The Seattle Seahawks needing offensive line help is no secret. As general manager John Schneider implied recently, the issue is obvious to everyone. Besides left tackle Charles Cross, arguably any of Seattle's offensive linemen who started any amount of games this past season could be upgraded. Not only did Seattle give up 54 sacks, but its run defense was even worse.
In theory, though, the tackle spots are not the problem. Cross has turned into a pretty good left tackle. He graded as the ninth-best overall tackle in the league this past season, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). When healthy, right tackle Abraham Lucas is decent, and he is expected to be healthy at the start of 2025.
What Seattle really needs to do is find good answers to both guard spots and at center. The assumption is that Olu Oluwatimi will start at center next year, and right guard will be manned by either Christian Haynes, Anthony Bradford, or Sataoa Laumea. None of those options are good.
Seahawks trading for offensive tackle Jack Conklin of the Browns would be a mistake
But what would be worse is if the Seahawks traded for another offensive tackle, especially an expensive one. That is the idea that Bleacher Report recently put forth as the site believes a "dream" scenario would be Seattle trading for Cleveland Browns tackle Jack Conklin. That would be a massive mistake, despite the fact that the Seahawks do not need a tackle.
Conklin is a decent pass protector, though he is not nearly as good at run-blocking. He is also 30 years old with an injury history. He played in 12 games in 2024, but just one in 2023. He also played just seven in 2021. In other words, Conklin is hardly any more healthy than Lucas has been so there is no upgrade.
Plus, Conklin would cost the Seahawks nearly $5 million once he is added. Seattle has no cap space currently. Even when they create some by releasing some expensive veterans, which they will, the team should not spend nearly $5 million on a player who plays a position where the Seahawks do not need much help.
Candace Pedraza of FanSided's Cleveland Browns site, Dawg Pound Daily, might have said it best about any potential Conklin trade when she wrote, "...if the Browns can trade him for someone cheaper, like on a rookie deal, or even for draft compensation, they should."
In other words, while Conklin is expensive, his value is nothing higher than someone whose only good return is that they are cheaper. Seattle has Lucas and the team just needs to hope he stays healthy. Fixing the interior of the offensive line should be the priority.