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Seahawks add free agent lineman Luke Joeckel

By Keith Myers

Sep 25, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive guard Luke Joeckel (76) blocks Baltimore Ravens linebacker Za'Darius Smith (90) during the second half of a football game at EverBank FieldThe Baltimore Ravens won 19-17. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive guard Luke Joeckel (76) blocks Baltimore Ravens linebacker Za'Darius Smith (90) during the second half of a football game at EverBank FieldThe Baltimore Ravens won 19-17. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Adding Luke Joeckel wasn’t a splashy signing by the Seattle Seahawks, but it improved the offensive line without eating up their salary cap space.

The Seattle Seahawks have finally added a veteran offensive lineman. Media scoop-magnet Adam Scheftler is reporting that the Seattle Seahawks are signing Luke Joeckel to a 1-year deal.

Joeckel was the 2nd overall pick of the 2013 draft. The Jaguars believed they were getting a franchise LT, but he has been a major disappointment since coming to the NFL. He never lived up to his draft status, leading Jacksonville to finally decide to move on.

Last year, the Jags signed Kelvin Beachum to be their LT and moved Joeckel inside to LG. He played in just 4 games before landing on IR with a major knee injury. He had surgery in October, and has been rehabbing his knee since then.

The Seahawks are hoping that Joeckel will be highly motivated to re-establish his market as a potential starting LT. He is still only 25, and is still the highly athletic player that caused him to be such an early draft pick.

That makes this a very low-risk, high-reward signing for the Seahawks. The worst-case scenario here is that Joeckel is a veteran backup can can play tackle or guard and provides an upgrade over Bradley Sowell.

If he comes in and wins a starting job, then the Seahawks just upgraded their offensive line. Plus, if he has a good season and cashes in with another team next year, then the Seahawks get a compensatory draft pick for their role in giving Joeckel a chance re-establish his market.

Ultimately, this was a fairly easy move to predict. The Seahawks weren’t going to break the bank for a guy like Whitworth or Wagner. They prefer to go with younger players on “prove-it” deals, and that is exactly what they have here.

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Plus, Tom Cable doesn’t like working with older players. Jahri Evans learned that last year when he couldn’t even get Cable to give him a chance when Evans was on the roster in training camp. Since Joeckel is only 25, he won’t be much older than any rookies the team brings in.

This move probably won’t be a popular one, but the Seahawks just got better at a position where they absolutely had to find an upgrade.

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