Seahawks offensive line ranked 30th by PFF but they’re wrong
By Lee Vowell
The Seahawks may still not have the best offensive line in the NFL. But being ranked 30th by Pro Football Focus is wrong.
The Seahawks offensive line has been really good in years. But the line was good enough to get Seattle to back-to-back Super Bowls. The 2018 version should be Seattle’s best in several seasons. But Pro Football Focus doesn’t think so.
According to PFF, Seattle has the 30th best (read: third worst) offensive line in the NFL. In their critique, PFF says that Duane Brown brought talent to the line but that the 2017 line still wasn’t good after Brown came over in a trade.
The problem with PFF’s rankings is that overall they do not do a very good job of ranking blocking. And don’t take my word for it. John Clayton has said a few times on his 710 ESPN Seattle show and while a guest on other shows that while he respects Pro Football Focus, their numbers don’t always add up for line blocking.
And this isn’t the only issue. PFF ranks the 2018 lines on past performance. But this isn’t really a good measurement when you incorporate that Seattle will have a new blocking scheme under Mike Solari. Plus, Brown will be in Seattle for a full year this season. Ethan Pocic, the lowest rated player on the projected starting five, should be much better with a year’s experience and an offseason strength and conditioning program. And so should underperforming but probably mis-coached right tackle Germain Ifedi.
And Justin Britt should be better than he was in 2017. Because in 2016 he was pretty good and wasn’t terrible last season.
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I am not saying the Seahawks should rank in the top three of the NFL for offensive lines. The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys have proven and experienced groups. But anything less than a top-half of the league performance in 2018 would be disappointed. And ranking 30th would be ridiculous. Pro Football Focus, a great and trusted football reference, is fantastic. But they are wrong on this ranking.