Seahawks’ coordinator assesses remade offensive line as still a work a progress
One of the Seahawks’ four offensive-line spots that had been in question is not anymore.
Coordinator and play caller Brian Schottenheimer all but assured before training-camp practice Tuesday that 33-year-old veteran Mike Iupati will once again be the starting left guard. Iupati, re-signed this spring, will be next to Pro Bowl veteran Duane Brown, who is still anchoring left tackle on the otherwise overhauled line for this season.
Schottenheimer said Seattle signing veterans B.J. Finney, Brandon Shell and Cedic Ogbuehi this offseason then drafting new starting right guard Damien Lewis this spring were moves to increase the competition for jobs on the shaky offensive line. The unit continued to have problems protecting quarterback Russell Wilson on pass plays in 2019.
“I think we have certainly done that,” Schottenheimer said of the increased competition 10 practices into training camp.
“We feel great with Duane and Mike on the left side. That’s pretty consistent for us,” the play caller said of Seattle’s starters there from last season. “But, OK, let’s let these other guys kind of battle it out.
“And we are beginning to see it take shape. We are beginning to have an idea of where we are going.”
Here’s where they have been going through 10 practices:
1. Lewis has been the starter at right guard since drill one of practice one. There is no one remotely challenging last year’s national-champion starter at LSU.
Ask veteran linebacker and rush defensive end Bruce Irvin to name the offensive linemen that have impressed him most as he’s gone at them in practices, and Irvin mentions, in order: Brown and Lewis.
“Sixty-eight,” Irvin said, mentioning Lewis’ jersey number but not the rookie’s name, “has really caught my eye.”
Lewis has been everything the Seahawks sought and more when they drafted him in the third round to replace D.J. Fluker, who signed with Baltimore.
“We heard so many good things about Damien Lewis and how he would be able to handle things and stuff right out of the chutes,” coach Pete Carroll said.
“He has.”
Schottenheimer says Lewis has “great football awareness, great football instincts,” and that coming from big-time LSU nothing is too big for the rookie.
Even a starting job from week one throughout his first season.
“D-Lew’s been awesome,” Schottenheimer said.
2. Finney has become a mystery. Seattle gave him $8 million for two seasons with $5 million guaranteed this spring. That’s big bucks for a blocker on the Seahawks. They have been skimping with minimum-salary guys for years on the offensive line while paying Wilson, All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner, wide receiver Tyler Lockett and others. That money—plus Seattle subsequently cutting starting center Justin Britt and his backup Joey Hunt this offseason—cleared the path for Finney to be the new starting center.
He was, for the first days of training camp. But Schottenheimer mentioned Finney has struggled picking up all of the offense, which is different in terminology, play calls, audibles with Wilson and blocking schemes than what he ran for four years with Pittsburgh.
Ethan Pocic has been the starting center for the last four practices, including in Saturday’s mock game. Pocic was LSU’s starting center five years ago. Since Seattle drafted him in the second round in 2017 he’s been mostly a backup at guard and some at tackle.
The coronavirus pandemic shutting down team facilities in the NFL all spring into summer and canceling all offseason practices then truncating this training camp down to 14 full-pads practices did Finney no favors, in particular.
The Steelers were 11-2 in games Finney started on their offensive line the last four years. But most of those starts came at left guard. He move to center for two games last season when Maurkice Pouncey was suspended.
The Seahawks are learning center is the one position on the line that is not just plug in from another system and play.
There’s a reason Wilson has had only two full-time centers in his career: Max Unger and Britt.
“B.J., it’s hard, right? You are coming in and you are trying to learn the system,” Schottenheimer said. “As a center I would say it has probably the hardest on him. Not because he’s not learning it, but he’s got the most to learn of all those guys. And you see him making those strides and getting more and more comfortable every day.”
3. Brandon Shell is a quicker, more athletic right tackle than Germain Ifedi.
The word when Shell was with the Jets was he was a better pass protector than run blocker.
So far, he’s been a better pass protector than the Seahawks had the last four years with Ifedi getting penalized while slow to get out to speedy edge rushers on Wilson’s front side.
Shell has shown quickness and athleticism that is particularly impressive for a man 6 feet 5 and 324 pounds. He’s not really being challenged for the right-tackle job.
“Brandon Shell’s been terrific,” Schottenheimer said.
“He is exactly what we were hoping he would be,” Carroll said last week.
4. Jamarco Jones is earning playing time. In what form? That is to be determined.
The Seahawks drafted him in the fifth round in 2018 to be Brown’s eventual heir at left tackle. That’s what Jones was for Ohio State.
Since then he’s missed his entire rookie season on injured reserve, started as a fill-in for the injured Ifedi at right tackle, then wowed coaches for how he performed against Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh and the Rams’ disruptive defensive line playing guard for the first time in his life in an emergency start for Fluker two years ago.
This month, Jones has been the most consistent one-on-one blocker in camp, particularly in the man-on-man pass-blocking drills each day. Loops, stunt, swim moves and bull rushes—Jones has consistently stopped them all, from veterans such as Irvin, Benson Mayowa and Jarran Reed to inexperienced L.J. Collier and rookie Alton Robinson.
“I’d be remiss if I said Jamarco Jones wasn’t having a terrific camp,” Schottenheimer said.
Jones can play four of the five spots on the line: right and left tackle, right and left guard. That will make him at least the sixth, swing offensive lineman active for each game. History and nature of the job say one of the starters will get hurt this season. Jones will be there to play. Again.
5. The line has consistently struggled picking up and then effectively blocking blitzers. The next time the offense blocks new All-Pro Jamal Adams on a safety blitz may be the first time. Cornerbacks such as Tre Flowers, nickel back Marquise Blair, All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner and more have stormed in on Wilson untouched regularly this month.
So, as Schottenheimer said of his offensive and line Tuesday, “we’re close, we’re not there yet.
“(Wednesday, the second of two mock-game scrimmages at CenturyLink Field) will be a really big evaluation for us.”
This story was originally published August 25, 2020 at 2:50 PM.
