The Seattle Seahawks took some steps this offseason to address their glaring issues along the interior offensive line.
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They spent their first-round draft pick on North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel, who is expected to be their starting left guard. They hired new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, whose Shanahan-style scheme figures to put the O-line in better position for success. And they brought in veteran offensive line coach John Benton, who carries a wealth of experience from his two decades coaching NFL O-lines.
But did they do enough? One NFL expert isn’t so sure.
Last week, FTN Fantasy’s Aaron Schatz wrote a piece for ESPN that proposed one final offseason move for every NFL team. For the Seahawks, it was signing five-time Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff, who remains available on the free agent market.
Schatz explained his reasoning during an appearance Monday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.
“I think Scherff still has a good amount in the tank,” Schatz said. “He played well last year. So it’s not like he’s done. And obviously, what is the biggest question about the Seahawks right now? It’s interior offensive line.”
Scherff, 33, has made 140 starts over his 10-year NFL career. The former No. 5 overall pick spent his first seven seasons with Washington, where he earned five Pro Bowl selections over a six-year span from 2016 to 2021 – including a first-team All-Pro nod in 2020. He then spent the past three seasons in Jacksonville, where he started all 51 games for the Jaguars.
Last season, the 6-foot-5, 315-pound Scherff ranked 36th out of 77 guards in Pro Football Focus grading. He was 12th among guards in pass block grading and 55th in run block grading.
Even though Scherff is likely past his prime, Schatz thinks he’d be a definite upgrade over the Seahawks’ current center and right guard options. Olu Oluwatimi and Jalen Sundell are the favorites for the center job, while Christian Haynes and Anthony Bradford are the top two contenders at right guard.
“You feel good about Zabel,” Schatz said. “But Oluwatimi, Christian Haynes, Anthony Bradford – it sounds like a bunch of meh. So, you bring in a really good veteran into that competition. And if he wins a job, and then the better of those other three wins the other job, I think you’re feeling better about your interior offensive line.”
