Offensive Line, Run Game Key to Unlocking Ryan Grubb's Seattle Seahawks Offense

The Seahawks have ample offensive weapons they want to get the ball to in 2024, but that won't be possible without quality play up front to set up the run game.

Seahawks rookie Christian Haynes listens to instructions from coach Scott Huff prior to a sled blocking drill at OTAs. / Corbin Smith/All Seahawks

Since Ryan Grubb was hired as the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, it’s been hard not to dream about how his explosive Washington offense that led the nation in pass yards will adapt to the NFL — especially with the weapons the team already has on its roster.

However, multiple other areas must be shored up before the air-raid facet of Grubb’s offense can fire on all cylinders. Seattle needs to run the ball — and run it well — and protect quarterback Geno Smith far better than the past two seasons.

As a guest on the Locked On Seahawks podcast, Tacoma News Tribune reporter Gregg Bell dove into his thoughts on Grubb’s offense, what makes it tick and what the current state of Seattle’s offensive line is. Bell’s message: It all starts with the run game.

“[Offensive guard play] is going to be important because they want to run inside and outside zone, as you know, with Ryan Grubb,” Bell said. “Everyone thinks Grubb and [Michael] Penix just threw the ball over the yard with Odunze and all the NFL receivers they had. And it’s true — [Penix] threw for 4,900 yards to lead the nation. But that was predicated on Dillon Johnson running for 1,100 yards.

“They are going to go back to square one on the run game. Charbonnet is going to be in it; Walker’s going to still be the number one and Charbonnet the number two. But they need horses to block like that.”

Seattle has had four starting right guards in the last five seasons and a different center every year since trading Max Unger to New Orleans in the Jimmy Graham trade back in 2015. The continuity won’t improve heading into 2024, but the Seahawks do have a chance to begin building that consistency with all the young, unproven offensive linemen on their roster.

The Seahawks brought in veteran left guard Laken Tomlinson to fill the vacancy left by Damien Lewis and drafted rookie guards Christian Haynes (UConn) and Sataoa Laumea (Utah) to try and plug the ever-widening holes in their offensive line. Haynes will compete with 2023 undrafted free agent McClendon Curtis and former fourth-round pick Anthony Bradford at right guard, while Laumea looks set to backup Tomlinson at left guard.

“If you count what Damian Lewis did at left guard, their guard play was so poor last year that no matter who it ends up being at right guard, there’s a great chance that’s going to be an improvement over what they’ve had year over year the last few years at the guard position,” Bell said. “The only sure thing on the offensive line is at left tackle, as you know, with Charles Cross, and he had his problems with the best speed rushers, not only in the league but in the division.”

Bell added the offensive line “is far from settled” and projected Haynes to win the starting right guard position due to his proficiency as both a run- and pass-blocker. However, even if they are improved overall, it likely won’t be enough to win the division, Bell said.

“The gap on the line of scrimmage on both the offensive and defensive lines against San Francisco, to me, is still too large that no matter what Ryan Grubb wants to do with Geno Smith and DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jackson Smith-Njigba, Kenneth Walker — it won’t matter if those four horses in the front aren’t blocking consistently,” Bell said. “And that’s where I think sometimes Geno Smith gets a bad rap.”

Abraham Lucas will also need to remain healthy and effective to avoid veteran George Fant stepping in as a full-time starting option, but that remains an upgrade over what the Seahawks had last season with Stone Forsythe. At the center spot, former Rimington Trophy winner Olu Oluwatimi must develop into a reliable starter and anchor the offensive line.

Protecting Smith is, of course, a huge piece of what the offensive line must do to help Seattle win football games. But they also must create lanes for the Seahawks’ running backs to allow the team to reach second and third-and-manageable situations to even think about being able to open up the passing game. It all starts in the trenches, and with offensive line coach Scott Huff.

“They won’t know the full Ryan Grubb experience until they can run the ball,” Bell said. “We won’t be able to see it until they run, and they won’t be able to run until they have offensive line play to do it.”