While the Seahawks are waiting on Jadeveon Clowney, the front office used the time to add a pair of offensive lineman to help protect Russell Wilson. First, the Seahawks agreed to terms with former Jets’ tackle Brandon Shell on a two-year deal and a few minutes later news broke that the team also added Jaguars’ lineman Cedric Ogbuehi. Shell is the more notable signing and has experience playing both right tackle and right guard.
“Seattle adding offensive line help: Seahawks reached agreement on a two-year, $11 million deal with former Jets’ OT Brandon Shell, per source. Almost like an accidental free-agent OT trade: Seattle gets Shell, Jets get former Seahawks OT George Fant,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter detailed on Twitter.
The moves likely signal the end of the Germain Ifedi era in Seattle. The Seahawks’ offensive lineman is a free agent that the team is expected to move on from after their third offensive lineman signing in just a day. One advantage of Shell is that he was penalized nearly three times less frequently than Ifedi was last season.
“FWIW, Brandon Shell was penalized just 5 times last year, compared to Germain Ifedi’s 14,” NBC Sports’ Northwest’s Joe Fann reported.
Ogbuehi Spent Time at Both Tight End & Left Tackle Last Season With the Jaguars
It would not be a Seahawks offensive lineman if the player did not have position versatility. Ogbehi was a 2015 first-round pick for the Bengals but spent last season with the Jaguars where he played both offense and defense. He split time between tight end and left tackle while with the Jaguars.
“Our Jaguars reporter, @ESPNdirocco, notes that they used Cedric Ogbuehi as an extra tight end last year. So perhaps the Seahawks have a George Fant role in mind for him now that Fant is gone. Per ESPN charting, Ogbuehi played 56 snaps at tight end last year and 92 at left tackle,” ESPN’s Brady Henderson noted on Twitter.
The Seahawks Also Signed Former Steelers’ Center B.J. Finney
The Seahawks’ first free-agent deal, aside from taking care of their own, was agreeing to terms with former Steelers center B.J. Finney. It will be interesting to see if the Seahawks add even more offensive lineman in either the NFL draft or free agency.
Seattle seems content to add their new free agent signings to their existing roster in hopes of creating a healthy training camp battle for the starting spots. ESPN’s Brady Henderson broke down how Finney was utilized while with the Steelers.
“Per ESPN charting, Finney’s career snaps by O-line position: 427 at left guard, 381 at center, 139 at right guard. Seahawks have uncertainty at LG (Mike Iupati is a free agent) and C (Justin Britt is coming off a torn ACL and has a huge cap number),” Henderson explained on Twitter.
After a quiet start, the Seahawks have now added four new players in free agency. Bruce Irvin announced he will be re-joining the Seahawks to add to the three offensive lineman signings. The Seahawks also re-signed defensive tackle Jarran Reed, but the team is still awaiting Clowney’s decision. Check out our latest update on Clowney’s free agency, and the Seahawks’ chances of re-signing the pass rusher.
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Seahawks Load Up on Offensive Lineman in NFL Free Agency