With offensive line crumbling, Seahawks need to center on a backup plan

By Chris Cluff  |   Thursday, August 07, 2008  |  Comments( 5 )

Seattle Seahawks
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Chris Gray’s sudden forced retirement is more of a symbolic loss than a practical one, although the Seattle Seahawks are sure to miss his interior versatility.

At age 38 and about to enter his 16th season in the NFL, Gray was not going to start for the Seahawks this year. But his ability to play both guard spots and center would have been a welcome comfort, particularly with starting center Chris Spencer rehabilitating a bad shoulder and right guard an open competition among Rob Sims, Ray Willis and Mansfield Wrotto.

Alas, after Gray was forced to end his career because of spinal issues, the Seahawks will not have the luxury of his wisdom and experience backing up the younger starters. And the end of his 10-year career in Seattle signifies the almost complete turnover of what once was one of the best offensive lines in football.

From 2000 to 2005, Gray teamed with left tackle Walter Jones, left guard Steve Hutchinson and center Robbie Tobeck (along with several guys at right tackle) to form a unit that by 2005 was the league’s best. In that season, Gray, Jones, Hutchinson, Tobeck and right tackle Sean Locklear paved the way for the NFL's leading rusher (Shaun Alexander had 1,880 yards) and led the team to the Super Bowl.

Now Jones is the only blocker left from the quartet that turned Alexander into the team’s career rushing leader and helped Matt Hasselbeck become a perennial Pro Bowl quarterback. It won’t be long before Jones joins Tobeck and Gray in retirement; the fact that the All-Pro is back for his 12th season is the one constant that keeps this situation from rightfully being called a complete overhaul. Instead, it is more like a renovation.

Locklear remains at right tackle, but the interior has completely turned over, and it is fair to say the Seahawks’ offensive fortunes this season rest largely on the shoulders of the middle three. Mike Wahle should ably take over between Jones and Spencer at left guard, but with Spencer coming off surgeries on his shoulder and thumb and Gray now gone, the middle of the line is a big concern. Depth is so thin that the Hawks are using third-string guards – Steve Vallos and Wrotto -- to snap the ball.

The Seahawks almost certainly will be scouring the waiver wire for a viable backup center. They might even investigate LeCharles Bentley, the former Pro Bowl center for New Orleans who was sidelined by injuries in Cleveland for the past two years. The Hawks also would be smart to check out possible trades with teams that have quality backup centers. Veterans who might be worth checking out include Alex Stepanovich (Atlanta), Casey Wiegmann (Denver), Matt Lehr (New Orleans), Jake Grove (Oakland) and Dan Buenning (Tampa Bay). Because if Spencer doesn’t hold up – and it’s doubtful he will – the Seahawks have to have a contingency plan in place. Not just a temporary camp stopgap but a guy who can start and hold the line in front of Hasselbeck and the running backs.

The Seahawks can’t expect to challenge for the Super Bowl if they have a big hole in the middle of their line. And after Gray’s retirement, that’s exactly what they have.

It’s a far cry from that unit that was the league’s best in 2005.

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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, ...
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