Another day, another change to the starting lineup for the Seattle Seahawks offensive line. The unit has been ravaged both by injuries and poor performances for practically the entire 2024 season – a marked improvement from left tackle Charles Cross being just about the only consistent positive.
The starting five combination is changing rapidly, though. Just in the last couple of weeks Abe Lucas has returned to the lineup at right tackle from the PUP list and Olu Oluwatimi has taken the place of now-retired Connor Williams at center. Both moves have proven to be positive impacts so far. Now we have word of yet another change up front.
According to head coach Mike Macdonald, Sataoa Laumea will be starting at right guard this week against the New York Jets in the wake of Anthony Bradford being placed on the injured reserve list.
For the immediate future it means the Seahawks would rather roll the dice on a Day 3 pick rather than allow third-rounder Christian Haynes to try to develop. It’s too early to write Haynes off as a bust, but he’s definitely not off to a good start in his NFL career if he’s been around for 11 months and is effectively third on the depth chart only because there is no fourth option.
It’s a nice opportunity for Laumea, though – even if this will be his first action at right guard at the NFL level. Remember, Laumea played left guard during the preseason and played more right tackle than anything during his time in college. Nothing is guaranteed with a rookie lineman, but if nothing else he’ll have a hard time performing any worse than Bradford or Haynes have.
This move is another credit to Macdonald’s refusal to start players because of their draft status or salary if they’re not living up to standards. A couple other examples are linebackers Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson, who were shown the door in recent weeks because they weren’t getting the job done. Now it’s Tyrice Knight and Ernest Jones at the off-ball linebacker spots.
We’ll have to have another conversation about Seattle’s long, sad history of evaluating offensive line prospects – but at least it’s good to know Macdonald is holding up his end.
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