The Seahawks were way too young on the offensive line in 2016, and they went through far too many running backs. Those were both major contributing factors to their failure to go beyond the divisional round for the second straight year.
Their solution: Bring in a bunch of flawed veteran linemen and backs.
They reportedly are going to sign Luke Joeckel, a former No. 2 overall draft pick who is coming off a bad knee injury. They also apparently are planning to host T.J. Lang, a 29-year-old guard coming off hip surgery; Jamaal Charles, an explosive back who can’t stay on the field; Eddie Lacy, a punishing runner who can’t control his weight; and Latavius Murray, a part-time player for Oakland.
These are the kind of guys the Hawks have to check out, because they don’t want to overspend on so-called first-tier free agents. But will any of them be worth even a discounted price?
The Seahawks’ decisions on restricted free agents DeShawn Shead and Garry Gilliam were really the biggest questions among Seattle’s own free agents, and the Hawks have made savvy business decisions based on extenuating circumstances.
The Seahawks have made a lot of errors regarding their offensive line in the last two years, and John Schneider admitted another one Wednesday at the Combine.
Russell Okung was ripped by everyone in NFL circles last year for the deal he did with the Denver Broncos — a contract that ended up being for one year and $5 million and will put him back on the free-agent market in a couple of weeks.
The Seahawks obviously had a lot of problems in 2016 — a JV offensive line, a revolving M*A*S*H lineup and too many B.A. Baracus impersonators.