RENTON — Will the Seattle Seahawks pull the trigger?
The NFL trade deadline arrives at 1 p.m. (PDT) Tuesday, and the question on the minds of many Seahawks observers is whether Seattle will make a move to upgrade its offensive line.
The Seahawks would appear to be one of several teams in the market for a left tackle, with speculation suggesting Cleveland’s Joe Thomas and San Francisco’s Joe Staley can be had for the right price. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has maintained all along that making a big deal once the season begins is unlikely because of logistical issues. But given Seattle is a team with Super Bowl aspirations, would the Seahawks believe making a move is worth what’s likely to be a hefty cost?
Seattle’s offensive line has been under scrutiny since the first day of training camp. The Seahawks elected not to re-sign unrestricted free agents Russell Okung and J.R. Sweezy during the offseason, replacing them with less-expensive players. The result is Seattle has by far the least amount of money wrapped up in its offensive line in the NFL — according to Spotrac.com the Seahawks have just over $9 million dedicated to their offensive line, with the next-lowest total being $13.2 million by the New York Giants.
Skimping on the offensive line in order to pay stars at other positions has long been Seattle’s philosophy. The theory is offensive line coach Tom Cable can coach up raw youngsters, while quarterback Russell Wilson’s elusiveness can compensate for any shortcomings.
However, the cracks in that theory are beginning to show. Seattle ranks 28th in the NFL with 81.4 rushing yards per game and 29th in the league with 18.7 points per game. The rushing numbers in particular are a far cry from the past four seasons, when the Seahawks averaged 153.1 yards per game on the ground, most of any NFL team.
Seattle’s issues on the line were visible during Sunday’s 25-20 loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Seahawks started undrafted free agents at both tackle spots, including rookie George Fant, who was a college basketball player, at left tackle. Seattle was held under 100 yards rushing for the fourth straight game and put just 13 points on the scoreboard.
Wilson has felt the consequences as well, suffering injuries to his right ankle, left knee and right pectoral. Wilson played through all three injuries, but he has yet to regain full mobility, something that may provide further incentive to make a deal.
Thomas and Staley are the players mentioned most often in connection with teams looking for tackle help. Both Thomas’ Browns, who are 0-8, and Staley’s 49ers, who are 1-6, are ready to rebuild, and their veteran left tackles would probably bring the biggest returns. The 31-year-old Thomas is a six-time first-team All-Pro, while the 32-year-old Staley was chosen to the past five Pro Bowls, and both would be expected to help immediately.
But would the Seahawks be able to make something happen? Browns coach Hue Jackson said last week that Cleveland would not trade Thomas. Even if Thomas were available, Seattle would likely face competition from other teams in need of a tackle like the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings, thus driving up the price — the grapevine suggests Thomas and Staley would cost at least a second-round draft pick.
An equally tricky issue is the salary cap. Thomas has a salary-cap hit of $9.5 million this season, while Staley’s is $8.3 million. Seattle has little spare room under the cap, meaning the Seahawks would have to make some sort of move to clear cap space to make room for either Thomas or Staley. Is Seattle willing to part with a key piece to upgrade at tackle?
We’ll find out Tuesday afternoon.
Injury update
Carroll said defensive end Michael Bennett will undergo surgery on his injured knee Wednesday in Los Angeles. Bennett did not play in Sunday’s game, his first missed game since joining the Seahawks in 2013, and the scheduled arthroscopic surgery to repair cartilage is expected to keep Bennett sidelined two-to-three weeks. … Whether strong safety Kam Chancellor (groin), who has missed three straight games, will play in Monday’s home game against the Buffalo Bills will not be known until later this week. The same is true of tackle Bradley Sowell (knee) and tight end Luke Willson (knee), who also missed Sunday’s game. … Running back Thomas Rawls (fibula) ran vigorously Monday for the first time since suffering his injury during the second week of the season. However, he will not play against the Bills. … Defensive tackle Tony McDaniel (ankle), who left late in Sunday’s game, came away OK and should be able to play next week.
For more on the Seattle sports scene, check out Nick Patterson’s Seattle Sidelines blog at www.heraldnet.com/tag/seattle-sidelines, or follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
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