Seattle Seahawks Training Camp: New Staff Rolling Dice With O-Line Youth Movement

Struggling to protect Geno Smith or create push in the run game a year ago, the Seahawks look poised to deploy one of the NFL's youngest offensive lines in 2024.

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

Plummeting to 17th in scoring offense and ultimately missing the postseason a year ago, the Seattle Seahawks went into the offseason once again facing significant questions along the offensive line with multiple starters set to hit the market in free agency after a disappointing season from the unit.

Ultimately, to no surprise given the unit's struggles protecting Geno Smith and opening up lanes in the run game last season, the Seahawks let four-year starting guard Damien Lewis bolt to join the Panthers and former starting center Evan Brown signed with the Cardinals. In addition, ex-starting right guard Phil Haynes still hasn't been signed, ensuring the team will have three new starters in the interior heading into a new season.

While some fans hoped to see Seattle splurge on a proven veteran in free agency to address a long-standing issue up front, general manager John Schneider stuck to his previous team-building philosophies, leaning heavily on the draft and bargain bin veteran signings to help plug the gaps in the trenches. Aside from adding former New York Jets starter Laken Tomlinson, youth took center stage with the majority of the team's line additions being 25 years of age or younger, headlined by the selection of UConn All-American guard Christian Haynes in the third round of April's NFL draft.

With training camp just around the corner, new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb acknowledged during OTAs in June that the Seahawks new-look offensive line remains a work in progress for a number of reasons, including having several players such as tackle Abraham Lucas coming back from injuries and the lack of padded practices for evaluation to this point.

“We've got a little ways to go there and I just mean more about the reps and opportunity," Grubb said. "Some of the guys are still working through things and getting back and so there's been a lot of guys shuffling in and out there, but we've been working through some of that, and I think that they'll continue to grow each week. I think Charles [Cross] and Laken [Tomlinson] have done a good job of building the mesh on the left side a little bit there. So that's probably the most continuity we've seen is those two guys working together. I think that's the next step for us is continuing to build continuity within that group."

Given the prohibition of contact and overall limitations of offseason practices, no positional group may be more difficult to assess before training camp than the offensive line. As Grubb noted, that obvious issue becomes more problematic when several newcomers such as Tomlinson and Haynes are trying to get acclimated and build continuity with new teammates up front.

But while the real evaluations will begin when pads start popping in August, new line coach Scott Huff has impressed thus far with his attention to detail and fundamentals. Formerly working with Grubb at Washington, he helped develop several future NFL draft picks, including Steelers first-round pick Troy Fautanu, and he has made the most out of practice time as he learns a new group of players by emphasizing technique and run fits above all else.

Of course, while sharpening fundamentals always will be a positive, Huff faces the challenge of trying to quickly assemble a cohesive unit that could have as many as two first-time NFL starters in the lineup out of the gate in Haynes and second-year center Olu Oluwatimi. Adding to potential concerns, Lucas missed all of the offseason program after sitting out 11 games with knee problems last year, and until he's back on the field healthy, questions will persist.

Developing chemistry will be crucial to better performance compared to a year ago, which could make the late signing of Tomlinson one of the most overlooked additions for the Seahawks. His presence with 138 career NFL starts under his belt should provide much-needed mentorship and leadership playing alongside Charles Cross and Oluwatimi, while he also will be a great resource for Haynes, Anthony Bradford, and rest of the team's young stable of guards.

In part six of our annual training camp preview, will a purposeful youth movement generate improved play along the offensive line? Here's a deep dive into the position group looking back at last season, exploring what's new for 2024, an interesting stat, and the key question that must be answered.

2023 in Review

The Seahawks couldn't have asked for much worse of a start to the season in the trenches, as Cross and Lucas both exited in the second half of their season-opening loss to the Rams with injuries, forcing Jake Curhan and Stone Forsythe into action. While Cross returned after missing three games, Lucas remained out on injured reserve until late November, forcing the team to bring 41-year old Jason Peters into the mix to take snaps from Forsythe. Health wasn't great in the interior either, as starting right guard Phil Haynes missed nine games and Bradford was thrust into a starting role for more than half of his rookie season.

Dec 10, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Abraham Lucas (72) blocks San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports / Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Playing musical chairs up front, Seattle deployed eight different starting offensive line combinations in its first 10 games and for the year, 10 different linemen received at least one start. Given that lack of continuity, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the unit struggled in all facets, including finishing 28th in Pro Football Focus' pass blocking grade (52.9) and 25th in ESPN's Pass Block Win Rate (53 percent). Away from allowing too much pressure on Smith, the team ranked 28th in rushing yards in 2023 and sat dead last in yards per carry in the red zone, illustrating their woes creating any room to operate for Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.

What's New?

After rotating through right tackles as often as players change clothes, the Seahawks prioritized finding an insurance upgrade behind Cross and Lucas. To check off that box, they brought back veteran George Fant, who has logged more than 1,000 career snaps at both tackle positions after beginning his career as an undrafted signee out of Western Kentucky. They would later invest a sixth-round pick in developmental tackle Michael Jerrell, a Division II All-American selection out of Findlay.

Most of Seattle's moves came in the interior, however. After losing Lewis and Brown in free agency, they initially signed former Los Angeles Rams reserve Tremayne Anchrum and ex-Browns backup center Nick Harris in March, waiting nearly a month later before inking Tomlinson on a one-year deal. Without a second round pick, the team lucked out with Haynes remaining available midway through the third round and quickly snagged him as a potential long-term starter on the right side. Further improving depth, Schneider double-dipped at guard by selecting Utah's Sataoa Laumea in the sixth round, adding another quality player to the mix who could offer starting potential down the line.

Interesting Stat

The Seahawks allowed opposing defenses to pressure Smith on 40.3 percent of drop backs, per Pro Football Focus, the sixth-highest rate in the NFL. The offensive line received blame for 87.6 percent of those pressures, third-most in the league.

Key Question

Did the Seahawks do enough to improve one of the NFL's worst lines from a year ago?

On paper, at least from an upside standpoint, there's more reason for optimism in regard to the Seahawks offensive line than there was a year ago with promising young starter candidates at guard and center. Though he only started one game as a rookie, Oluwatimi performed at a high level on 128 offensive snaps, as the former Rimington Award winner allowed just one pressure on 68 pass blocking reps and showed signs of being a capable starter at the pivot position. Meanwhile, Bradford, Haynes, and second-year blocker McClendon Curtis look set to engage in an intense three-horse competition at right guard between a trio of players 24 years old or younger.

For Seattle's offensive line to take a positive step forward under Huff, however, they will need Cross and Lucas to not only stay healthy, but elevate their games towards becoming top-10 tackles at their respective positions. Cross has flashed first-round talent at times, but he has been far from consistent enough protecting Smith's blind side and allowed 42 pressures and six sacks last season. As for Lucas, his knee injury prevented him from playing close to his capabilities in six games a year ago, and the team has to be hoping offseason surgery addressed the problem so that he can round back into form as a physical run blocker and smooth pass protector on the right side.

If there's an X-factor to watch up front, Tomlinson takes the cake, as he could be the bridge starter at left guard the Seahawks needed to help mesh an otherwise youthful offensive line together to quickly build a cohesive unit. Though he's coming off a subpar year by his standards, he's only a few years removed from being selected to the Pro Bowl and his vast experience will be invaluable to Cross and Oluwatimi, who should benefit from his presence in numerous ways. Aside from his leadership, he also has been a pretty solid player in his own right, and a bounce back season would work wonders for the offense as a whole.