Seattle, WA
What Seattle Seahawks GM said about team's O-line plans
The Seattle Seahawks have been one of the most active teams in free agency this year.
Key Seahawks player may miss start of 2025, GM says
But much to frustration of Seahawks fans, those moves haven’t done much to address the team’s glaring needs along the interior offensive line.
Seattle’s lone O-line signing has been former Baltimore Ravens backup tackle/guard Josh Jones, who projects more as a depth piece than a potential full-time starter.
And in the meantime, the interior O-line market has thinned dramatically since the free agent negotiating period began on March 10. According to NFL.com, each of the top eight free agent interior offensive linemen have signed elsewhere.
During his weekly appearance Thursday on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob, Seahawks general manager John Schneider was asked a handful of questions about the O-line. Here are a few highlights from what he said.
A patient approach
Schneider said the Seahawks are continuing to bring in offensive linemen for free-agent visits.
Earlier this week, guards Teven Jenkins, Dillon Radunz and Lucas Patrick each reportedly met with Seattle. Jenkins has since signed with the Cleveland Browns.
“We had probably five guys in (for visits) this week,” Schneider said. “We’ll have another guy in this weekend. (We’ll) have the (doctors) spend time with them, keep negotiating with the agent and have the coaches spending a bunch of time with them and seeing if it’s a true fit.”
However, Schneider said it’s difficult to find surefire O-line starters at this stage of the free agency cycle.
“You can’t just throw money at marginal play,” Schneider said. “We want to be a championship team. We don’t want to be an average team. And so we can sign guys that can fill a specific role, but it’s not at a point right now where you’re gonna go sign a guy that’s for sure going to be your starting left guard or right guard. That’s just what it is. I wish I could tell you different.”
Schneider also touched on the Seahawks not signing a top free agent lineman during last week’s initial free agency surge.
According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, Schneider confirmed to reporters last week that Seattle pursued highly touted guard Will Fries in free agency. Schneider said the Seahawks wanted to bring in Fries for a physical after the former Indianapolis Colts guard suffered a season-ending broken tibia this past October.
However, teams weren’t allowed to conduct physicals on free agents until the new league year began on March 12. Fries ended up signing a massive deal with the Minnesota Vikings on March 11.
“Those first three days (of free agency), it provides a lot of opportunity for risk and error because you’re not able to … (bring in players) on visits,” Schneider told Wyman and Bob.
“(On visits), they can sit down with the coaches and we can have our doctors evaluate them, see where they’re at in their career, what their durability grade would be, what a final medical exam would be, how they’re interacting with the coaches, how are they treating the staff. … Those interactions are really important.”
In-house ‘upside’ and the draft
Schneider also continued to express confidence in Seattle’s young group of interior offensive linemen, which includes center Olu Oluwatimi and guards Anthony Bradford, Christian Haynes and Sataoa Lamuea.
Oluwatimi and Bradford were 2023 draft picks, while Haynes and Laumea were 2024 draft picks. Bradford made 11 starts at right guard last season before suffering an ankle injury. He was replaced by Laumea, who started the final six games. Oluwatimi made eight starts at center after Connor Williams’ abrupt midseason retirement.
Schneider said he thinks that young group of linemen can benefit from a more balanced offense, which is what the Seahawks are expected to have this season under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
“When you’re throwing the heck out of the ball, it’s pretty hard to gain confidence when you’re not running off the ball,” Schneider said. “And that’s what happened with the young group of guys last year, quite frankly. We were throwing the crud out of it (and) we didn’t really establish the running game. You gain confidence when you come off the ball and you can block your guy, instead of being on your heels all the time.”
Schneider said it’s encouraging that Kubiak, new offensive line coach John Benton and incoming run game coordinator/senior offensive advisor Rick Dennison were excited to work with Seattle’s young linemen.
Schneider also pointed to this year’s draft class, which is widely regarded to feature a strong crop of offensive linemen. According to ESPN, 16 of the top 100 draft prospects are offensive linemen – including six interior linemen. The Seahawks have 10 draft picks, including five in the top 92.
“The draft is strong. It feels like a really nice group,” Schneider said. “And we like the guys we drafted last year – the younger guys that we have in that room. And our coaches were excited to come here and work with those guys as well. (They) saw an upside in them.”
The John Schneider Show airs on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob each Thursday at 4 p.m. leading up to the first round of the NFL Draft on April 24. Hear this week’s edition in the podcast at this link or in the audio player near the top of this post.
More on the Seattle Seahawks
• Report: Key Seattle Seahawks OLB takes pay cut in reworked deal
• What DK Metcalf said about the Seattle Seahawks on a podcast
• Bump: What Seattle Seahawks gain and lose from swapping QBs, WRs
• Huard: Reported Seattle Seahawks pre-draft visitor is ‘dynamic’ threat
• Mock Draft Roundup: What options do Seattle Seahawks have at No. 18?
Seattle, WA
Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
SEATTLE — As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.
The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.
RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail
The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.
A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.
“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.
She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.
She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.
RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns
“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.
The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.
Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.
“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.
RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews
She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without
“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”
The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
6-year-old Bellingham, WA boy dies from injuries after beach driftwood accident
Grandmother thwarts Pike Place kidnapping, Seattle police make arrest
‘Transfer Fire’ near Lake Chelan, WA hospital prompts evacuation notices
Here’s where WA wildfires are currently burning
Seattle office vacancy crisis shifts tax burden onto homeowners
Thurston County, WA couple desperate to find dog after Rover sitter vanishes
Husband of pregnant wife killed in Seattle sues King County homeless authority
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
— Enjoy free coverage of the Super Bowl champions from Seattle Seahawks On SI —
Sign Up For the Seahawks Daily Digest – OnSI’s Free Seattle Seahawks Newsletter
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
Politics26 seconds agoLindsey Graham’s final act reverberates in Senate as sister is urged to “keep pedaling”
-
Health6 minutes agoIs lettuce still safe to eat amid Taco Bell illness probe? Doctors answer
-
Sports12 minutes agoMarcello Hernández roasts Jake Paul, Tiger Woods and Bill Belichick in ESPYS monologue
-
Technology18 minutes agoYou paid for it. So why is your device showing ads?
-
Business24 minutes agoParamount shareholder lawsuit accuses Ellisons of corruption
-
Entertainment30 minutes ago‘You’re scaring my people.’ Shia LaBeouf’s alleged stalker arrested after posting viral video
-
Politics42 minutes agoCalifornians back Becerra and reject AI data centers by big margins, poll finds
-
Science48 minutes agoHow to eat safely amid outbreak of diarrhea-causing cyclosporiasis
