Seahawks strength of every position grouping entering the pre-season
By Geoff Shull
Strength of Seahawks roster #4: Interior offensive line
Some will disagree here. I have the interior offensive line coming in at number four. The way I see it, the starters are top tier and there is plenty of depth behind them to have me feeling comfortable in the unit as a whole.
Damien Lewis made the All-Rookie team last season for good reason. He was a people mover and a mauler. Fans need to be excited about where his trajectory is headed. Seattle found a third-round gem.
The team then went out and acquired veteran Gabe Jackson. Jackson has been one of the top guards in the league for years. He plays a near-identical game to Lewis and the pairing should complement one another perfectly.
Behind them, Seattle has a finally healthy Phil Haynes who has been a pleasant surprise in camp. Jordan Simmons who started six games admirably for the Seahawks last year is solid.
As for the center position, many aren’t thrilled here. I for one was not opposed to bringing back Ethan Pocic. He was very, very good for the first half of the season last year. This was especially true during passing sets.
His mobility looked on paper like it would be a perfect complement to the wide-zone scheme the Seahawks are migrating towards. All for only $4 million. It was a low-risk, high-reward signing.
However, this is where the issue stands. Pocic’s play fell down a deep, dark shaft after an injury occurred. He tried playing through it, but his play was abysmal. The hope was that a now healthy Pocic would recapture the first half of last year’s form. However, injuries have already slowed him down this pre-season.
The only consolation is that the center is not commonly a priority position for wide-zone offenses. Many times teams go bargain shopping in this scheme. As it is right now, I really hope the team brings in a free agent to add more competition and health to the unit. Someone like Austin Reiter would be a welcome addition.