Warren Moon: Seahawks need Jimmy Graham to improve blocking

There are plenty of calls for improvement along the Seahawks’ offensive line. Jim Moore asked whether a potential fix could be to primarily use tight end Jimmy Graham on the outside, but that’s not a move that Hall-of-Fame quarterback Warren Moon would recommend.

“You can’t do that with him, because if you’re going to just line him up outside all the time, or when he’s inside he’s only going to run a route from there, defenses will get on top of that,” Moon said on 710 ESPN Seattle’s “Danny, Dave and Moore” on Tuesday. “He’s got to improve his blocking. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it. He’s just got to get better at doing his job.”

Quarterback Russell Wilson has been sacked 18 times in the first four games behind Seattle’s recently-reshuffled offensive line. Moon, the Seahawks radio commentator and a 17-year NFL veteran, said the hits will eventually take a physical toll and cause Wilson to be “gun shy” in the pocket, forcing him to look down at the rush rather than down the field. In June, Graham defended his blocking abilities, saying he can “block anybody I want to.” In Week 3 against the Bears, he was beaten twice by outside linebacker Pernell McPhee, but offensive-line coach Tom Cable said those plays weren’t indicative of how well the tight end blocked for the remainder of the game. Moon noted that Graham had a few more poor block attempts against Detroit Monday night.

Dave Wyman noted that Graham has made a few plays as a blocker but otherwise seems disinterested in the role. Moon said that blocking is “an attitude” that can be taught.

“There’s no question he can get better at it,” Moon said, “because he’s a good enough athlete, he’s a strong athlete and he’s definitely a big enough athlete to get better at it.”

Moon said Graham doesn’t need to transform into an all-world mauler in the trenches but needs to be capable of cutting defenders off and effectively getting in their way, much like Moon’s former teammate and future Hall-of-Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez learned to do.

“In New Orleans, he wasn’t asked to block a lot,” Moon said of Graham. “I remember Tony Gonzalez, playing with him in Kansas City, he wasn’t a very good blocker when he first got there, but he made it a point to become a better blocker. I think by the end of his career he was a decent blocker. He still wasn’t a guy that was going to blow you off the line of scrimmage, but he knew exactly how to play the right technique, he knew how to not let guys cross his face and things like that.”

Moon said even minor improvements from Graham would show up in the running game’s success and provide Wilson with a more manageable pocket.

“Just don’t let a guy get by you,” Moon said.

Moon noted that Graham is also still getting accustomed to his role as a pass-catcher in Seattle’s scheme, especially on the scramble plays. Moon said talking about where a receiver should be positioning himself during those situations is different than in live action. Moon said his coaches used to specifically practice scramble plays in 7-on-7 drills periodically throughout the week.

“I’ve talked to Seahawks about doing a little more of that, just because Russell scrambles so much and Jimmy just needs to see more of that in game situations to see where he can get open,” Moon said. “Because Russell keeps so many plays (alive), that’s not something he’s used to. Drew Brees never really did a whole lot of that. So a lot of this is just learning on the run, especially in game situations.”

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