The Seahawks were reported on Sunday to be aggressively pursuing additions to their offensive line.
While the Seahawks were off on Sunday, they were still part of the weekly NFL news and rumor cycle.
Specifically, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported that Seattle is avidly pursuing a veteran offensive lineman via a trade.
That’s not necessarily breaking news — Seattle has been linked for a week or so as possibly interested in Houston left tackle Duane Brown, who remains holding out, and last week also brought in veteran free agent left tackle Branden Albert for a visit.
But La Canfora’s report only added to the idea that the Seahawks may be aggressive in pursuing help on the offensive line as the NFL trade deadline on Oct. 31 approaches.
La Canfora wrote that “the always-aggressive Seahawks continue to seek ways to upgrade their offensive line” adding that “though the team is handicapped to a degree by a lack of cap space, league sources said they have been proactive in their pursuits for weeks. Several general managers said they expect the Seahawks to focus their attention now on Duane Brown, a former Pro Bowl left tackle who has been holding out all season in Houston. Brown intends to end his holdout a week from Monday, when the Texans return from their Week 7 bye. It just so happens that Brown’s first game back, if the Texans do not utilize a three-week roster exemption on him, would be at Seattle on Oct. 29, the final game before the Oct. 31 bye. The Seahawks had previously approached the Bills about their left tackle, Cordy Glenn, but those conversations largely fizzled.”
As La Canfora noted, Seattle has little salary cap space — just $1.9 million entering the weekend — so any trade for a veteran making much of anything would be tricky and would almost certainly require trading veterans who make money.
Just as interesting, though, is what La Canfora said he is hearing for why Seattle wants to make a trade.
Wrote La Canfora: “The Seahawks are first in the NFC [West] and quarterback Russell Wilson is performing at a high level, and better protection for him remains paramount. Some of the Seahawks young linemen are improving, but they are focused on getting back to the Super Bowl and the team has not shied away from bold moves for players like Percy Harvin and Jimmy Graham in the past.”
With an aging defense — according to ESPN the Seahawks had the second-oldest defense in the NFL on Opening Day — it’s little secret that the future is now for Seattle.
Aggressively pursuing a trade to improve the team’s most significant weakness would provide further proof that Seattle feels it has a window of opportunity it wants to maximize now.
But playing for now might also somewhat complicate Seattle’s trade options — you wouldn’t think the Seahawks would trade an obvious game-changer such as Graham, for instance, if the goal is to win now, even if his $10 million salary and obvious ability might make him one of the more logical trade pieces.
That window of opportunity for Seattle may seem even more open after some of what happened on an especially crazy Sunday in the NFL. Notably, Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone and might be out for the season while defending NFC conference champ Atlanta lost for the second time this season at home to a team from the AFC East, on Sunday blowing a 17-0 lead to fall to Miami 20-17.
Suddenly, the NFC seems as wide open as ever with no reason to think a Seattle team that has won at least one playoff game each of the past five years has any less of a chance than anyone else in the conference.
La Canfora, though, also states that the Seahawks’ efforts “may result in a far lower-profile transaction before the (Oct. 31 trade) deadline.”
In fact, there remains conjecture that Seattle could sign Albert this week, possibly as early as Monday.
Albert, who made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2015 and turns 33 early next month, had an official visit with the Seahawks last Monday. While it was reported that he was expected to make a visit with the Giants last week that did not happen with a source telling the Times that Albert remained in Seattle into the weekend.
While it was unclear if that meant the Seahawks had extended interest in Albert, that could mean the Seahawks were simply trying to get through the bye week before making the roster move needed to put Albert on the 53-man roster (players get paid during the bye week, as well, so delaying it could save Seattle a little money against the cap assuming that Albert, even at the veteran minimum, would likely make more than whatever player Seattle would release, and also just mean not having to pay an additional player last week).
The Seahawks are already entering the week knowing they will have at least one change to their offensive line as left guard Luke Joeckel is not expected to play next Sunday against the Giants in New York after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee last week (it was expected to have happened on Thursday).
Joeckel has played every snap this season with Seattle likely to go with either Mark Glowinski or rookie Ethan Pocic at left guard in his place against the Giants and for however long he might be out.
If the Seahawks were to sign Albert, what will obviously be interesting is how they create a roster spot for him.
Seattle already has 10 offensive linemen, one more than it has often had on its 53-man roster through the years, and usually having three inactive on gamedays.
It seems hard to fathom Seattle would keep 11 offensive linemen if it signed Albert, meaning likely releasing one of the OLs on its current roster to make room.
Seattle’s two offensive linemen who have not been active for the team all season are left tackle Isaiah Battle and rookie guard Jordan Roos. Seattle coaches have spoken highly of the long-term potential of both, and given the dearth of offensive linemen throughout the league it might be tough for the Seahawks to sneak either through waivers and back onto the practice squad.
Seattle also traded a conditional 2018 seventh-round pick to the Chiefs for Battle. It’s unclear what the conditions are — if they have or have not been met that could obviously factor in to any decision on Battle if it comes to that (meaning, the conditions having not been met, and not having to give a pick to the Chiefs, might make it easier to waive Battle).
The Seahawks return to practice Monday following their bye week as they begin preparations for Sunday’s game against the Giants. It may be more clear by then if Seattle has plans to add to its offensive line this week.