Could Seahawks Execute Chiefs-Style Offensive Line Reboot?

Following a disappointing Super Bowl defeat to Tampa Bay, Kansas City hit the reset button in the trenches and brought in five brand new starters to protect Patrick Mahomes. What might the offensive line look like if Seattle emulated that strategy this spring?

Back in February 2021, Patrick Mahomes found himself under heavy siege throughout Super Bowl LV as the Chiefs fell 31-9 to the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium, becoming the latest team unable to secure back-to-back Lombardi Trophies.

Playing behind an offensive line missing starting tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz against a ferocious Tampa Bay pass rush headlined by Shaquill Barrett, Mahomes was under duress on nearly 50 percent of his 56 drop backs according to Pro Football Focus. He took three sacks and nine quarterback hits along the way, managing to scramble out of pressure on numerous other occasions while failing to throw a touchdown and tossing a pair of picks.

In the aftermath of the humbling defeat on the biggest stage, the Chiefs didn't waste time revamping their offensive line to keep Mahomes upright. General manager Brett Veach immediately went to work, handing All-Pro guard Joe Thuney a five-year, $80 million contract in free agency. One month later, he shipped a first-round pick to the Ravens for rising tackle Orlando Brown Jr. Then, he landed two immediate starters in the draft, selecting Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey in the second round and Tennessee guard Trey Smith in the sixth round.

Looking at the front line collectively, only right tackle Lucas Niang had been with the team during the previous season and he sat out after choosing to opt out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While continuity matters along the offensive line, Kansas City proved replacing all five starters can pay immediate dividends, finishing in the top six in pass blocking and run blocking grades per PFF. The unit also finished tied for first in ESPN's Pass Block Win Rate (68 percent), with Thuney, Smith, and Humphrey all finishing in the top three in the league at their respective positions. Brown finished second in Run Block Win Rate (81 percent), while Smith and Humphrey were also ranked in the top 10.

The NFL is a copycat league at its roots and though the Chiefs didn't quite make it back to the Super Bowl, other teams struggling to protect their quarterback will certainly take notice of the success they had replacing their entire offensive line and try to replicate the feat.

Among those teams who may potentially take a crack at their own full-scale offensive line shakeup this offseason, the Seahawks currently have three of their five starting spots open with veteran left tackle Duane Brown, center Ethan Pocic, and right tackle Brandon Shell scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on March 16. Of their players who started at least 10 games last year, only guards Damien Lewis and Gabe Jackson remain under contract.

Coming off a tough 7-10 campaign, what if general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll decided to embark on their own Chiefs-style overhaul and bring in at least four new players to bolster the line?

While the chances of such a strategy being coordinated by Seattle this offseason are slim-to-none, I took on the task of emulating Kansas City's model and replacing all five of the team's starters from last season. As far as ground rules go, in order to truly follow Veach's blueprint to the last letter, I must:

1. Sign a big-name free agent to at least a four-year, $50 million contract

2. Select two immediate starters in April's NFL Draft

3. Elevate a reserve already on the roster into a starting role.

4. Trade at least a day two draft pick for a promising young player.

Keeping those rules of engagement in mind while conducting this simulation, who makes up Seattle's new-look, purely fantasy offensive line? Here's a look at who I landed to protect Russell Wilson in 2022 and beyond:

Left Tackle

2021 Starter: Duane Brown

2022 Starter: Terron Armstead

While the Seahawks have never reeled in a big fish in free agency under Schneider's watch, he did aggressively pursue Thuney last offseason before ultimately bowing out when the bidding war surpassed their budget. If they are going to open up the checkbook to sign a proven veteran lineman this time around, making such an investment in a star left tackle such as Armstead to replace a declining, aging Brown would make the most sense.

Formerly a first-round pick out of Arkansas Pine Bluff, Armstead has dealt with some injuries in his career, including suffering a torn labrum that cost him six games during the 2017 season. He also reportedly underwent knee surgery after the 2021 season, which could lead teams to pause before offering a lucrative contract.

Nonetheless, Armstead has long been heralded as one of the best blind side protectors in the business and received at least an 81.6 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus each of the past seven seasons. Over the past four years, he has allowed one or fewer sacks three times and eclipsed 20 quarterback pressures allowed just once. Though he hasn't been as dominant as a run blocker, he's still never received lower than a 64.1 grade from PFF and his elite athleticism would play well in a pure zone blocking-oriented scheme like the one Shane Waldron employs.

A three-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro, the 30-year old Armstead will likely receive top-five tackle money in free agency, which means whoever signs him should expect to pay at least $17 million annually. For this simulation, Schneider doles out a four-year, $78 million contract to upgrade the most important position on the offensive line, which should make Wilson a happy camper even at the expense of Brown.

Left Guard

2021 Starter: Damien Lewis

2022 Starter: Zion Johnson

In terms of believability, the Seahawks moving on from Lewis after only two seasons would be the least likely to happen. The coaching staff loves the former LSU standout and he offers enough athleticism coupled with his physicality at the point of attack as a run blocker to still be a good fit for their offense. He's considered a foundational piece of the line moving forward and assuming he's healthier next season, his play should improve substantially.

But for this simulation, keeping a full-time starter isn't on the table, so Schneider would need to deal Lewis elsewhere for a mid-round pick to open up a starting spot. Quickly securing his replacement in the draft, Seattle would use its second-round pick (No. 41) on Johnson, a versatile lineman who started his career at the FCS level before transferring and earning All-ACC honors as both a guard and a tackle during his fantastic career at Boston College. He also performed well at center during the Senior Bowl and could play that position at the next level.

As far as NFL fit goes in Seattle, however, the 314-pound Johnson best translates to guard, where his physical style, plus-athleticism, and sound technique would give him a chance to find early success as both a run blocker and pass protector. His previous experience playing left tackle should serve him well when blocking against the disruptive, athletic interior defenders littered throughout the NFC West and an argument can be made he would be an upgrade over Lewis from that standpoint.

Center

2021 Starter: Ethan Pocic

2022 Starter: Luke Fortner

Last offseason, the Seahawks had a prime opportunity to land their center of the future when Humphrey remained available at pick No. 56 in the second round. Instead, Schneider selected receiver Dee Eskridge, who battled injuries throughout his rookie season and only appeared in 10 games. The team moved forward with Pocic and Kyle Fuller vying for the starting role and the decision not to upgrade at the pivot position backfired.

With a chance to make amends for his big mistake neglecting the center spot last year, it's possible Schneider could go the free agent route next month with several respectable candidates to choose from. Rams center Brian Allen, who played for new offensive line coach Andy Dickerson for a couple of seasons, would be a natural fit for Waldron's offense from a skill set and scheme perspective. Buccaneers veteran Ryan Jenson would also be a fun option to sign, as he would bring a mean streak and orneriness to the front line.

But after shelling out huge bucks to sign Armstead, Schneider doesn't pass up on the chance to draft a promising center this time around. Using one of his two fourth round picks to address the position, he snags the experienced Fortner, who played in 55 games for the Wildcats in his college career, including starting 36 consecutive games at guard and center. He also enjoyed a strong week in Mobile at the Senior Bowl last month.

Though not the most physically-imposing blocker at 300 pounds, Fortner plays larger than his size suggests and can create movement at the line of scrimmage. He's at his best moving laterally and in space, which would make him a perfect fit in a zone blocking scheme. He's bit taller and leaner than Allen, but in terms of NFL projection, that may be his ceiling, which the Seahawks would take in a heartbeat compared to their generally subpar center play in recent seasons.

Right Guard

2021 Starter: Gabe Jackson

2022 Starter: Phil Haynes

Much like Lewis, it's hard to envision the Seahawks suddenly deciding to part ways with Jackson after trading a fifth-round pick for him last March and extending his contract through the 2023 season. But given Jackson's age and potential questions about his strengths meshing with Waldron's scheme, it may not be all that far-fetched, especially when considering how well Haynes played in a pair of starts to close out the 2021 season.

Jackson was serviceable in his first year with Seattle, starting 16 games at right guard. However, he did allow a career-high 37 quarterback pressures and received a 55.7 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, easily the worst of his eight-year NFL career. Haynes, albeit with a much smaller sample size, allowed one pressure and no sacks in the final two games. He also served the role of road grader quite well, opening up running lanes for Rashaad Penny to explode for 170-plus rushing yards in each of those games.

Injuries have kept Haynes, a 2019 fourth-round pick, from competing for a starting spot in his first three seasons. Now that he's healthy and showed what he could do in limited action, considering his quality athletic traits stemming from his prior basketball background, he may be a better fit than Jackson with former line coach Mike Solari no longer with the team. He would need to be tendered as a restricted free agent at $2.43 million to prevent him from signing elsewhere, but that would be far cheaper than keeping Jackson at his current $9 million cap hit.

Right Tackle

2021 Starter: Brandon Shell

2022 Starter: Andre Dillard

Unless Seattle decides to part ways with its 2023 first-round pick, Schneider won't be making an identical move to the one Kansas City did acquiring Brown from Baltimore. The team doesn't have a first rounder this year after trading it away as part of the blockbuster deal for safety Jamal Adams two years ago.

But Schneider does have four picks in the first 115 selections and six picks total at his disposal, providing decent ammunition to take a flier on a former first-round pick in Dillard, who hasn't lived up to expectations in Philadelphia. Seeing snaps at both tackle spots, the ex-Washington State star struggled mightily as a rookie in 2019, yielding 25 pressures on just 183 pass blocking reps per PFF. He then sat out 2020 after suffering a season-ending biceps injury in training camp.

Last season, however, aside from the fact he was flagged for seven penalties, the 6-foot-5, 310-pound Dillard played much better when thrust into action as a spot starter for the Eagles at left tackle. Earning a respectable 71.7 pass blocking grade, he allowed just one sack and one quarterback hit on 250 pass protection snaps and also improved his run blocking grade by nearly 10 points.

With Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson cemented as the starting tackles moving forward, Philadelphia may be looking to move Dillard to get an early-to-mid day three selection in return as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. Unafraid of taking on potential one-year rentals for draft compensation, this would be the type of low risk, high reward trade Schneider has knocked the ball out of the park on in the past and at very worst, he would present a worthy competitor for Jake Curhan.