Seahawks’ OL D.J. Fluker ready to boost the run: This is ‘going to be fun’
Mar 23, 2018, 12:14 PM
The Seahawks signed ex-Giants OL D.J. Fluker to a one-year deal this week. (AP)
(AP)
New Seahawks right guard D.J. Fluker said there were two things Seattle had over other teams when it came to deciding where to sign in free agency: line coach Mike Solari, whom he knew from his time with the Giants, and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson.
“Several teams called,” Fluker told John Clayton during an interview with 710 ESPN Seattle Friday. “And the thing about Seattle was that I knew the O-line coach, coach Solari, and I knew they had Russell Wilson, a great quarterback. And they just needed a little help on the offensive line, and I think I can (help) that.”
Get to know the newest Seahawk: D.J. Fluker
Fluker, 27, was a former first-round pick by the Chargers in 2013. He spent 2017 with the Giants, and while he didn’t always get to showcase his greatest strength – his run-blocking – the hope is that he’ll be able to lend the ability to a Seahawks offense focused on restoring the ground game.
“(The Seahawks) just said they needed a mauler, a guy that’s gonna get it done,” Fluker said. “Fourth-and-one, the guy they want to run behind is D.J. Fluker. And I was just like you know what, I can be that guy for you. It’s just having a mindset; that mentality. And on top of that, they won a Super Bowl, too. So it’s like, ‘We just need a few pieces here and there to make this team go back to how it was.’ And I was like, ‘I don’t mind mind being a part of that.’
“I mean, that plays to my strength, honestly; being the guy that’s always pissed off when he’s on the field playing hard for 60 minutes. Can’t beat it. You want a type of guy like that on your team, that’s going to get it done… that has that passion for the game. I think that’s what it comes down to: guys that love football.”
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In Seattle, Fluker reunites with Mike Solari, his former offensive line coach.
“(Solari) embeded in us to be good, to be great, to be physical,” Fluker said. “And I think that carries over to the field and to practice. To have that attitude every single day helps us have a different mentality. And he did a great job coaching us.”
Fluker has already heard from a couple new teammates, including center Justin Britt, and is exited to get started once OTAs kick off this May. The Seahawks, who also get Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown for a full season and a healthy Chris Carson at running back, are undoubtedly looking to recapture a running game that has evaded them over the last two seasons. Just one of Seattle’s touchdowns last year was scored by a running back, and Wilson finished as the team’s leading rusher.
For his part, Fluker is looking forward to the challenge.
“That’s going to be fun,” Fluker said. “I think they (intend to) go back to being who they used to be, the run first and pass second (team). I think that fits their culture, to be that physical group of guys. And I think that’s going to play a big factor of how well we define ourselves.
“I think that’s a better fit for me. I think I can excel in that direction, and be the great player that I’m meant to be.”
