KIRKLAND — Because he spends so much time teaching players to use their hands, Mike Solari could be compared to a plastic surgeon.
His latest project as new offensive line coach of the Seattle Seahawks is kind of like trying to restore the beauty of a weathered starlet.
Solari is the man that the Seahawks hired to help bring back the glory of Seattle’s 2005 offensive line. While two Pro Bowlers are gone from that unit — guard Steve Hutchinson signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2006, and center Robbie Tobeck retired a few months later — Seattle’s offensive line has been a shell of its former self.
“That was a great year for the whole offense, the whole team,” said right tackle Sean Locklear, who joins Walter Jones as the only 2005 starters who expect to be back in the lineup. “We can set our goals there, but we might not be able to top that. It’s how much we want to push ourselves. We were good at the little things, like short-yardage and goal line, and those are the things that hurt us last year.”
Solari’s abilities as an offensive line coach have rarely been questioned. Coincidentally, his 2005 Kansas City Chiefs unit was considered by many to be as good, if not better, than that of the Seahawks. With 27 years of experience as a line coach at the college and pro level, Solari has driven this train before.
But this time, he returns to the post of position coach after a failed stint as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator. Under Solari’s watch, the Kansas City offense went from No. 1 in the NFL to 16th, and a year later to 31st.
Solari was fired in January, shortly after the Chiefs finished a 4-12 season that saw them score fewer points (226) than any team in the AFC.
“No excuses,” Solari said this week of his final two seasons in Kansas City. “You’ve got to get the job done. I was the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, and it didn’t work out how we’d planned.
“Now I’ve got a new opportunity with the Seahawks, and I’m excited about it.”
While he began his coordinator tenure with a Chiefs offense that was on top of the league, he inherits a Seahawks offensive line that has been steadily declining. Seattle was pretty strong in terms of pass protection last season but really struggled to run the ball.
The Seahawks addressed their ground-game woes by bringing in veteran guard Mike Wahle and running backs Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett, but the most important addition may well be that of Solari.
“Everybody has an important job,” the 53-year-old assistant said with a shrug. “Nobody’s job is any more important than any other coach. We’re all working in the same direction. Everybody has to do the best job to the best of their ability.”
The key to bringing out the best in this Seahawks offensive line may well be finding a way to get center Chris Spencer and guard Rob Sims to fulfill their potential. Both players have plenty of strength and ability, but they’re still learning what it takes to succeed at the NFL level.
Solari’s job is not as simple as bringing out the best in each player, however. His goal is to make the five starters work as a unit, much like the 2005 Seahawks line did in helping Shaun Alexander gain a franchise record 1,880 yards.
“I love bringing five guys together on the offensive line,” Solari said. “I love the unit because the unit never gets credit. They’re the first ones to get blamed when something breaks down. So it’s a great honor to work with an offensive line in the NFL and bring it to a championship level.”
Part of the process is finding the right combination — not only in personnel but also in scheme. The Seahawks haven’t changed their offensive philosophy, but they spent part of the summer minicamps evaluating blocking schemes to find the right fit.
“We’re looking at some things,” Solari said. “There are some things we like and some things we took out. But this is the Seahawks offense.”
Locklear has already seen improvement in Seattle’s front five.
“We’d go out on the field before, and it was based on one guy making the calls,” Locklear said. “Now, it’s the whole line making the calls. It’s like the whole line knows the system.”
Solari is happy to be back coaching the position he loves. And the Seahawks are happy to have him.
“He knows what he’s talking about, and we could tell that from the first day,” Locklear said. “He’s passionate about what he does, and you can tell that he’s going to do whatever he can to get us prepared for every game.”
Added Wahle: Everything’s real positive with him. He treats you like a man, tells you exactly what he wants, and lets you work. I love that kind of relationship.”
If Solari can’t bring the Seahawks’ line back to prominence, the lovefest might not last long. But the pressure doesn’t bother him.
“The pressure is always on me to get the best out of my position,” he said. “My job is to help my group play at a championship level. Every coach looks at it that way, at any level.”
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