and learning the protection calls, but still had a lot of room for improvement.  There was much skepticism among Seahawks’ fans surrounding his potential at center, as no one had seen him play that position.  Once fans starting watching him during training camp, though, it appeared as if he was handling his business, and fans began to express cautious optimism towards Britt.

Britt continued to improve throughout training camp and now, during preseason, he has displayed several solid performances in a row.  He has appeared to make all the protection calls, snap the ball accurately, and block his man dependably.  Britt’s consistency, and with Patrick Lewis being waived, makes it seem that he has locked up the starting spot at center.

Britt has not let the negative press affect his play.  Instead, he has elevated his performance and has even taken on more of a leadership role.  His ability to step out of his comfort zone and take on the challenge head on, without any complaints, has been a great display of mental toughness.

With all the negativity that has surrounded Britt, it’s time we give him some credit for the way he has rebounded and found his groove with a new position.  There have been a lot of uncertainties surrounding Justin Britt, but with his recent play, doubts among fans are slowly being removed.

Next: Seahawks 53-man projection

Granted, there is still a long season of games to be played, but seeing how Britt has performed in preseason has to give fans some hope.  Moving to center might just be what he needed to succeed in the NFL.  Could 2016 be the year of the transformation of Justin Britt?  We will soon find out.