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Seahawks: Five Players Under the Most Pressure in Camp

By Ben Renner

Jul 30, 2016; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll talks with general manager John Schneider (right) during training camp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 30, 2016; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll talks with general manager John Schneider (right) during training camp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 18, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars tackle Luke Joeckel (76) blocks against Houston Texans outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus (59) during the second half of a football game at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

Luke Joeckel

Joeckel is coming off an ACL tear he suffered while playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. He’s on a one-year deal for Seattle, and while I feel the free agent contract he signed was foolish (because if he works out, he likely walks, and if he flounders, he costs the Seahawks $7 million this year), he has a chance to anchor the offensive line.

There are many ‘ifs’ to Joeckel. If he can recover well from his serious knee injury in time to impress in camp. If he ends up being anointed as the starter Week 1, he could lose his job afterwards. If he can finally live up to his second-overall draft pick in 2013, he’ll help the offensive line.

Joeckel is a classic example of why the 2013 NFL Draft was a massive waste of time for most teams. Selected second overall by Jacksonville, Joeckel was never healthy and effective at the same time. Seattle offered him a prove-it deal, and if he can’t prove it in training camp, he could be headed out of the league.

Joeckel faces the same competition that Fant does, perhaps with higher expectations. If he flounders in camp, the Seahawks could move on from him before he even takes a regular season snap. That seems unlikely, given the contract John Schneider gave him, but JS has surprised me before.

The pressure will be on for Joeckel to prove himself finally after letting the fans down in Jacksonville for several years. If he can really still play in the NFL, training camp will be his first real test.

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