Official: Seahawks lose tackle Russell Okung to Denver

Russell Okung has been a staple of the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive line. He’s been Seattle’s left tackle since being selected in the first round of the 2010 draft, starting all 72 games he appeared in over the past six seasons. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2012 and 2014.

But it seems Okung’s days with the Seahawks are now over, as the unrestricted free agent is reportedly going to sign a deal with the Denver Broncos:

Sources tell me that OT Russell Okung is close to finalizing a 5-year deal with the Denver #Broncos worth $10.6M per year.
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 17, 2016

The Seahawks were hoping to bring Okung back, but probably not at an amount greater than the $7.28 million he made last season. So Seattle was never going to match a deal worth $10.6 million a year. This is a particularly good deal for Okung considering he was acting as his own agent, will be coming off shoulder surgery, and several of the other vacancies at left tackle around the league have already been filled. That said, the way the contract reportedly is structured only pays off big if Okung has a good 2016:

The Russell Okung deal is actually structured as a one-year, $5m deal with a team option for the final four years at $12m per year.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 17, 2016

Okung is the third offensive lineman to depart Seattle via free agency this offseason, joining starting guard J.R. Sweezy and utility back-up Alvin Bailey. The Seahawks added guard/tackle J’Marcus Webb from Oakland and tackle Bradley Sowell from Arizona as free agents.

Okung’s departure also means all five of the linemen who started in Seattle’s Super Bowl victory over Denver three seasons ago (Okung, Sweezy, James Carpenter, Max Unger and Breno Giacomini) are now gone.

The question now is whether the Seahawks try to sign someone to fill Okung’s spot. It’s possible Seattle believes the signings of Webb and Sowell, both on inexpensive deals, can fill the gap — the theory being bandied about has the Seahawks moving Garry Gilliam from right to left tackle, with Webb or Sowell taking the spot on the right. There’s also a heavy belief that Seattle will be seeking offensive line help in the draft. But if the Seahawks do decide to pursue other options at left tackle, they still have a limited amount of room under the salary cap to work with.

—- UPDATE, 2:25 p.m.

The Broncos have now made the Okung signing official: