Seahawks reportedly leaving door wide open for competition at one key position
By Lee Vowell
The Seattle Seahawks offensive line has so far not been very good in training camp. Some players have stood out from time to time. Only left tackle Charles Cross has consistently looked good. Right tackle Abe Lucas has not yet been seen as he is still recovering from offseason knee surgery.
Left guard Laken Tomlinson should be fine once the real games start. Right guard is simply a mess. The starter in Week 1 might be second-year player McClendon Curtis who only appeared in one game in 2023 and played four total snaps - all on special teams. He was mostly seen on Seattle's weekly inactive list as a healthy scratch.
The hope entering training camp was that Olu Oluwatimi would lock down the starting spot at center. As a rookie in 2023, he appeared in just four games and was good in pass protection. He gave up just one pressure in 70 pass-block snaps. He wasn't as good in terms of run blocking. In camp, he hasn't shown he should absolutely be the starting center.
Seattle Seahawks still appear to have an open competition at center
His presumed backup, Nick Harris, has been in the league since 2020 but has never been a long-term starter. He's been inconsistent in every face of blocking and counting on him to be a starter would be a mistake. He appears to be giving Oluwatimi a real battle to earn the starting spot.
There is a potential positive in all of this, however. In late July, Seattle took a visit with center Connor Williams, formerly of the Miami Dolphins. Williams tore his ACL in late 2023 and that has crippled his free agency market. This is a bit unfair to the player because when healthy, he is a terrific center. He graded as the NFL second-best at his position last season, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
In 280 pass-block snaps in 2023, he allowed just six total pressures. In 676 pass-block reps in 2022, Williams gave up only 15 total pressures.
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The problem with signing him for the Seahawks is how much money the 27-year-old Williams wants. He is worthy of getting a deal worth at least $10 million a season except for his injury. Seattle doesn't have that kind of money to spend in the next two years.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Seattle is very much still interested in signing Williams, though nothing is "imminent." Williams has passed his physical so he has been cleared to return to football. If Seattle does sign him, he needs to instantly be the starter at center. His presence alone would greatly increase the quality of the offensive line.
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