GM Schneider to reporters at NFL meetings: Team considering moving RG Germain Ifedi to RT
The Seahawks’ plans to upgrade their offensive line just got a bit clearer -- in theory, anyway.
General manager John Schneider told Seattle-area reporters at the league’s owners meetings in Arizona on Tuesday recently acquired lineman Oday Aboushi will begin his Seattle tenure this preseason as a right guard -- and, thus, the Seahawks are indeed considering moving Germain Ifedi to right tackle.
Ifedi, the team’s first-round draft choice last year, spent his rookie season as the starting right guard. He was a right tackle before that, in college for Texas A&M. Speculation has remained that tackle may be his best position for Seattle.
Garry Gilliam has been Seattle’s right tackle the last two seasons. The team re-signed Gilliam this month as a restricted free agent for one year and $1,797,000. That contract and money is not guaranteed.
Aboushi, 25, has made 18 starts for Houston and the New York Jets since entering the league as a fifth-round pick in 2013, all at left and right guard. He signed last week with the Seahawks for one year.
Schneider also told Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, Sheil Kapadia of espn.com, Liz Mathews of USA Today’s Seahawks Wire and Curtis Crabtree of Seattle’s 950-AM radio and Pro Football Talk (I got Indianapolis and the combine in late February, they got Phoenix in late March, oh well) the Seahawks consider Luke Joeckel capable of playing left guard or left tackle. The GM said in Arizona that Joeckel, Jacksonville’s former No. 2-overall pick, impressed Seattle’s staff in his five games at left guard last year before his 2016 ended with a knee injury and surgery.
He signed this month with the Seahawks for one year and $7 million guaranteed. For Seattle, which had the league’s lowest-paid offensive line in 2016, that money suggests left tackle.
The Seahawks had undrafted college basketball player George Fant as their starting left tackle as a rookie last season, a development that left Schneider in retrospect thinking “holy cow.”
Seattle’s coaches said throughout last season they thought second-year man Mark Glowinski was solid as the starting left guard. Justin Britt remains entrenched as the center for the second consecutive season in 2017.
Schneider also said Tuesday in Arizona of running back Marshawn Lynch, "he's on the reserve/retired list as a Seattle Seahawk right now. That's where it stands.” In other words, still status quo -- despite rumors we detailed and debunked here more than a week ago.
The GM said Seattle sees recently signed linebackers Michael Wilhoite, a former starter inside with San Francisco, and ex-Pittsburgh special-teams player Terence Garvin as potential fits at strongside linebacker outside.
That backs up what we discussed here last week, that the Seahawks didn’t sign three linebackers in a week to have all three play inside. Especially not with Mike Morgan, the 2016 starter at strongside linebacker, still unsigned as a free agent.
This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 2:17 PM with the headline "GM Schneider to reporters at NFL meetings: Team considering moving RG Germain Ifedi to RT."