Seahawks To Build 2025 OL Through All Avenues

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said the team is looking at all options to solidify their offensive line heading into next season.

Connor Benintendi | 14 Hours Ago

Dec 8, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; General view down the line of scrimmage as the Seattle Seahawks prepare to snap the ball against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In this story:

Seattle Seahawks

The offensive line was the 2024 Seattle Seahawks' biggest weakness, like many of the rosters before them.

An injury-plagued lineup and poor overall play by Seattle’s offensive front led to production and scheme inconsistencies and made life far more difficult for the running backs and quarterback Geno Smith.

Some combinations were better than others — namely the end-of-season group — but it became the Seahawks’ Achilles heel with untimely sacks and a run game that rarely kept the offense ahead of the sticks.

Smith was sacked 50 times, third-most in the NFL. Of those sacks, 88.2 percent were credited to offensive line errors, per Pro Football Focus, which was the fourth-highest rate in the league.

On the ground, the struggles resulted from questionable play calling by now-fired offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and the offensive line appearing to never fully gel. The Seahawks finished with the fifth-worst run game in the league, averaging just 95.7 yards per game — the second straight season Seattle has had a bottom-five ground attack.

There was progress once the revolving door stopped spinning, and the group got healthier. Still, it wasn’t a strength of the offense.

“You look at the guys who were playing towards the end of the season, Abe [Lucas] coming off the injury, Olu [Oluwatimi] really taking the center spot,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said on Tuesday. “Jalen Sundell had some good reps. Sataoa [Laumea] thought he played some really good football for us, so he’s got a great future.”

Lucas, Seattle’s right tackle, worked back from offseason knee surgery and started the team’s final seven games outside of the season finale once they were eliminated from playoff contention. Before that, the Seahawks started three different players at that spot during the season.

Oluwatimi filled in at center following Connor Williams’ abrupt retirement during the Week 10 bye. He arguably played better than Williams, but he’s not yet a shoo-in to be the long-term starter there.

Left tackle Charles Cross is still probably the team’s best offensive lineman, and he’s remained relatively healthy. Whether he’s played to the level of a former ninth-overall pick is a different story as he enters a contract year.

The guard spots remain the biggest issue. Rookie Sataoa Laumea started the final six games but allowed 23 pressures in 219 pass snaps, per PFF — the second-highest rate on the team behind only previous starting right guard Anthony Bradford. Veteran Laken Tomlinson was decent pressure-wise but ineffective in the run game.

Rookie Christian Haynes, drafted two rounds ahead of Laumea, had his chances at right guard before and after Bradford was placed on injured reserve in Week 13. Laumea won the job the rest of the season.

“I think he’s got a bright future. I really do,” Macdonald said of Haynes. “When we were making that decision to go to Sataoa [Laumea], it wasn’t that Christian hadn’t done enough to earn an opportunity. We just felt like Sataoa did more, but Christian’s gotten all the reps, he still had meaningful reps early in the season. I thought he played well earlier in the season, good enough to win, but we want more from our entire offense.”

It’s a near certainty Seattle’s starting offensive line will look different next season. That could involve bringing in free agent talent, drafting talent or providing opportunities to players already on the roster after an offseason of further development.

Dec 8, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Sataoa Laumea (63) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Seattle will have the No. 18 pick in the first round of the draft this season as the only 10-plus-win team to miss the playoffs. There will likely be day-one starter potential remaining in the middle of the round.

“It’s both. We believe in the guys we’ve got. Players are allowed to get better, our guys are going to get better, they’re going to develop,” Macdonald said of an emphasis on developing in-house talent or acquiring other talent. “I think we’ve got the right type of guys. And of course, you could ask me at any position ‘Are you guys going to look to try to find other players at that position?’ Yes. Yes, we are. Of course.

“There are all of these different ways that you can do that in timing, right now we’re looking at free agency. You know the cadence of it, but that’s the mentality of ‘Hey, we’re going to develop the heck out of our guys, but we’re never going to take ourselves out of the running of possibly adding a great player that fits us.’”

The Seahawks will continue punching a brick wall if they don’t find answers on their offensive line. The roster is too talented at the skill positions not to provide sound play up front and allow Smith time in the pocket.

Seattle’s running back trio of Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet and Kenny McIntosh may all be 1,000-yard rushers in offenses with top-end play in the trenches.

Macdonald has the luxury of a full offseason with the team to fine-tune the roster with a new offensive coordinator. If offensive line coach Scott Huff is retained, he will also have a full offseason with the current personnel. That could make a huge difference in 2025.