RENTON – For most of last season, the run game almost felt like an afterthought for the Seattle Seahawks.
They’ve spent this offseason trying to ensure that doesn’t happen again.
Notes and observations from Seahawks’ 2nd open OTA practice
The Seahawks hired a new offensive coordinator in Klint Kubiak, who brings a wide-zone rushing attack to the Pacific Northwest as part of his Shanahan-style scheme.
They further overhauled the offensive coaching staff by adding O-line coach John Benton and run game coordinator/senior offensive advisor Rick Dennison, who have nearly five combined decades of NFL coaching experience.
They invested a first-round pick on left guard Grey Zabel, who was their highest-drafted guard in 23 years.
And on top of that, they’re bringing back the fullback. Seattle will feature a fullback as a regular part of its offense for the first time since 2016, with rookie fifth-round pick Robbie Ouzts and third-year pro Brady Russell both in the process of transitioning to the position from tight end.
To Seahawks right tackle Abraham Lucas, all those moves have made it crystal-clear just how serious the team is about fixing its sputtering ground attack.
“I think when you bring a fullback in, it kind of establishes that the run game is a cornerstone to your offense, not just an optional thing,” Lucas said after Wednesday’s OTA practice.
“Everybody wants to run the ball,” he added. “But when you come in and it’s kind of a non-negotiable, like, we’re running the ball – I mean, we put a fullback in the backfield. We’re changing it up. We’re doing things differently. It’s like an old-school mentality with a new-school principle sort of thing.”
‘Elite at the basics’
Last year, Seattle struggled mightily to get its run game untracked in previous offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s dropback-heavy scheme.
The Seahawks featured designed runs on just 34.8% of their plays, which was one of the lowest rates in the league. And when they did run the ball, they weren’t particularly effective, ranking just 20th in expected points added per carry, according to FTN Fantasy. The result was a ground attack that ranked 28th in the league at just 95.7 rushing yards per game.
This year, Lucas said the overall offensive philosophy is much different – specifically with its emphasis on running the football.
“We’re trying to be elite at very few things, but those few things are what the offense is going to be based around, and that’s the run game,” Lucas said. “We’re going to be elite at the run game. That’s the philosophy with it. So it’s not some hodgepodge of just a bunch of different stuff we’re just throwing in.
“We’re going to be elite at the basics and make sure that they work so we can do it against anybody.”
It certainly helps that the Seahawks have added one of the more experienced offensive line coaches in the game. Benton, who’s entering his 20th season as an NFL O-line coach, has been seen hammering technique and fundaments during recent practices that were open to the media.
“He’s just a wealth of knowledge,” Lucas said. “I’m looking forward to learning from him more.”
Seattle’s offensive line has long been been an issue and a target of criticism from fans and media alike. But Lucas said he’s not worried about the outside noise.
With a new coaching staff and a new identity, Lucas said this year’s O-line can be “however good we want to be.”
“We have the right coaching, the right tools,” Lucas said. “The identity has definitely changed from last year to this year. It’s on us as far as we want to take it.”
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