Seahawks GM John Schneider: Team to address 'obvious' O-line needs through multiple avenues

As the Seahawks look to improve upon last year's finish, which saw them barely miss the playoffs, Seattle will have to contend with significant turnover among the players tasked with protecting quarterback Geno Smith.

Five offensive linemen were lost to free agency earlier this month, including three 2023 starters in center Evan Brown and guards Damien Lewis and Phil Haynes, leaving a clear void on the offensive front.

Speaking this week, general manager John Schneider recognized the need to fortify the offensive line, adding that the Seahawks are exploring multiple approaches to address this concern.

"We're going to be bringing a couple of veteran offensive linemen through in this second phase of free agency, and then comparing that to what the draft looks like," Schneider said on Seattle Sports 710, via the team website. "...That is a need on our team right now, I think it's fairly obvious."

So far, Seattle has signed tackle George Fant, who started 13 games in Houston last year, along with guard Tremayne Anchrum Jr. and center Nick Harris, though the duo had a combined two starts in 2023. But with the roster-building just beginning, the draft could also be an appealing avenue to pursue.

The Seahawks have the No. 16 overall pick of this year's draft, and hold seven selections overall, with discussions ongoing to determine if, or when, would be the best time to draft an O-lineman.

"What does the draft look like? What are the different levels? What are the cutoffs?" Schneider said. "How far do you push to go get a guy or to fall back to get into another group of players where there may be three or four guys as compared to the talent level at one specific player or prospect. We'll be constantly evaluating that over the next