The Seattle Seahawks offensive line has struggled so much this season that Russell Wilson may have no choice but to lose weight in order to increase his speed. This is not a joke, but rather the grim reality the defending NFC champions face.
Russell Wilson is dropping weight because the Seahawks O-line is so bad
Shedding a few pounds and increasing mobility may be the only way for Wilson to survive in the pocket this season.
CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reports that Wilson is focusing on shedding pounds and improving his speed as a way to combat the additional pressure he’s facing in the pocket this season. The Seahawks offensive line has been a much-maligned unit under head coach Pete Carroll for the last several years, but it appears to be worse than ever through the first four weeks of the 2015 campaign.
The low point may have come during Monday night's win over the Detroit Lions when Wilson was under duress all night long. La Canfora pointed out that center Drew Nowak, a converted defensive lineman, had up to 20 poor snap exchanges with Wilson Monday. Nowak is one of three former defensive linemen who are playing on the interior of Seattle's O-line.
This offseason, the Seahawks shipped All-Pro center Max Unger to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for tight end Jimmy Graham. Graham has struggled to mesh with Wilson so far this season, catching 18 passes for a paltry 174 yards in four contests. The Seahawks have failed to replace Unger.
It’s been a down year for Wilson on the whole -- he’s only thrown for 979 yards through the first quarter of the schedule. He’s in the first year of an $87.6 million extension he signed over the summer.
If Nowak's struggles persist in Sunday's game against the Bengals, Seattle could consider making a personnel change. Though that wouldn't be a panacea, it could be the first step towards finding a solution that doesn't include Wilson dropping a significant amount of weight in the middle of the season.
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