Seahawks signing Luke Joeckel to 1 year deal per NFLN

[bighawk]

I like that they are aggressively trying to fix the line with veterans and Lang would be a major upgrade. If they can get it done then when draftime comes we can focus on our defense with Obi and or King. Sign Peterson or Charles. I also hope they bring in Peppers because he is still playing at a high level. Avril, Bennett, Peppers, Clark would be filthy. Our stealth package.

 

[Maelstrom787]

The FO is taking some serious initiative! This is a Super Bowl year, friends.

 

[hawknation2017]

I doubt he was their first choice but not a bad deal to get a veteran OT with solid length, agility, and fundamentals. He struggled in his few starts at RT, so that is a bit of a concern. Hopefully, Joeckel takes over the RT spot in training camp and never looks back. That would allow Ifedi to continue his development at the RG position, while improving depth across the line with experienced Gilliam playing the utility role. Joeckel is more physical than Gilliam in the run game, as well.

RT Joeckel
RG Ifedi
C Britt
LG Glowinski
LT Fant (or Gilliam or rookie)

I think the biggest question this off-season is, how much can Fant realistically improve?

 

[Mojambo]

I think the biggest question this off-season is, how much can Fant realistically improve?

I think best case scenario would be along the lines of Sweezy year one to year two. Which is not insignificant progress.

 

[Tical21]

That just seems like so much money for a really bad player. And if it does pay off and he plays well, then what? I think the Lang deal is the one that makes this whole thing happen. Signing Lang and Joeckel is addressing your biggest need in a pretty big way. In that case, let the best 5 win. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if we just signed the most expensive backup tackle in the league.

 

[Tical21]

I doubt he was their first choice but not a bad deal to get a veteran OT with solid length, agility, and fundamentals. He struggled in his few starts at RT, so that is a bit of a concern. Hopefully, Joeckel takes over the RT spot in training camp and never looks back. That would allow Ifedi to continue his development at the RG position, while improving depth across the line with experienced Gilliam playing the utility role. Joeckel is more physical than Gilliam in the run game, as well.

RT Joeckel
RG Ifedi
C Britt
LG Glowinski
LT Fant (or Gilliam or rookie)

I think the biggest question this off-season is, how much can Fant realistically improve?

That is the million dollar question. When I think though back to my playing and coaching days (we're talking high school here so the scale is much different), the biggest jump was almost always from year 1 to year 2. There was so much stuff he had to learn in year 1 that he won't have to learn anymore. He can start to focus on playing quicker and playing the game within the game.

 

[sutz]

That just seems like so much money for a really bad player. And if it does pay off and he plays well, then what? I think the Lang deal is the one that makes this whole thing happen. Signing Lang and Joeckel is addressing your biggest need in a pretty big way. In that case, let the best 5 win. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if we just signed the most expensive backup tackle in the league.

Not sure we can say "too much money" until we learn the details of the deal. The tweet said "can make" not "will make." That sounds like at least some of that is incentives of some sort.

And, I'm not sure that $8 mill is that far over market for a vet OL these days. We complain about our line, but I don't think we were the worst in the league. Lot of competition out there, much of it with far more cap room than us.

 

[IrishNW]

I like it, Low risk high reward.

 

[AgentDib]

At least we're doing something besides pay the problem lip service like Pete did last season.

You can argue that it didn't work last year but it wasn't for a lack of effort.

Consider we spent our first round pick on Ifedi, the conversion project of Britt to center, two free agents brought in that cost them two compensatory picks this year, acquiring Fant and Maiava after the draft and then attempting to teach them how to play tackle in the NFL, moving Gilliam from RT to LT then back to RT, drafting Rees Odhiambo and Joey Hunt and putting them both on 53 man roster, and ultimately going into our preseason game #1 with different faces at all five positions along the line.

The funny thing is there's a subset of fans that would actually have been happier if we had simply given each of our linemen a $2 million bonus. Then we would have been ranked in the middle in terms of salary instead of at the bottom and people would have to make their decisions based on more complicated nuances than simply salary per position group.

 

[nwHawk]

:2thumbs:

Took the thoughts right out of my head!

 

[WmHBonney]

Looking around the league, this isn't such a bad deal.

 

[RiverDog]

Looking around the league, this isn't such a bad deal.

Especially when you contrast it with what the Chargers gave Okung. 4 years, $53M with $25M guaranteed? Pure insanity.

Okung's deal is strong evidence of two things: The depth of team's desperation for offensive linemen that a player like Okung could net such a deal and the lack of offensive line talent in this year's draft.

Joeckel's deal looks like a fire sale compared to Okung's.

 

[Attyla the Hawk]

I'm surprised to see so many people hating on this deal, I love it. An incentive-laden, one-year "prove it" deal for a former top pick looking for redemption. At the very least, we'll get his best swing. Pure upside, I love it.

I'd say response is mostly positive with some mixed. Although what I'm finding is that those criticizing the move tend to be of the 'OL fairy' camp. Other than someone stating that they would have rather paid the long term guaranteed deal for Whitworth -- I've not seen anyone make a case for a deal they would have preferred. They just want greatness at a bargain price and aren't happy if they don't get it. It takes a serious divorce from reality to even profess that kind of deal.

It's an overall bad OL UFA group. To go with a bad OL draft class. With a league that is starving for OL talent. It's like trading Kam AND Earl for an Okung.

That just seems like so much money for a really bad player. And if it does pay off and he plays well, then what? I think the Lang deal is the one that makes this whole thing happen. Signing Lang and Joeckel is addressing your biggest need in a pretty big way. In that case, let the best 5 win. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if we just signed the most expensive backup tackle in the league.

It is a lot of money for a bad player. That's the landscape for 2017. And it's not exactly Seattle's fault we're in this shape. Because we weren't in a position to avoid it. That's unfortunately the price we incur by always making deep runs into the playoffs. All of the SB participants since we started our playoff runs in 2012 are afflicted with the same dearth of OL talent.

I do like Lang. Although I think the only reason to really add him would be to move Ifedi. Something they've said they won't do, but something I fully expected them to do this season even in minicamp last year.

 

[Tical21]

Watched about three games worth of tape from 15 and 16. If he makes the team, Odhiambo is awful.

 

[titan3131]

I doubt he was their first choice but not a bad deal to get a veteran OT with solid length, agility, and fundamentals. He struggled in his few starts at RT, so that is a bit of a concern. Hopefully, Joeckel takes over the RT spot in training camp and never looks back. That would allow Ifedi to continue his development at the RG position, while improving depth across the line with experienced Gilliam playing the utility role. Joeckel is more physical than Gilliam in the run game, as well.

RT Joeckel
RG Ifedi
C Britt
LG Glowinski
LT Fant (or Gilliam or rookie)

I think the biggest question this off-season is, how much can Fant realistically improve?

i would bet everything that a rookie will not start @ LT. There will be no LT available when we finally get to make our first pick.

 

[Jimjones0384]

I'm surprised to see so many people hating on this deal, I love it. An incentive-laden, one-year "prove it" deal for a former top pick looking for redemption. At the very least, we'll get his best swing. Pure upside, I love it.

I'd say response is mostly positive with some mixed. Although what I'm finding is that those criticizing the move tend to be of the 'OL fairy' camp. Other than someone stating that they would have rather paid the long term guaranteed deal for Whitworth -- I've not seen anyone make a case for a deal they would have preferred. They just want greatness at a bargain price and aren't happy if they don't get it. It takes a serious divorce from reality to even profess that kind of deal.

It's an overall bad OL UFA group. To go with a bad OL draft class. With a league that is starving for OL talent. It's like trading Kam AND Earl for an Okung.

That just seems like so much money for a really bad player. And if it does pay off and he plays well, then what? I think the Lang deal is the one that makes this whole thing happen. Signing Lang and Joeckel is addressing your biggest need in a pretty big way. In that case, let the best 5 win. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if we just signed the most expensive backup tackle in the league.

It is a lot of money for a bad player. That's the landscape for 2017. And it's not exactly Seattle's fault we're in this shape. Because we weren't in a position to avoid it. That's unfortunately the price we incur by always making deep runs into the playoffs. All of the SB participants since we started our playoff runs in 2012 are afflicted with the same dearth of OL talent.

I do like Lang. Although I think the only reason to really add him would be to move Ifedi. Something they've said they won't do, but something I fully expected them to do this season even in minicamp last year.

Schnieder was there in 09 as director of player personnel when they drafted lang. They drafted him
To be a tackle, which he played both left and right in his rookie year. I wouldn't be surprised if that was their thinking, bring him in and compete at tackle.

 

[Attyla the Hawk]

Odhiambo is awful.

This should be on a T shirt.

I think I broke one of my beer mugs when we picked him in the third. On the heels of not getting Thuney or Hargrave by a mere 3-4 selections. I was pretty dejected. Might have been the beer(s?) that were no longer in the mug.

Either of those players would have turned into day one starters for us and been the best at their position.

 

[Seymour]

One positive on this possible signing that I haven't seen mentioned yet. I think it would be safe to assume since the demise of Gus Bradly, that Pete and or John picked up the phone and asked him his opinion and potential on taking a chance on Joekel. I would think we had the inside track to get some decent evaluation outside of VMac, which to me, given the track record on oline, would be a plus. OF course the knee issue is still there, but those are becoming fairly routine to recover from these days also.
That said, this is nothing we as fans can actually hang our hat on with certainty that things have improved. Time will tell, but this is a bad year to bolster the oline.

 

[London12]

Odhiambo is awful.

This should be on a T shirt.

I think I broke one of my beer mugs when we picked him in the third. On the heels of not getting Thuney or Hargrave by a mere 3-4 selections. I was pretty dejected. Might have been the beer(s?) that were no longer in the mug.

Either of those players would have turned into day one starters for us and been the best at their position.

All drafted on the advice of our OL maestro.

 

[hawknation2017]

I doubt he was their first choice but not a bad deal to get a veteran OT with solid length, agility, and fundamentals. He struggled in his few starts at RT, so that is a bit of a concern. Hopefully, Joeckel takes over the RT spot in training camp and never looks back. That would allow Ifedi to continue his development at the RG position, while improving depth across the line with experienced Gilliam playing the utility role. Joeckel is more physical than Gilliam in the run game, as well.

RT Joeckel
RG Ifedi
C Britt
LG Glowinski
LT Fant (or Gilliam or rookie)

I think the biggest question this off-season is, how much can Fant realistically improve?

i would bet everything that a rookie will not start @ LT. There will be no LT available when we finally get to make our first pick.

Good chance of that, which is one reason they decided to hedge their bets by acquiring Joeckel on a one-year contract.