Gilliam is the key to the offseason

A-Dog

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The OL has been talked about a lot but I don't know if people realize the potential impact Gilliam can have if he successfully transitions to LT.

Obviously it remains to be seen if Gilliam can do this, but this is what we know - he's an outstanding athlete (6-6, 310 with a 35" vertical and a sub 5-second 40 - not sure about arm length - anyone know this?) who looks like a natural LT in our system from a physical standpoint. He converted from TE and started all season at RT. He did not set the world on fire (he still has much to learn and needs to add strength), but he stayed healthy and showed his potential. He'll be cheap for the next couple of years at least.

IF he can successfully make the transition and play adequately at LT while showing consistent improvement, that will be huge for the OL and the team. He'll be a bargain at a premium position for at least two more years - not quite as big of an advantage as RW playing on his rookie deal but it will still be a big help. After two years (assuming he isn't extended long-term after this season) we'll have a custom-built, home-grown LT who is going in to FA at 27, at which point we'd have the franchise tag at our disposal if he warrants it.

I think drafting a young center this year is a priority. Lewis is a good short-term answer (and insurance policy) but aside from LT I think a good reliable center with no major physical/mental deficiencies is critical to cohesiveness on the line, along with RWs comfort level pre-snap. Fortunately the draft is stocked with potential answers here.

I am okay with the (apparent) model at G and RT of drafting for potential and supplementing that with lower-paid vets on shorter-term deals. With guys like Britt, Sokoli, and Glowinski gaining experience competing with vets like Webb and Sowell, I think we will be in better shape than last year at those positions, with the potential for a very strong line if the young guys develop.

It all breaks down without Gilliam though. Obviously being a title condender the front office would rather not go in to the season with an unproven guy at LT - getting Okung back for something like 3/$24M would make everything better. Then by the time Gilliam is ready to cash in (if that happens) Okung would be in the last year of his deal and the dead money wouldn't be terrible if he were cut.

Of every player on the team this offseason, Gilliam is the guy I'll be watching most closely.
 

Jville

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Gilliam has continued to add weight and strength as his career has unfolded. This is his first off season for a really good opportunity to zero in on his best playing weight and strength for the job at tackle. In fact, as Gilliam added strength and weight, his improvement over the course of 2015 was unmatched. He emerged as a smart, likeable and hard working professional that can be trusted.

I'm looking forward to seeing Garry Gilliam play in 2016. He's a winner.
 
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A-Dog

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The entire line struggled for much of the season, but not only did they improve overall, Gilliam himself made a dramatic improvement (see graphic below, from PFF, borrowed from Hawkblogger). Keep in mind this is his first year as a starter. LT is actually a better fit for him -- he'll be matched up with smaller speed rushers rather than the maulers that often line up opposite the RT. With a year under his belt as a starter, and an offseason working at LT, if he can continue to show improvement I think it's within the realm of possibility that he could be a decent LT by midseason, if not earlier.

GilliamPBE

Gilliamrunblock
 

BBQHawk

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I think what jumps out at me here, does Cable just not excel at pass blocking schemes and instruction. Seems we consistently create good run blocking talent but have opposite results in pass block. Is this a coaching issue to a certain extent?
 

Basis4day

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BBQHawk":3jnary05 said:
I think what jumps out at me here, does Cable just not excel at pass blocking schemes and instruction. Seems we consistently create good run blocking talent but have opposite results in pass block. Is this a coaching issue to a certain extent?

You're not missing anything. That is his exact reputation.
 

Basis4day

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There is a joke i heard on a Fieldgulls pod this week.

Give Tom Cable 5 nobodies, and he'll turn them into an average NFL offensive line.

Give Tom Cable 5 1st rd picks, and he'll turn them into an average NFL offensive line.
 

HawkFan72

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I will be extremely nervous if we go into the season with Gilliam as our best option at LT.
 

Jville

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BBQHawk":1js5u9ft said:
I think what jumps out at me here, does Cable just not excel at pass blocking schemes and instruction. Seems we consistently create good run blocking talent but have opposite results in pass block. Is this a coaching issue to a certain extent?
It is more philosophical.

Pete Carroll's rule #1 take care of the football!
 

kearly

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Pretty much all of the OL looked better after Lewis provided a degree of stability at center and the team switched to a spread heavy offense.

To this point, Gilliam looks like a replacement level tackle. And he didn't win a starting RT job so much as Britt lost it. The goal for Seattle should be to have five OL who EARNED their starting jobs. Last year, too many of the starters were anointed by default, with predictably disastrous results.

On the current roster Seattle has exactly zero OL that should be considered valuable assets. But even on such a weak OL, I don't like the idea of any player winning a starting job by default. I want Gilliam to earn his spot, and so far, he hasn't done that.

Keep Gilliam around, give him more opportunities to win a job, but if Seattle just hands him the LT job, then something went terribly wrong this offseason.
 

chris98251

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BBQHawk":2pb4ztv2 said:
I think what jumps out at me here, does Cable just not excel at pass blocking schemes and instruction. Seems we consistently create good run blocking talent but have opposite results in pass block. Is this a coaching issue to a certain extent?


You can ask these guys

Marques Tuiasosopo
Rich Gannon
Rick Mirer
Kerry Collins
Aaron Brooks
Andrew Walter
JaMarcus Russell
Daunte Culpepper
Josh McCown
Charlie Frye
Bruce Gradkowski
Jason Campbell
Kyle Boller
 

pehawk

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Gilliam's been groomed since he got here to be LT. He's the reason they ain't sweating Okung. I'm way cool with the idea. I love his progression.

Great post, pookie. Thank you.
 

sam1313

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I've been loving Gilliam on the team since I first read about him as a rookie. I think he may have what it takes to be an awesome left tackle, and I think he is certainly a valuable team asset at this time.

That said, I agree that I will be very nervous if he is slated as our best LT option before the season begins. He just doesn't have the type of experience that would make me happy with that decision. Now give him one more year (or even half a season) and he may be there, but for this year we should have at least one other legitimate option.
 
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A-Dog

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kearly":2u4gij55 said:
Pretty much all of the OL looked better after Lewis provided a degree of stability at center and the team switched to a spread heavy offense.

To this point, Gilliam looks like a replacement level tackle. And he didn't win a starting RT job so much as Britt lost it. The goal for Seattle should be to have five OL who EARNED their starting jobs. Last year, too many of the starters were anointed by default, with predictably disastrous results.

On the current roster Seattle has exactly zero OL that should be considered valuable assets. But even on such a weak OL, I don't like the idea of any player winning a starting job by default. I want Gilliam to earn his spot, and so far, he hasn't done that.

Keep Gilliam around, give him more opportunities to win a job, but if Seattle just hands him the LT job, then something went terribly wrong this offseason.
Agree, nobody should be handed anything. But Gilliam showed a) upside, b) durability, c) work ethic, and d) a good attitude. I don't think you can say he didn't win the job at RT, he did what was asked and he showed lots of improvement throughout the season.

What I would like to see is:

LT: Re-sign Okung, let Gilliam compete with him during camp, and regardless of which side Gilliam ends up on, give him reps at LT during the season in garbage time and when Okung inevitably gets hurt.

C: Draft a player to compete with Lewis and Nowack. Lewis is a known commodity at this point so at least we don't have a huge question mark here to start the season.

RT: Let Webb fight it out with Poole and a draft pick, with Gilliam and Britt possibly in the mix here as well.

G: Britt, Glowinski, Sokoli, Sowell and a draft pick fight for the two spots. Webb could figure here as well.

If we can manage this the only potential downgrade is at RG even if our other starters are the same as last year (Okung, Britt, Lewis, Gilliam). Given that the line played much better at the end of the year, and the young guys (particularly Britt and Gilliam) should be improved with a year at their positions under their belts, and there is consistency at center, the line overall should be improved, and that's without factoring in the signings or potential draft picks.
 

chris98251

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Don't want a 11 to 13 million Okung, even with Bailey we showed we could play at the end of last season, Line wasn't our problem, Health was. If the Line could have been better maybe things would have been different, but no Lynch and Rawls hurt us more then a Okung that was gimped and or playing.
 

Tical21

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Gilliam absolutely whiffed pretty consistently throughout the season. At RT, Russell can see it when it happens. At LT, he can't. If Gilliam doesn't approve dramatically, like almost unprecedented amounts improvement, and gets moved to LT, Russell dies and fumbles in the process. Bad RT's do not make good LT's. It has never happened once in the history of O-Linedom.
 

IndyHawk

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Tical21":w42omx1p said:
Gilliam absolutely whiffed pretty consistently throughout the season. At RT, Russell can see it when it happens. At LT, he can't. If Gilliam doesn't approve dramatically, like almost unprecedented amounts improvement, and gets moved to LT, Russell dies and fumbles in the process. Bad RT's do not make good LT's. It has never happened once in the history of O-Linedom.
I almost want to say not true but if so it would be a few and on a new team.The names in history are blank with me tonight,It has been years though.
 

bjornanderson21

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As much as it sucks not having real talent on the OL, this feels like the first year where there will be legit competition at multiple positions on the OL.

The Hawks have focused too much on versatility (imo) and that has meant that pretty much everyone has tried each position instead of focusing on one and getting good at it.

I think this year there will be a little bit less moving around, and more battles between 2 guys.

I don't think we will have a better OL, but I think we can be just about as mediocre as before but for less money.
 

Jville

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I suppose that, if Gilliam is moved back to left tackle and continues to grow and then excel as a left tackle, the counter assertion would be that he was miss cast at right tackle. 8)
 

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