The Seattle Seahawks are unlikely to address the center position at any point this offseason. With a shallow draft class at that spot, the team feels comfortable with the players they have in-house already.
General manager John Schneider spoke to reporters on Monday at the annual NFL owners' meetings, stating Seattle doesn't believe it will be able to find a center upgrade in the draft, per ESPN's Brady Henderson.
That means third-year former Rimington Trophy winner Olu Oluwatimi and second-year undrafted free agent Jalen Sundell will likely enter a training camp competition. Oluwatimi started eight games last season after free-agent signing Connor Williams abruptly retired during the team's bye week.
Sundell is an intriguing case, as he played in 12 games last season but only took 57 snaps on offense. Of those snaps, 48 were at center in Week 15. But the versatile former North Dakota State standout has the versatility to move around the offensive line.
"He can play several different positions," Schneider said, per Henderson. "The staff really likes him. He’s smart, tough, reliable. That’s going to be interesting. Those two guys, that’s going to be pretty interesting there, but center’s going to be hard [to find an upgrade in the draft]."
Sundell could also be in contention for one of the guard spots, especially if Oluwatimi emerges as the clear favorite at center. They could try to get Sundell on the field by any means necessary if he plays well enough in training camp.
If it's Oluwatimi who maintains the role, the Seahawks won't necessarily be in a bad place. Oluwatimi played fairly well in his starts and could develop into an effective long-term starter. The guard spots are far more worrisome, but the draft has a fair amount of potential replacement options.
