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Brady Henderson, ESPN
RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks are hoping veteran Evan Brown or rookie Olu Oluwatimi can carry stability to a place that hasn’t had a lot of it for some time. For a lot of the previous decade, they’ve cycled by way of facilities the best way coach Pete Carroll goes by way of a field of gum on recreation day. Like the flavour within the coach’s Bubble Yum, nearly none of them have lasted very lengthy.
Name it the Max Unger curse.
Unger was the anchor of the Seahawks’ offensive strains throughout their 2013 and ’14 Tremendous Bowl seasons, a group captain with an All-Professional nod and two Professional Bowls on his resume in Seattle. In 2015, the Seahawks dealt the 28-year-old Unger to the New Orleans Saints within the Jimmy Graham commerce, believing his physique was breaking down after 13 missed video games over the earlier two seasons.
Go determine that Unger went on to begin all however one recreation over the following 4 years with New Orleans and made a Professional Bowl in 2018 earlier than retiring.
The Seahawks, in the meantime, have began eight completely different gamers at heart within the eight seasons for the reason that commerce (that features the one recreation in 2020 when guard Damien Lewis moved over on a brief week). Going again two extra years, whereas Unger was out and in of the lineup, the quantity will increase to 11 — tied for fifth-most since 2013, in accordance with the Elias Sports activities Bureau.
There have been some cringe-worthy moments, like Drew Nowak’s ill-fated stint because the starter in 2015. In one of many extra notorious episodes of the Tom Cable period, Nowak — a school defensive sort out who was taking part in heart for the primary time in his profession — repeatedly struggled with probably the most elementary facet of the job: Snapping the ball.
There’s been some odd misfortune, as properly.
In 2020, the Seahawks gave B.J. Finney a two-year, $8 million deal to exchange Justin Britt (whom they’d launch) and Joey Hunt (who had taken over in 2019 after Britt tore his ACL). However Finney, a former undrafted free agent who had but to money in, didn’t correctly prepare over the offseason out of worry that an harm would value him his signing bonus. He showed up out of shape and didn’t play an offseason snap earlier than he was traded midseason.
Greater than something, there’s been turnover. Of Seattle’s 11 completely different starters since 2013, solely Britt (54) and Ethan Pocic (24) have began greater than 20 video games at heart.
So when Carroll informed reporters on the scouting mix that the Seahawks “gotta get the middle factor found out,” all that historical past appeared just like the clear subtext.
Enter Brown and Oluwatimi.
The Seahawks signed the 26-year-old Brown to a one-year, $2.25 million deal that included $1 million assured. Then they drafted Oluwatimi out of Michigan within the fifth spherical. Hunt is within the combine, as properly, however realistically it’s a two-man race to exchange veteran Austin Blythe, who spent one season with Seattle earlier than announcing his retirement in February.
Brown took the overwhelming majority of the first-team reps in the course of the three OTAs which have been open to reporters and on Tuesday’s first follow of obligatory minicamp.
“It may be an incredible spot to observe, it actually will,” Carroll mentioned final week. “Evan has are available in right here and commanded the management. He has extra expertise than Olu’s bought, so we’ll see how that every one works out. Joey is an skilled soccer participant too, so we have now a very great place … We’re not going to set any timelines on it or something like that. It will work itself out, however Olu’s accomplished very nice. He is accomplished a pleasant job leaping in. He is a very brilliant child, and it reveals up, and he will get it, and he is assured. You could possibly see him taking part in.”
Oluwatimi was the sixth heart chosen and the 154th general choose, however his adorned faculty resume belies his draft slot. In his lone season at Michigan, he was a consensus All-American and gained each the Rimington Trophy and the Outland Trophy, given yearly to one of the best heart in Division I and the nation’s finest inside lineman, respectively.
Oluwatimi started his faculty profession at Air Pressure and transferred after one yr to Virginia, the place he would begin for 3 seasons. He then transferred as a grad scholar to Michigan, gaining invaluable expertise in Jim Harbaugh’s pro-style offense.
“There’s nothing that we’re doing that he hasn’t accomplished,” Carroll mentioned. “Coach Harbaugh’s bought an incredible background in working the soccer specifically. His guys that come out of there, they’re outfitted, they’re properly ready.”
Brown is the kind of offensive lineman the Seahawks have sometimes focused in free company: Younger, cheap and versatile. He primarily performed proper guard final season for the Detroit Lions. The Seahawks like him higher at heart, the place he made 12 begins in 2021 (plus two extra final yr) and ranked ninth in ESPN’s Move Block Win Price at that place.
If Brown doesn’t win the middle job, his contract nonetheless wouldn’t be unreasonable for an inside swing participant with beginning expertise at a number of spots.
“When you can play heart, it’s best to have the ability to play guard,” offensive line coach Andy Dickerson mentioned, “and he’s proven that he’s been ready to try this at a very good degree.”
Carroll cited Oluwatimi’s speedy transition at Michigan as a motive to consider he can play as a rookie. In the identical breath, he indicated that they’ll take their time in figuring out a starter.
In spite of everything, they’re not simply in search of one more fast repair.
“He is going to have the ability to do some stuff,” Carroll mentioned. “I do not know when it’s going to happen, or if Evan makes the push or he makes the push. However the place is in good arms proper now. We’re in a great spot.”