Getty Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has some tough decisions to make.
The Seattle Seahawks continue to create competition on the offensive line, and head coach Pete Carroll admitted that veteran guard Gabe Jackson is in danger of losing his starting spot to Phil Haynes. Carroll revealed that Haynes is “pushing Gabe” when it comes to potentially winning the starting job.
“Phil can start. He plays like a starter, he looks like a starter out there and he’s pushing Gabe [Jackson], he really is,” Carroll explained during his August 9, 2022 press conference. “He’s our guy at swinging [to the] right and left side right now. If he had to start for either guy, I would feel absolutely comfortable.
“He’s made great strides. He’s really physical, he moves well enough. He’s a smart kid, he really cares, you can count on him. Now, I feel like we got three starting guards right now that really we could play and be fine with.”
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What Is Jackson’s Future With the Seahawks?
A very strong endorsement from Pete Carroll on Phil Haynes, who’s been getting some of Gabe Jackson’s first-team reps at RG and has also spelled Damien Lewis at LG.
“He looks like a starter out there and he’s pushing Gabe, he really is.”
Carroll’s comments are a good sign for Haynes but potentially troublesome given the Seahawks traded away a fifth-round pick for Jackson just a year ago. After the deal with Las Vegas, Seattle also inked Jackson to a new three-year, $22.5 million contract extension. Jackson started 16 games for the Seahawks last season, while Haynes played in five contests, including two starts in 2021.
There is also the possibility of the Seahawks sliding Jackson to left guard with Damien Lewis moving to a reserve role, but it is noteworthy that Carroll mentioned the former Raiders lineman by name as being challenged. ESPN’s Brady Henderson noted that Carroll’s remarks suggest Jackson would be on the roster bubble, but his deal is fully guaranteed for 2022.
“A very strong endorsement from Pete Carroll on Phil Haynes, who’s been getting some of Gabe Jackson’s first-team reps at RG and has also spelled Damien Lewis at LG,” Henderson said in a series of August 9 tweets. ‘He looks like a starter out there and he’s pushing Gabe, he really is.’
“That kind of comment would usually make you wonder about Jackson’s spot on the roster as a highly-paid veteran who could get beat out for his starting job. But his $6M base salary for 2022 is guaranteed, so there’d be no cap savings if he’s released.”
Seattle Could Start 2 Rookie Tackles
Depending on how the competition unfolds, the Seahawks starting offensive line could look drastically different than it did a season ago. Rookie Charles Cross is expected to start at left tackle, while third-round pick Abraham Lucas is challenging Jake Curhan for the right tackle spot.
The Seahawks made a major commitment to Cross by selecting him with the No. 9 pick, one of the biggest assets the team received from the Broncos via the Russell Wilson trade. Carroll praised both of his rookie tackles while indicating both players would be on the field for a good portion of Seattle’s preseason opener against Pittsburgh on August 13.
“They have everything ahead of them and it’s not scary putting them out there,” Carroll noted. “They’re comfortable, they’re poised athletes. You can see them in the run-game and the pass-game [having the] ability to adjust and move to return to balance which is a big concept for lineman and be able to get out of whack and get back on track.
“And both guys can do that because they’re really good athletes. I don’t see anything holding those guys back other than just the time, the experience and [they] got good guys [they’re] battling against, too. Nothing but positives right now, and they’re going to get a lot of play time this weekend.”