Seahawks offensive line depth chart after first week of free agency is concerning
By Lee Vowell
The Seattle Seahawks knew heading into free agency they needed to address some position needs. They had a lack of starters (and depth) at linebacker, tight end, safety (except for Julian Love), and the interior of the offensive line. General manager John Schneider did re-sign tight end Noah Fant, so that helped the tight end room, and he has signed Pharaoh Brown.
At linebacker, the team brought in Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson. Rayshawn Jenkins will be a new safety for the team in 2024. All three of those guys are veterans, a couple with more experience than the other, and they should be good enough to sure up a position group that was iffy.
But the offensive line is still a mess. Schneider signed three O-line free agents and the best of the group is still expected to be a backup. That would be right tackle George Fant who is insurance in case Abraham Lucas is still struggling with a knee issue he first had in college. Lucas can be a good tackle, but he also might never be able to play consistently.
The Seattle Seahawks offensive line looks terrible right now
But with Charles Cross at left tackle and Lucas or Fant at right tackle, those spots should be decent. Maybe not All-Pro worthy (though there is still hope Cross develops into that kind of quality), but good enough to win. But who plays in between the tackles is anyone's guess.
We should assume that John Schneider has a plan, but we cannot be sure if he simply whiffed on some players he would have liked to have signed. Dalton Risner is a guard who is still available in free agency and he might be a possibility for Seattle but anything is better than what the team currently has. If the Seahawks started the season with the offensive line personnel they currently have, the team might have the worst line in the NFL.
Left tackle | Left guard | Center | Right guard | Right tackle |
---|---|---|---|---|
Charles Cross | Tremayne Anchrum | Olu Oluwatimi | Anthony Bradford | Abe Lucas |
Stone Forsythe | Nick Harris | George Fant |
Not only would Seattle have zero proven quality among presumed starters Anchrum, Oluwatimi, and Bradford, but there is no depth behind Anchrum and Bradford. Anchrum was recently signed but has only one start in his three-year career and was only in on 101 snaps over that time. Bradford might potentially be decent at right guard but in his rookie season of 2023, he was graded at number 62 among 79 guards, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
Oluwatimi played 128 snaps in 2023 and flashed the ability to be a good pass blocker. He also likely needed a year to acclimate to the league. He could develop into a decent center, but there is every chance he will never be good.
The might be a positive side to all of this, though. Maybe Cross will be even better in 2024, Oluwatimi will become the center and be terrific (as he was in college), Bradford will become the consistent mauler the team thought they were getting in the 2023 NFL draft, and Lucas will stay healthy. Then Seattle would draft Washington's Troy Fautanu in the first round of the 2024 draft. If all that happens, the Seahawks could go from potentially having an atrocious offensive line to a good one.