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Is the starting Seahawks O-line now set? Huard's take

The Seattle Seahawks entered training camp with two open position battles along their offensive line.

One appears to be set. The other may be nearly wrapped up too.

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Anthony Bradford seems to have run away with the competition at right guard, where he was battling Christian Haynes. Bradford started each of the two preseason games and had a particularly strong performance against the Kansas City Chiefs last Friday, posting the best Pro Football Focus grade of any player on Seattle’s offense that night. Haynes, meanwhile, has the third-worst PFF grade among Seahawks offensive linemen this preseason.

At center, it’s been a two-man battle between Jalen Sundell and Olu Oluwatimi. Oluwatimi has the edge in starting experience, but he’s been dealing with a back injury that sidelined him for the first two preseason games. Sundell seems to have capitalized on the opportunity, starting both games and performing well. He has the fourth-best PFF grade among Seahawks offensive linemen this preseason – including the best pass-blocking grade.

During Monday’s Blue 88 segment on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, former NFL quarterback Brock Huard was asked if Bradford and Sundell should be the Week 1 starters.

“It’s gotta be,” Huard said.

Huard then pointed to several factors: Bradford’s strong preseason, Oluwatimi’s back issue, Sundell’s athleticism, and the potential to pair Sundell next to former North Dakota State teammate Grey Zabel, who is slated to be Seattle’s left guard.

“Olu has missed a couple weeks,” Huard said. “He’s got a back that’s barking, and this system is about movement. And to put a former teammate right next to your rookie left guard in Grey Zabel? Not a bad deal. They’re movers. They’re shakers. Anthony Bradford has never looked better. He’s never played better. I think this is the group you’re gonna go with.”

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What to make of the Risner report?

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Tuesday that the Seahawks are scheduled to visit with free agent guard Dalton Risner, who has made 81 starts over his six-year career with the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings.

How would Risner fit in? Huard said Wednesday that adding Risner would be more about bolstering the team’s guard depth and giving them a proven veteran backup, rather than challenging Bradford for the starting job.

However, Huard also acknowledged that adding a veteran guard like Risner could help prevent Bradford from getting too comfortable.

“Maybe also that’s a little bit of, hey, you won this job. Hey, you’ve distanced yourself from these young guys. But you are not gonna let up,” Huard said. “And your sense of urgency is not going anywhere, because this guy is right behind you, and this guy is a proven pro.”

‘Hay’s in the barn’

Meanwhile, if the center job is still open, Huard thinks it should be settled after the Seahawks’ joint practice against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday in Wisconsin. Macdonald said Monday that he’s “hoping” Oluwatimi can participate in the joint practice, which precedes the Seahawks’ preseason finale on Saturday against the Packers.

“If there is even a semblance of competition, (Thursday) should be the final day,” Huard said. “Let those two guys hammer out every single rep against the (Packers’ starters) in Green Bay in that practice. And then just say, ‘Yep, hay’s in the barn. This is our group. Let ’em play together. Let ’em grow together.’

“And I like the way it all mixes and matches from strengths, experience and a comfort level with that center and that left guard.”

Listen to the full Blue 88 segment at this link or in the audio player near the middle of this story. Tune into Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.