So, who will be our starting Center?

All I've heard this off season is how they are trying out Justin Britt out at center, and how he is learning the line calls but seriously!??...

I'd rather have Patrick Lewis in there again, as he was serviceable to decent at times. And what about Sokoli? Wasn't he a sparq freak? With one year in the system and for being fairly intelligent, I'd figure he has a great shot! And then there's our rookie Hunt from TCU from every thing I've read it says he can take on big 0 or 1 tech Nose Tackles or big DT's.

Anyway, I figured I'd ask this question to get an idea of what you guys get the feeling as to which Linemen will be our 2016 Center. As always, thanks for your reading and input.

GO HAWKS!!!
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I think Britt will be given every opportunity to win the job. I honestly don't have a lot of faith he will. I'd like to see Hunt, just given everything I've read about him he should be our starting center of the future.

I just hope they don't give the job to Britt because he's 6'6 325 or whatever.

They're pushing way too hard for him to fit in somewhere. He's just not very good. Hopefully, he ends up as our swing guy.

I get the very real sense that this is Britt's last chance. I don't see him factoring in the OG conversation, as Seattle has spent a lot of picks in that group in 2015/16. Glowinski and Ifedi will start there. I think Odhiambo will be primary backup.

I fully expect that if Britt can't make the conversion quickly -- probably by the end of the first preseason game -- they'll go with Lewis/Hunt. With Lewis, we're not really having a strong need for continuity as he's been in the program and started for extended periods.

Every year there are surprise cuts. I think if this conversion doesn't work then Britt is a player without a position. Although I think he'd be valuable as he could play as valuable and versatile depth -- I think it'll be a numbers game. I think we're wanting both Sokoli and Odhiambo on the final 53. And they are both interior guys. With the idea that Ifedi rolls to OT in 2017 with his successor at RG already embedded and trained.

We won't keep 3 OCs. Nor will we keep 5 OGs. If Britt can't start at OC I think Hunt will have to show he can't play at all to not be the backup. It just feels like we're giving Britt every opportunity to take Lewis' job. But I don't think those opportunities will linger as they did last preseason.

Injuries could give him a reprieve. But I think this is his put up or shut up training camp.

Britt will make the team just because he can play all three. Sokoli seems quite forgotten about. I don't think he's on the 2-deep anywhere. If Hunt proves he can adequately handle NFL NT's, I think he ends up with the job sooner than later. He's got the intangibles that great centers and leaders are made of.

Tical21":1sfqzj9n said:

...........If Hunt proves he can adequately handle NFL NT's, I think he ends up with the job sooner than later. He's got the intangibles that great centers and leaders are made of.

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Agree completely.

Tical21":31mmrxwv said:

Britt will make the team just because he can play all three. Sokoli seems quite forgotten about. I don't think he's on the 2-deep anywhere. If Hunt proves he can adequately handle NFL NT's, I think he ends up with the job sooner than later. He's got the intangibles that great centers and leaders are made of.

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Saying Britt can play 3 positions is extremely kind. By my measure, he's been a complete mess at two positions and they're hoping he's not completely useless at a third.

If he wasn't a second round pick, Britt wouldn't even be on the roster right now IMO. They're trying really hard to find some shred of value from a guy they took 64th overall.

If Britt is starting center, then look at last years beginning. The guy was a mistake pick. PERIOD.

LOL ..... we must be in that quiet window after OTA reports and before they put the pads on.

It's an unknown that will affect our season significantly, but it's going to depend on how hard Britt and Hunt are studying right now and whether that translates once they show up in early July. There's no public information about this yet.

Britt hasn't played well but he is only making $700k, has shown the ability to stay healthy, and provides flexibility that the FO values highly. They're not just keeping him around because he was drafted in the late second.

Just because a guy is cheap and supposedly flexible (sucks at both positions tried) does not mean he belongs as a starting center. We saw what happened last year at center.

Holy crap, just pencil in Lewis and let it sort itself out. We can't afford to lose games because of the choice of a center. Right now, Lewis is the best center on the team.

Largent80":1ndn537j said:

Lewis is the best center on the team.

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What's the incentive to rush to an opinion though? We haven't seen a single snap at center for us from either of the two leading candidates. Britt has five inches of height, twenty pounds, and over an inch of arm length on Lewis. Arm length at C is a key NFL measurement that provides additional reaction time for the other OL and this FO has always prioritized ceilings over floors. The cheap salary is why this isn't much of a gamble.

hawksfansinceday1":221p6zn3 said:

Tical21":221p6zn3 said:

...........If Hunt proves he can adequately handle NFL NT's, I think he ends up with the job sooner than later. He's got the intangibles that great centers and leaders are made of.

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Agree completely.

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I just hope he has the tangibles as well.

It's such an athletic league where size, speed, and strength are paramount and Joey just looks to have a physical disadvantage compared to others in the league. I sure like him though, and hope you guys are spot on.

Wow, such strong feelings.

All we know for sure is the team wants to try Britt at a new position because he failed to play well at the other two they've tried him at here. His foot speed appears far too slow to play RT at a professional level and his play @ LG was uninspiring at best, clumsy at times, or plain awful by most metrics. However, he was playing injured most of last season, so some reports have indicated, which may have slowed his development. He is reported to be very strong and according to Coach Cable well mentally versed in the scheme wanted by the team, besides he will cost the team capwise if cut. So let's just see how he does at C before writing him off as completely worthless, he just might surprise.

If nothing else he is apparently considered to be physically able to play C by the Coaches, and just might bring an interior toughness and physicality to the interior OLine. We will just need to wait and see. Nice thing however is the team has several potential options available in Lewis and Hunt if this final position change fails to work for Britt. Motivation for him to succeed in that regard will be high and he must know he's on his last position change before being relegated to being a backup for the balance of his contract here.

It is possible to disagree with another's post without resorting to ad hominem comments.

Anyone have any idea about why there is so much disparity about Joey Hunt's actual height? I see him listed at anywhere from 6' - 6' 3" depending on the source. I'm guessing he's closer to 6'. Just seems kinda weird.

Grahamhawker":3a2sy24c said:

Anyone have any idea about why there is so much disparity about Joey Hunt's actual height? I see him listed at anywhere from 6' - 6' 3" depending on the source. I'm guessing he's closer to 6'. Just seems kinda weird.

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Personally I would go with the seahawks.com measurement which is 6'0" . It seems like in college they always list players an inch or two taller than what they are.

Hasselbeck":3n1a96bq said:

Tical21":3n1a96bq said:

Britt will make the team just because he can play all three. Sokoli seems quite forgotten about. I don't think he's on the 2-deep anywhere. If Hunt proves he can adequately handle NFL NT's, I think he ends up with the job sooner than later. He's got the intangibles that great centers and leaders are made of.

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Saying Britt can play 3 positions is extremely kind. By my measure, he's been a complete mess at two positions and they're hoping he's not completely useless at a third.

If he wasn't a second round pick, Britt wouldn't even be on the roster right now IMO. They're trying really hard to find some shred of value from a guy they took 64th overall.

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I think you are correct, and this is what baffles me. It seems like Britt is becoming a contradiction for everything Pete stands for. "Always compete" doesn't seem to apply, because they aren't letting the best player at the position play. They've typically not stayed with guys just because of their contract or draft status, but it appears that's exactly what's happening with Britt.

After watching all of the available tape on our new backup QB Boykin, I came away very impressed with OC-Joey Hunt. His snaps are always very, very fast and very, very accurate. After the snap, Hunt appears more than capable of his blocking duties. His height is mentioned as a negative, however, Hunt uses leverage & strength extremely well and seems to be above average as a college center in that regard. I think the Hawks found a real gem with this kid, just need to coach him up a bit & watch out as IMO, I think he could very well be the starting center on opening day (moving Britt to swing OT/backup OG/or cut).

You mention the height thing, I had actually thought being shorter was an advantage because it allowed the lineman to get underneath the defender and have better leverage. So I'm not sure why being shorter is a disadvantage.

It is way too soon to guess who the starting center will be at this point. My sincere hope though is that it will be Lewis, or potentially Hunt. The Center position is far too important to throw someone in who has no experience with Line Calls at all.

Just look what happened when that same experiment was tried last year. Does PC really want to risk several early losses just so Cable can try and prove a point he knows the OL better than anyone else?

I do think Cable and most importantly PC will come to their senses early in the pre-season and stop the Britt talk at Center. But I will say to just cut him would be a mistake. For all his mediocre play he does show value as a backup as a swing G and T. That has value as well.