Tag: Evan Brown

Olu Oluwatimi allowed zero pressures in his preseason debut for Seahawks

Continue keeping an eye on the center position battle moving forward

Last season, the Seattle Seahawks were engaged in a legitimate quarterback battle for the first time since the 2012 preseason. Now, the biggest position battle storyline to follow this year is up front at center.

The Seahawks’ offensive line improved dramatically in 2022, but the interior of the line was still a weakness. Seattle focused on improving this position by signing Evan Brown from the Detroit Lions, then drafting rookie Olu Oluwatimi from Michigan.

Although Brown has more experience (obviously) than Oluwatimi, do not count the former Wolverine out in this very much alive battle.

Against the Vikings, Oluwatimi impressed quite a bit.

In the Seattle Seahawks’ system under Pete Carroll, there are no penciled in starters. Every position can be up for grabs under his “always compete” mantra. It is a system where even a fifth round rookie can legitimately challenge an established, solid veteran.

Continue keeping an eye on the center position moving forward, this is a battle we’ll be seeing throughout the remainder of the season.

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One of the most interesting position battles for the Seattle Seahawks this offseason will be up front and “center” (buh dum tis!)

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One of the most interesting position battles for the Seattle Seahawks this offseason will be up front and “center” (buh dum tis!). It is no secret the Seahawks have to get better in the interior of their offensive line, and it starts with the center.

Former NFL center Austin Blythe held the position last year and it was not exactly up to par, especially when facing the likes of the San Francisco 49ers. Seattle brought in Evan Brown from Detroit, and drafted Olu Oluwatimi from Michigan this spring. They also have in-house Joey Hunt as well.

Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron recently spoke about the position and how they’re a long ways from finalizing anything. When asked, head coach Pete Carroll seemed to echo the sentiment of Waldron in this regard. From John Boyle at Seahawks.com:

“Evan has come in here and commanded the leadership with the experience—he has more experience than Olu’s got—so we’ll see how it all works out. Joey is an experienced football player too, so we have a really good spot. We’re just going to let it happen and see what happens, see how it goes. We’re not going to set any timelines on it or anything like that, it’ll work itself off, but Olu has done a nice job jumping in. He’s a bright kid and it shows up and he gets it, he’s confident. You could see him playing.”

We truly are a ways out from anything even remotely close to being settled. The calendar just turned to June, and there are two newcomers – a rookie and a free agent – who are learning Waldron’s system. Not to mention getting in-sync with fellow linemen and quarterback Geno Smith

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While Brown, Oluwatimi, and even Joey Hunt will certainly be in the mix for a starting role, the Seahawks are not close to determining their depth chart.

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For years the offensive line of the Seattle Seahawks has been a considerable weakness. In 2022, thanks to the help of stud rookie tackles Charles Cross and Abe Lucas, the line took drastic steps forward. However, it was still a liability at times, especially in the interior.

Seattle focused some of their efforts this offseason to improving their interior offensive line. They signed former Lions guard/center Evan Brown away from Detroit, and they selected Michigan standout Olu Oluwatimi late in the 2023 NFL draft.

While Brown, Oluwatimi, and even Joey Hunt will certainly be in the mix for a starting role, the Seahawks are not close to determining their depth chart. When asked about this, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron discussed at length where they’re at. Via Mike Dugar at the Athletic:

“We’re a pretty long ways away from finalizing any of the reps… Training camp, we’ll have a better idea of how we want to divide those up. Right now, (Brown, Oluwatimi and Joey Hunt) are mixing and matching like all the offensive linemen are. (We’re) mixing and matching some things so they get a good feel and good grasp for the offense. As we get closer to training camp, we’ll start to pare down how we want to approach the actual reps when we’re going against each other all the time.”

Seattle will need to improve even further at this position if they hope to progress past the Wild Card round. The 49ers and Eagles somehow improved their already ferocious defensive fronts, while Aaron Donald will be back on the Rams this year.

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Pete Carroll: Olusegun Oluwatimi will compete for starting center spot

Carroll’s mantra is “always compete” and it appears this certainly isn’t going away anytime soon.

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The Seattle Seahawks may have found their bookend franchise tackles in last year’s draft, but they were a far cry from complete when it came to the interior offensive line. Former center Austin Blythe was often pushed around, especially by the San Francisco 49ers. Improving the center position is a strong area of need for the Seahawks.

During free agency, Seattle signed former Detroit Lions starting center/guard Evan Brown. While Brown could presumably be the favorite to start the season, by no means is his position guaranteed.

The Seahawks drafted center Olusegun Oluwatimi out of Michigan, and head coach Pete Carroll has already made it clear the Wolverine will be in the mix for a starting role. From Seahawks.com:

“After Schneider welcomes Oluwatimi to the team, Carroll makes it clear to the rookie that, Day 3 pick or not, he’s coming to compete for the starting center spot. ‘I know it’s a long wait for you, but you’ve got your place now,’ Carroll says. ‘You’ve got a really competitive opportunity too. You come in here with your mindset, you’re going to come out and get this job and see if you can own this thing. You’re going to get a real good opp to take a look at it.'”

Carroll’s mantra is “always compete” and it appears this certainly isn’t going away anytime soon.

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Shane Waldron praises 2 Seahawks rookie offensive linemen

One of the boxes the Seahawks checked in the 2023 NFL draft was boosting their interior offensive line depth.

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One of the boxes that the Seattle Seahawks checked in the 2023 NFL draft was boosting their interior offensive line depth. Seattle picked up two new offensive linemen on Day 3 of the draft, selecting Michigan center Olu Oluwatimi in the fifth round and LSU guard Anthony Bradford in the fourth.

So far, we’ve heard all positive reviews on both counts. Head coach Pete Carroll says he is already impressed by Oluwatimi and Bradford is getting buzz as a potential Week 1 starter. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron also has nothing but prasie for these two rookies. Here’s what he had to say about Bradford on Seattle Sports radio earlier this week.

“Anthony is just an impressive physical guy as far as a big offensive lineman that really shows that ability to bend and play underneath defenders… It’ll be exciting to add him into the mix of the competition with what we feel like is a pretty good group of interior players already on the roster.”

And here are Waldron’s comments on Oluwatimi.

“At that center position, knowing that’ll be a great competition with him and Evan (Brown) and Joey (Hunt) there to take that starting center role… So the first thing we’re looking for is what type of command and control that player can have, and he’s really demonstrated all those things in the early stages.”

It would be rough news for Evan Brown and Phil Haynes and the money Seattle invested in their one-year contracts, but the team’s long-term interests would be best-served by both Oluwatimi and Bradford winning their respective competitions and getting as many starter reps as possible their first year in the league.

Heading into OTAs, we are projecting Oluwatimi will be starting at center and Haynes at right guard, but that may change before the summer is over.

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6 Seahawks veterans who could lose their spot to rookies in 2023

Here are six vets who are in danger of losing their starting jobs to rookies this year.

The Seattle Seahawks have a huge 2023 rookie class coming in. With 10 draft picks and 25 more undrafted free agents arriving, this roster will likely be a good bit younger than it was last year.

Here are six vets who are in danger of losing their starting jobs to rookies this year.

ESPN puts Seahawks at No. 12 in their post-free agency power rankings

If you ask ESPN, this is still a fringe playoff team.

The Seahawks did solid work in free agency this year, remodeling their defensive line and linebacker corps and addressing their hole at center. They also brought back both of the quarterbacks they carried on their roster last season. As the dust settles and we begin to look forward to the 2023 NFL draft, it’s a good time to see where Seattle ranks compared to the competition.

If you ask ESPN, this is still a fringe playoff team. They have the Seahawks slotted at No. 12 in their post-free agency power rankings. Brady Henderson says their best under-the-radar move was re-signing backup QB Drew Lock.

“The Seahawks re-signed starting quarterback Geno Smith before free agency and then kept their QB room intact by bringing Lock back after he tested the market. Lock’s deal is for one year and $4 million, with another $3.5 million available in incentives. Although Lock didn’t beat out Smith last offseason the way many in the organization expected, the Seahawks remain high on him, believing he’s young and talented enough to develop into a high-end starter. He gives the Seahawks a backup with experience and upside, but his return doesn’t necessarily preclude them from picking a quarterback early in the upcoming draft.”

As far as backups go Lock is a strong option and Smith is currently a top-10 starter. The question now is if the Seahawks feel strongly enough about one of the quarterbacks in this draft class to pick them. The latest buzz indicates that is the case – speculation coming out of the owner’s meetings is that they’re looking to trade up to No. 3 overall.

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Even with Evan Brown, Seahawks need more depth on offensive line

The Seahawks signed center/guard Evan Brown to the roster but coach Pete Carroll admitted more depth is still needed on the offensive line.

The Seattle Seahawks had been in need of a center since last year’s starter Austin Blythe announced his retirement this offseason. Fortunately for Seattle, the Seahawks were able to acquire center/guard Evan Brown during the first week of free agency.

“I think it was a really good signing for us,” coach Pete Carroll said this week in Arizona. “It was very strategic in that we wanted to see if we could find a guy that’s been doing some playing, that’s got some background and really good communication skills, because of what we got from Austin last year.

“And so Evan is the guy that we think is going to be able to carry that on – he’s got a battle with our guys that we have.”

Brown originally entered the league with the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He then had stints with the Dolphins and Browns before playing the last two seasons in Detroit. He adds depth and the flexibility to play both center and guard.

“The position of the offensive line I think is very secure right now,” Carroll continued. “It’s not as deep as we need it to be, but it is very solidly situated. We’ll have as much continuity, save losing the center, but if we can get that transition to fit well with the guards, really counting on Phil (Haynes) to do a big job for us. (Damien Lewis) and the tackles, they’re going to grow enormously, probably as much as anybody in our program.

“So it feels very connected and so I’m really looking forward to it.”

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Seahawks 2023 free agency: Contract details for each signing

Here are the details for every deal that we have numbers for so far.

The Seattle Seahawks went against type in free agency this year, spending freely to bolster a defensive front seven that was their greatest weakness last season. They have also re-signed both of the two quarterbacks they carried on the roster in 2022. Seattle has gotten mostly good grades for their signings, but the devil is always in the details for these contracts. So, let’s take a look.

Here are the details for every deal that we have numbers for so far.

2023 NFL free agency: Seahawks get high grades for early moves

Here are some grades for the team’s free agent haul from around the web.

The Seattle Seahawks are getting mostly rave reviews for their work in the NFL’s 2023 free agency period. Usually quiet this time of year, the front office threw a curveball, making a “home run” signing on the first day with former Broncos defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones.

Seattle also got arguably the best deal of the entire month when they re-signed quarterback Geno Smith to an unthinkably team-friendly and flexible three-year deal. The Seahawks have also added new players at linebacker (Devin Bush), center (Evan Brown), safety (Julian Love) and brought back former defensive lineman Jarran Reed. So, what do the experts think?

Here are some grades for the team’s free agent haul from around the web.