Seahawks announce signing of free-agent OL Luke Joeckel
Mar 11, 2017, 3:20 PM | Updated: Mar 13, 2017, 3:49 pm
New Seahawks offensive lineman Luke Joeckel moved from left tackle to left guard last season. (AP)
(AP)
Two days after reports emerged that the Seahawks would sign free-agent offensive lineman Luke Joeckel to a contract, the team announced his addition Saturday afternoon.
According to the Seahawks’ website, Seattle did indeed sign Joeckel after agreeing to a deal on Thursday, which is when the new league year began.
We have signed former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Luke Joeckel.
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— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) March 11, 2017
Joeckel, 25, came into the NFL with a great deal of expectations as the No. 2 overall pick of the 2013 draft by the Jaguars. A 2012 unanimous All-American and Outland Trophy winner for Texas A&M, Joeckel struggled to realize his potential with the Jaguars and played in just four games last season due to a knee injury and subsequent surgery.
The Seahawks were able to buy low, relatively speaking, when it comes to Joeckel, signing him to a reported one-year contract worth up to $8 million. While he hasn’t had the strongest NFL career to this point, he does fit the bill of an experienced offensive lineman that general manager John Schneider said the team would be looking for in free agency. It also helps that Joeckel moved to left guard from left tackle last season, meaning he can play multiple positions, something the Seahawks have long valued on their O-line.
“I think we’d like to add some experience at that position,” Schneider said last week at the NFL combine. “… I think we got in a position where we probably got a little bit too young.”
