Getty The Seahawks are looking into bringing back center Justin Britt.
It was a busy day for the Seattle Seahawks who hosted two free agents in addition to having their second mock scrimmage. The Seahawks conducted in-person meetings with former starting center Justin Britt, who the team released this offseason, along with former Seattle wide receiver Paul Richardson. Reading between the lines, the Seahawks do not appear confident in the current center competition.
Without Britt, Ethan Pocic is the favorite to be the Seahawks starting center, and all indications are B.J. Finney has not looked sharp in training camp. The former Steeler was the early favorite to be the starting center after the team released Britt as he was one of the main free-agent signings this offseason.
“Justin Britt trying out for the #Seahawks is a clear indication that Seattle needs a center,” NBC Sports Northwest’s Joe Fann noted on Twitter. “B.J. Finney is likely being ruled out as a backup option and Kyle Fuller is suspended the first two games of the season.”
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll indicated a few weeks ago that Britt was still recovering from a season-ending knee injury. The Seahawks likely brought in Britt to get a sense of his current health status. Britt was a cap casualty given his sizable contract but remains on the free-agent market. Carroll admitted the team wanted to see how Britt and Richardson looked after their recent injuries.
“Both guys ended their seasons with injuries, you know. We need to see what those guys look like,” Carroll noted, per KJR 950 Seattle’s Curtis Crabtree. “Obviously we know a lot about both of them and we think highly of both of those guys. So we’ll see how it goes.”
The Seahawks Appear to Have 3 Offensive Lineman Locked in as Starters: Duane Brown, Mike Iupati & Damien Lewis
Based on Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s recent press conference, Seattle appears to have three of the five starting five offensive line spots locked up. Duane Brown, Mike Iupati and rookie Damien Lewis all appear to be virtual locks to start in Week 1. Pocic along with Brandon Shell are the favorites to fill the remaining two spots, but the Seahawks appear committed to letting the competition carry on a bit longer.
“We’re going to get where we need to get to,” Schottenheimer explained, per Seahawks.com. “I love the fact that Brandon Shell’s been terrific, he’s a veteran guy. Very, very comfortable, very confident in what he’s doing. (Damien Lewis) has been awesome. The the pedigree coming from LSU and playing in big games, it’s not too big for him. B.J. (Finney), it’s hard coming in, you’re trying to learn the system as a center, I’d say it’s probably been the hardest on him, not because he’s not learning it, but he’s got the most to learn of all those.”
B.J. Finney Reportedly Has Been a Disappointment in Training Camp
Clearly, Schottenheimer was being delicate with his analysis of Finney’s play so far, but the Seahawks meeting with Britt indicates that the signing has not gone as planned. The Seahawks offensive coordinator implied that the team would like to firm up the starting offensive line sooner rather than later for the benefit of protecting Russell Wilson.
“You see him making those strides and get more and more comfortable every day,” Schottenheimer added. “Then Cedric (Ogbuehi) has been a guy that we’ve moved around quite a bit, he’s doing different things for us, and he’s very, very bright. So we’ve got nine more real practices before we get into our Atlanta prep, and every practice is critical, and we understand the importance of at some point making the decision and making sure those guys get snaps together. But they’re getting good work, and the combinations aren’t setting us back right now at all.”
Based on what he has seen in training camp, ESPN 710 Seattle’s Jake Heaps emphasized the Seahawks would be wise to bring back Britt.
“I said this last week on @710ESPNSeattle the Seahawks NEED to bring back Justin Britt to sure up the Offensive Line,” Heaps noted on Twitter. “The competition at center went south as BJ Finney has struggled in camp.”
READ NEXT: Seahawks Predicted to Sign 4-Time All-Pro by NFL Insider