3 Veterans Seahawks Could Pursue to Upgrade Offensive Line

Acknowledging that the organization has more work to do up front, John Schneider and the Seattle Seahawks would be wise to dip into the veteran market for reinforcements at guard or center.

Aug 12, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Jets guard Laken Tomlinson (78) and / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Less than a month away from the 2024 NFL Draft, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider understands why some fans may be concerned with the current state of the team's offensive line as the calendar approaches April.

While Seattle has been active addressing several needs on both sides of the football in free agency, including signing linebacker Jerome Baker and safety Rayshawn Jenkins among others, Schneider didn't make any notable splashes signing proven starters in the interior of the offensive line. After losing four-year starter Damien Lewis and center Evan Brown to Carolina and Arizona respectively, the team has only added center Nick Harris and guard Tremayne Anchrum, who have started five combined regular season games in the NFL between them.

As things stand, with second-year center Olu Oluwatimi slated to take over for Brown and Anthony Bradford being the most experienced guard on the roster, the Seahawks have just 16 games of starting experience in the interior offensive line. For the entire starting unit, third-year tackle Charles Cross now holds the title of "elder statesman" with 31 starts under his belt.

But before fans start hitting the panic button, as Schneider reminded hosts Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton on his weekly radio show on Seattle Sports 710, there's plenty of time left in the offseason to shore up the roster in the trenches and the Seahawks will remain proactive considering both veteran and incoming rookie options.

“I know there can be an uneasiness of not having things as solid or ‘fixed,’ you know? But it’s a constant process,” Schneider said. “I think [head coach Mike Macdonald] said it the other day, ‘We’re not playing next week.’ So we’re gonna constantly be working on everything.”

Over the next four weeks, Schneider and Seattle's scouting staff will be kicking draft preparation into overdrive, wrapping up evaluations on a highly regarded offensive line class featuring several potential first-round caliber guards and centers. But while those assessments continue, they will also kick the tires on seasoned vets who may be able to step right in as starters and solidify the line with a much-needed leadership presence in the short term.

With the market picked down substantially, which veterans could be on Schneider's radar as potential fits at guard and/or center?

Laken Tomlinson

Originally a first-round pick for the Lions back in 2015, Tomlinson has had a rock solid NFL career to this point, starting 138 games in nine seasons with three teams. His most successful run happened in San Francisco, where he made his first and only Pro Bowl squad in 2021 as one of the anchors of the 49ers stout offensive line. He continued to play well in his first season with the Jets in 2022, allowing just one sack on 713 pass blocking reps, but his performance nose-dived last year in part due to the loss of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. With a struggling Zach Wilson holding onto the football too long far too often, per Pro Football Focus, he surrendered a career-worst seven sacks and 51 pressures in the worst season of his career by a wide margin.

In the prime of his career, Tomlinson helped the 49ers advance to the Super Bowl in 2019 and made his only Pro Bowl in 2021. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Given Tomlinson's dramatic regression last season, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the 32-year old has yet to sign anywhere. Considering how bad the Jets were on offense last season, however, it's more than plausible that a change of scenery playing in Ryan Grubb's offense with the Seahawks could bring him back to his previous level as a quality starting guard at a veteran minimum cost. With over 9,000 career snaps at left guard and an extensive history of being a strong run blocker, he could immediately slide into the lineup across from Bradford and instantly provide a solidifying presence in the middle who can mentor an incoming rookie.

Dalton Risner

For a second straight offseason, despite only being 28 years old and having a great track record as a pass protector, Risner hasn't been able to find employment early in free agency. Last year, he didn't sign with a team until joining the Vikings after the start of the regular season in September, and he demonstrated some rust on the field, allowing a career-high 30 pressures and 11 quarterback hits. At the same time, he still didn't give up any sacks, and in four of his previous five NFL seasons, he has allowed three or fewer sacks with a pass blocking efficiency rate north of 97 percent and only has drawn nine penalties on 2,614 snaps playing left guard exclusively.

After joining the Vikings early in the regular season last September, Risner started in 11 out of 15 games played at left guard. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

On the lighter side at 6-5, 312 pounds, Risner has never been known for his run blocking acumen, finishing with lower than a 54 run grade from PFF in three of his five seasons. That may be a contributing factor to his prolonged free agency for a second straight year along with the fact that the player may be asking for more money than teams are willing to pay for a linemen who may be viewed as a bit too one-dimensional for a big contract. With that said, his ability to keep the quarterback upright should be of great interest to the Seahawks, whose offense will be built around Geno Smith slinging the pigskin to DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. At the right price, he would be a worthwhile upgrade over the current cast of guards on the roster.

Connor Williams

Unlike Tomlinson or Risner, Williams remains on the market primarily because of a lengthy injury history, including suffering a torn ACL in Week 14 last season. He also suffered the same injury in 2019 when he was with the Cowboys, who drafted him in the second round out of Texas in the 2018 NFL Draft. In the midst of an arduous rehab process, interest in him should pick up after next month's draft as teams get updates on his recovery because he's been a quality player when healthy and has over 1,000 career snaps at left guard and center, providing immense versatility.

Suffering a torn ACL for the second time in his NFL career last season, Williams may not sign with a team for a while as he recovers from reconstructive knee surgery. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA

Stellar in pass protection at either position, Williams hasn't allowed more than 15 pressures in a season since 2020, and he has yielded five combined sacks in the previous three seasons in 43 regular season games. He's also developed into a quality run blocker, helping the Dolphins finish sixth in the NFL last season in rushing yards while earning an elite 90.5 run blocking grade before succumbing to his latest knee injury. Just 26 years old, the Seahawks may want to check in to see how his recovery is going and if he's trending towards potentially being ready for the start of the 2024 season, he could be a buy low option with the potential to be a long-term fixture at left guard or center.