ESPN’s Barnwell: Seahawks still need to address the line of scrimmage

Apr 14, 2020, 12:11 PM

The Seahawks have needs on both lines ahead of the NFL Draft, says ESPN's Bill Barnwell. (AP)

(AP)

Seattle Sports

The Seahawks have made some additions to their pass rush in free agency, but they’re also still waiting on an answer from Jadeveon Clowney. The annual NFL Draft is nearing, as well, and it’s clear Seattle hasn’t put the finishing touches on its defensive line for 2020.

Seahawks draft prospects: Which running back could Seattle select?

Should the Hawks be focusing on pass rush in the draft, or do they need to keep working on adding a veteran to the position group?

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell explained Monday to 710 ESPN Seattle’s Tom, Jake and Stacy that it shouldn’t be an either/or situation, but rather both.

“I have to admit, even if you start by signing (Everson) Griffen or signing Clowney, I think you still want to hit on that front four (in the draft),” Barnwell said.

While most of the attention this offseason has been on Seattle’s need for edge rushers, Barnwell said defensive tackle could be just as important for the Seahawks in the draft.

“There’s not a lot of depth now at defensive tackle,” he said. ” … I still think you want to add a defensive tackle in one of the early rounds, another edge rusher in one of the early rounds, because hey, we don’t know what L.J. Collier is going to be.”

Collier, the Seahawks’ first-round pick in 2019, battled injury in training camp last year and played sparingly during the regular season. The fact that so much is still unknown about his NFL potential makes Seattle’s situation all the more shaky.

“He might be a very useful player, he might be a guy who can’t play,” Barnwell said of Collier. “We don’t know because you barely saw him in 2019.”

The way Barnwell sees it, the Seahawks’ need on the defensive line plays into a larger issue that still has to be dealt with.

“I think you want to add some depth along the offensive line still (in the draft),” he said. “What wins games is dominating the line of scrimmage and I think that they have to address the line of scrimmage in this draft because they haven’t done enough to address it in free agency.”

Barnwell isn’t high on what the Seahawks have done in free agency, and that includes both the offensive and defensive lines, position groups where they’ve signed multiple players.

“I’m not feeling too great about it. I would say somewhere in the C range,” he said when asked by Tom Wassell to grade Seattle’s offseason thus far. “I do like some of the moves – the trade to acquire Quinton Dunbar was very good, I like Bruce Irvin as a (pass rush) rotation signing. I have to admit I don’t like the Greg Olsen signing. I think he’s someone who really seemed like he was maybe on his last legs in Carolina.

“The defense, obviously the pass rush needs a lot more than just Bruce Irvin. That’s a good start but Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa just aren’t enough. The Jarran Reed contract, didn’t love it in terms of the guarantee structure. And then the offensive line moves, you’re going to be relying on (players) like Chance Warmack, Brandon Shell and Cedric Ogbuehi. Ogbuehi’s one of the worst linemen in football, Warmack was out of football last year. B.J. Finney is fine but this is an offensive line that I don’t see a lot of upside in. I feel like they still have a lot of work to do heading into the draft.”

You can listen to the full interview with Barnwell in this podcast.

Follow 710 ESPN Seattle’s Tom Wassell, Jake Heaps and Stacy Rost on Twitter.