Seahawks 2019 offense vs Seahawks 2018 offense: O-line and tight ends
The Seahawks made few changes to the offensive line and tight ends. Will the latest edition improve on to last year’s performances?
The Seahawks offensive line took a lot of heat over the past few seasons, and rightly so. Seattle took some key steps to change that. They started by trading for left tackle Duane Brown near the middle of 2017. He made an immediate improvement, but to take the next step forward the Seahawks added Mike Solari to the coaching staff in 2018. Lee Vowell was spot-on with his prediction; the offensive line was much improved under Solari’s tutelage. The much-maligned Germain Ifedi, in particular, was far better.
Part of that was likely due to the arrival of guard D.J. Fluker last year. Fluker injected the Hawks offensive line with an attitude even bigger than his 342-pound frame. Center Justin Britt played well, as did the now-departed guard J.R. Sweezy. George Fant saw plenty of snaps as a third tackle to bolster the line, while Joey Hunt and Jordan Simmons proved to be capable backups.
As I mentioned before, the only notable departure is Sweezy. Mike Iupati will eventually step into his role at guard next to Duane Brown, and could certainly be challenged by rookie guard Phil Haynes when he returns from the PUP list (sports hernia surgery). For now, it looks like Ethan Pocic will fill the role. I expect the offensive line to improve with another year under coach Solari. I’ll give the 2019 Seahawks offensive line a slight edge here.
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Finally, we come to the tight ends. On the surface, there’s just one change, and that may be temporary. Ed Dickson will begin the season on injured reserve. He’s eligible to return to the squad after the eighth game. For now, the Hawks are going with Ed Dissly and Nick Vannett, although they did stash receiving specialist Jacob Hollister on the practice squad. Vannett got nine starts last year, largely due to injuries. He didn’t stand out in any area, but wasn’t really deficient, either.
Dissly earned the starter’s role as a rookie, then kicked the season off in spectacular fashion with 105 yards and a score against the Broncos. Unfortunately, he missed the rest of the year after the fourth game. A healthy Uncle Will could make a pretty big difference for the Seahawks, both blocking and receiving.
While that just gives Seattle two active tight ends, don’t sleep on Seattle’s secret weapon, the tackle-eligible George Fant. The former basketball player has hands like Steve Largent. Not the Hall of Famer, just this kid I went to high school with. Dude could catch almost anything. I see the tight ends as better this year, mainly due to a full season from Dissly.
I don’t see any of the offensive units taking a step back this year. That’s barring injury, of course. I like Geno Smith as a backup, but we all know if Russell Wilson gets hurt this team will be in deep trouble. The same can be said for Chris Carson and Tyler Lockett to lesser degrees. The improvements on offense are subtle, but they’re real. Put it all together and I see this as the Seahawks best offense ever.