Seahawks offensive line will be good enough to make the playoffs

After years of struggle, the Seahawks offensive line will be better in 2018. In fact, Seattle’s o-line will be good enough to get them to the playoffs.

Rejoice, Seahawks fans! Gone are the days of Tom Cable’s zone blocking scheme not fitting with the personnel on Seattle’s team. Why? Because the Seahawks made the smart move of letting Cable go this offseason.

I am not saying Cable was a bad coach. He knows much more about football than I ever will. But his system was not good for the players Seattle had on the roster. Cable also failed to develop players. Germain Ifedi was a penalty machine. Russell Okung was better after he left Seattle. Justin Britt had to move three times to be decent.

Cable’s system simply asked too much. He wanted players to move around so much that the system failed.

Thankfully, new offensive line coach Mike Solari’s idea of zone blocking incorporates lots more of straight ahead movement. And this seems to mesh much better for the Seahawks, especially Ifedi.

I am not saying Ifedi will become a Pro Bowl player. Seattle also won’t have a top-ten ranked offensive line. But the line will be better. And it no longer will be a main reason Seattle doesn’t get back to the playoffs.

Part of the issue with Ifedi was he either did not have the skill set or he didn’t have the understanding for what he was supposed to be doing. He played confused and this led to penalties. This, of course, led too many times of Seattle being forced into second- and third-and-long situations.

Again, I am not saying Ifedi will be a great player. But my feeling is that under just a few weeks of Solari he is a better player than he was under years of Cable.

Seattle will also get a full year with recently extended Duane Brown. And Brown actually was good enough to make the Pro Bowl last year. Russell Wilson should feel more secure knowing he has a left tackle of much quality blocking his blind side for a few more seasons.

Ethan Pocic should slide in at right guard and be another year wiser and much stronger. He will play beside Justin Britt who should be better too under Solari. And Britt hasn’t been bad the last two years.

This really only leaves left guard as an issue. If Seattle and Solari can get solid play from D.J. Fluker or someone else, the line will the best it has been in five years, if not longer. And that is the case, which it should be, Seattle can make it back to the playoffs. And maybe do something once its there.