Heading into the 2025 season, one of the biggest questions for the Seattle Seahawks is whether they did enough to address their struggling offensive line.
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They spent their first-round draft pick on North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel, who is expected to be their starting left guard. They hired new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, whose Shanahan-style scheme figures to put the O-line in better position for success. And they brought in veteran offensive line coach John Benton, who carries a wealth of experience from his two decades coaching NFL O-lines.
But with legitimate questions still lingering at both center and right guard, FTN Fantasy’s Aaron Schatz recently suggested the Seahawks should sign five-time Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff, who remains available on the free agent market.
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Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus has a similar line of thought, but a different target.
Bumpus went with veteran guard Will Hernandez, who has made 91 starts over his seven-year NFL career. Hernandez and Scherff are both mentioned on ESPN reporter Matt Bowen’s list of the top 17 remaining NFL free agents.
“(Hernandez) has been banged up a little bit, but at this point of the (offseason), you’re still looking for guys to help with that offensive line,” Bumpus said during Monday’s Four Down Territory segment on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. “… But I mentioned this guy earlier in this whole process and I’ll mention his name again. Will Hernandez is still available. He’s still out there.”
Hernandez, 29, is a former second-round draft pick who spent his first four seasons with the New York Giants and the past three seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He has significant experience at both guard spots, having started at left guard for his first three seasons and right guard for his past four seasons.
The 6-foot-2, 332-pound Hernandez was limited to five games last year due to a season-ending left knee injury. But he earned above-average Pro Football Focus grades over his past two full seasons, ranking 23rd out of 88 guards in 2023 and 29th out of 87 guards in 2022.
If the Seahawks were to kick the tires on Hernandez, he’d likely enter the mix at right guard, where Christian Haynes and Anthony Bradford are currently the favorites for the starting job.
“He had a (pass block) win rate over 94% the last three seasons,” Bumpus said. “He’s good in the run blocking and he has good footwork. … You watch the film on him – he can still move. And in this type of offense, I think he fits perfectly. He has good hands, he’s physical and he has good feet.”
Listen to the full Four Down Territory segment at this link or in the audio player near the middle of this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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