14 Jan 11 Seattle Seahawks "Future is on the line"

The Seattle Seahawks seem satisfied to plug the hole on the right side of the offensive line with the same guys as last season -- 36-year-old Chris Gray and injury-prone Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack. But everyone knows that is just a temporary solution.The Seahawks tried hard to sign Kris Dielman from San Diego, but they did not go after many other linemen in free agency. Cooper Carlisle and Sean Mahan were the only other linemen to visit; Mahan signed with Pittsburgh, and Carlisle recently joined the Oakland Raiders.With an already gaunt group of guards Cleveland Browns jersey
thinned down to guys like Chris Villarrial, Cosey Coleman and Bennie Anderson, the Seahawks appear set to go with Gray or Womack this year and probably add someone in the draft.The best pick in the upcoming draft probably would be USC center Ryan Kalil, who also might be able to switch to guard. But Kalil is a potential first-rounder, so Seattle would have to trade up from its position at No. 55 to draft him. Same for top-tier guards like Ben Grubbs (Auburn), Justin Blalock (Texas) and Arron Sears (Tennessee).Manuel Ramirez of Texas Tech figures to be available at No. 55, but the 6-foot-3, 326-pounder might not be what the Seahawks are looking for. Third-round options include Akron's Andy Alleman (6-4, 305) and Boston College's Josh Beekman (6-2, 313).The fact that the Seahawks are going through an extensive rebuild of their line illustrates how fortunate they were from 2001 to 2005, when Walter Jones started at left tackle, Steve Hutchinson at left guard, Robbie Tobeck at center and Gray at right guard. The only position that vacillated was right tackle, but the Seahawks always had good players there, too -- Todd Weiner, Chris Terry, Womack and Sean Locklear. The continuity, which few teams manage to achieve for more than two or three years, helped give the Seahawks one of the best Dallas Cowboys jersey
offenses in the NFL.And when the offense fell apart in 2006, it was due largely to a crumbling line, which featured eight combinations. Seattle made the mistake of not using the franchise tag on Hutchinson and lost him in free agency, and it had to use three players at left guard (Womack, Spencer and rookie Rob Sims). Tobeck missed most of his final season with a hip infection, and Spencer was inserted at center a year earlier than expected. Injuries hurt the line elsewhere, with Tom Ashworth playing for Locklear at right tackle for three games and Womack starting for Gray in Week 17. Jones was the only starter to play in every game, and he did so despite injuries to his knee and shoulder.So what will the line look like in the future? Jones, 33, should make it through the end of his $52 million contract, which expires after the 2011 season. Spencer and Sims started together for the final five games of 2006, including the playoffs, and their experience should pay dividends in 2007 and beyond. They both are signed through 2009. Locklear, a restricted free agent, is probably slated for a contract extension that will keep him as the team's right tackle beyond 2007.At right guard, Gray's new deal is for two seasons, and Womack is signed for 2007 only. But the Hawks surely will have other plans there next year.BasicallyDenver Broncos jersey
, the Seahawks are set for the next three seasons from center to left tackle. But the right-hand positions must be addressed for 2008 and beyond. Is Locklear their choice at right tackle? And how do they figure to fill that hole at right guard after this year?RealFootball365.com: Where there's never an offseason for football! Tell your friends about us.