Grading every Seahawks offensive starter through 12 games
By Lee Vowell
Offensive line
This line is so much better than in previous years. Is it the best line in the NFL? No. But it also isn’t the worst. In fact, since week two, one could make the argument that Duane Brown and friends are in the top-ten of the league.
Honestly, one cannot have the top rushing team in the league without having a good offensive line. Sure, Carson is great at creating yards after contact and Wilson has been sacked a 24th-worst in the league. But again, 12 of the 37 sacks the Seahawks have allowed were in the first two weeks. 25 sacks in 10 games since is not bad stuff.
Offensive lines are built on cohesion and talent. For several previous seasons, Seattle lacked both to some degree. This offseason, Seattle re-signed J.R. Sweezy and signed D.J. Fluker.
Sweezy was better than Ethan Pocic and earned the starting job. He has kept it through solid, if not great, blocking. Sweezy was in Seattle before and has played his best football as a Seahawk. He should be re-signed.
Fluker will be out in week 14 versus the Vikings and he will be missed. The guard has brought a physicality that Pete Carroll loves and Seattle hasn’t had on the line in many years. He should also be re-signed. Hopefully he and Sweezy will both re-sign but not break the Seattle bank. A year more with Fluker and Sweezy would be a good thing.
Brown is graded as the 13th best tackle in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. Is that high enough? No. Because he has changed what Seattle can do with their line. Still, when was the last time Seattle had the 13th-best tackle in the NFL?
Germain Ifedi is graded as the 69th-best tackle in the league. This isn’t much better than in previous years. But this isn’t a knock on Ifedi as much as it is PFF. Ifedi not much better than in the two previous years? Give me a break. He hasn’t been a penalty machine and has been good both for run blocking and pass protection. PFF needs to look at how it grades offensive linemen.
Next. 5 questions about the Vikings as they face the Seahawks. dark
Finally, Mike Solari can coach better than former offensive line coach Tom Cable. Center Justin Britt was wasted for two years before Cable figured out he could play. In one season, Solari has made the line much improved and better than anyone expected.
Grades
Brown: A
Sweezy: B
Britt: B
Fluker: A
Ifedi: B