Bill Barnwell Just Called Out the Seahawks' 'Worst' Offseason Move, And It's Time For 12s To Push Back

Hey, 12s! So, you know how it goes in the NFL offseason, not a ton of breaking news, right? Well, ESPN's Bill Barnwell decided to stir the pot, and honestly, it’s got me seeing red. He dropped his list of best and worst offseason decisions for every NFC team, and get this: he's saying the Seahawks' "worst" move was "not doing more to upgrade the offensive line." Seriously? Are we really doing this O-line narrative again?

ESPN Thinks We're Sleeping On Our Guys

I get it, a Super Bowl win happened even when folks were chirping about our O-line. Remember those days? Grey Zabel was there, and yeah, maybe it wasn't the "greatest," but it was absolutely good enough to get that ring! Barnwell, though, is still stuck on it. He's out here saying with the defense taking hits in free agency and Kenneth Walker III heading to the Chiefs, our GM John Schneider should've poured more into the line. His only addition, a fifth-round pick Beau Stephens? Barnwell thinks we needed more competition for Anthony Bradford at right guard, who teams definitely targeted last season. And what about oft-injured right tackle Abraham Lucas? Sure, he played all 17 games in 2025 for the first time, but Barnwell wants more depth there, just in case. He even threw out names like Tyler Linderbaum or Isaac Seumalo. Draft a guard in Round 1? Come on, man.

This O-Line Was a NET POSITIVE, People!

This is where I gotta push back hard. Barnwell conveniently forgot a few key things, or maybe he just wasn't watching close enough. Let's talk about it. Our left tackle Charles Cross and left guard Grey Zabel? That's a rock-solid combo right there. Abe Lucas went the distance last year, which is huge! So, yeah, center and right guard are the spots to watch. But Jalen Sundell at center played well enough, and he’s ridiculously inexpensive. There's no real reason to even think about another starting center this season. And Anthony Bradford? He was definitely the weak link, but he's not nearly as disastrous as he once was. Plus, drafting Beau Stephens shows Seattle's thinking ahead, especially since Bradford's contract is up in 2027. But the biggest miss from Barnwell? We re-signed Josh Jones! The dude filled in great for Cross when he missed three regular season games with a hamstring injury. Jones is a swing tackle who can play either side and even guard! Folks, our offensive line was a net positive last year. Read that again: A NET POSITIVE! That's a phrase I honestly didn't think I'd get to say again. This is an extremely young group, with only Sundell and Bradford out of contract next year, and Sundell is an RFA who's super easy to tender. We're past this tired narrative, right?

We've got Mike Macdonald leading the charge, a young O-line that’s finally gelling and proved it can be a net positive, and key guys locked in. Forget what the national talking heads are saying. This unit is young, has massive upside, and they're only going to get better under Brian Fleury's guidance. The season can't start soon enough, and I'm ready to watch these guys prove everyone wrong. Let's go, Hawks!

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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.