Seahawks: Bye Week Blues Continue With No Help for OL
By Ben Renner
The Seahawks reportedly hosted former Pro Bowl left tackle Branden Albert this week without signing him. Have they missed an opportunity?
The Seahawks‘ offensive line has held up better in the past two games than in the first three. But that’s not saying much. Russell Wilson is still getting hit at an unsustainable rate and it’s time they looked outside the organization for help.
Pete Carroll and Tom Cable met with former Pro Bowl tackle Branden Albert this week, but didn’t sign him. Letting him walk could cost them later this season.
Seahawks guard Luke Joeckel is undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery this week to clean up the damage from the ACL and MCL tears he sustained last season. Carroll says he’ll likely miss Week 7’s matchup with the lowly New York Giants.
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The Seahawks have expressed interest in looking for help beyond their bench to pitch in to their offensive line situation. Albert may not have had much left in the tank after nine seasons, but, in spite of some encouraging signs against the Colts and a hard-fought win against L.A., the offensive line is still a problem that’s not going away.
It’s Friday, but a deal for an offensive lineman could still be struck before the season resumes for Seattle after their Bye this week. General Manager John Schneider hasn’t been particularly fond of in-season trades before, with one notable exception: Marshawn Lynch in October 2010.
Schneider has shown he’s not afraid to think outside the box when addressing his team’s needs. Perhaps it’s time to think beyond the team for help on the offensive line, which will eventually knock Wilson from a game. It might not be Week 7, it might not be Week 8 or 9, but a Wilson injury is coming unless one of two things happen: the offensive line finds a way to play together and protect Wilson over the Bye, or Schneider makes a move to upgrade the line.
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Both options are fraught with peril, but both options might keep Wilson alive.