Seahawks Germain Ifedi not improving as quickly as hoped

With a new offensive line coach, many hoped Germain Ifedi would become a much better player. Unfortunately, the Seahawks right tackle still has a lot of work to do.

Germain Ifedi should be a better player. The Seahawks chose the right tackle in the first round in 2015. He has yet to reach what Seattle thought was his potential. Ifedi has played like he is confused many times and led the NFL – easily – in penalties at tackle last season.

This offseason, Seattle let go of Tom Cable who had also never reached the potential Seattle thought he had when they hired Cable in 2011. Cable had been Ifedi’s offensive line coach in Ifedi’s first couple of years in the NFL. Cable did not do much to make Ifedi into a good player.

Possibly Ifedi was confused by what Cable expected. He ranked 73rd in the NFL at tackle in 2017, according to Pro Football Focus. Cable’s blocking scheme required more lateral movement and understanding of concepts. Sometimes players need things simplified. Ifedi may be one of those players.

Or maybe he isn’t. New offensive line coach Mike Solari’s concept is zone blocking as well but with much more straight ahead movement. More so, at least, than Cable’s involved. Ifedi is a big strong guy. Straight ahead blocking would seem to fit his size. If this is the case, Seattle’s offensive line is going to be much better.

But in Saturday’s intrasquad mock game, Ifedi was pulled after committing a false start and then a holding penalty. Is Ifedi no better than in 2017? He still has time to improve and get to know what Solari needs, but he remains a question mark.

And the Seahawks simply cannot afford Ifedi to make the same mistakes in 2018. Seattle should be quick to pull the right tackle. Even if his backup, and Isaiah Battle was on Saturday, does not possess the same kind of “potential,” the backup will probably not keep setting the offense back 5 or 10 yards with constant penalties.