Do the Seahawks Have the Best O-Line Now?

Chief's left-tackle, Willie Roaf apprised Kansas City officials that he is retiring. The Chiefs had the best offensive line in the NFL when all of their players were healthy. This definitely drops them down a notch, although the recently acquired Kyle Turley might eventually return to his pro bowl level of play once he bulks back up. The effect for Kansas City is somewhere along the lines of Walter Jones retiring for Seattle. Roaf went to 11 pro bowls in his 13-year career and anchors that line at left-tackle. Pro-bowlers RG Will Shields and LG Brian Waters are still around, so they are still one of the better lines.

The argument over who has the best offensive line in football now that Roaf is gone should come down to Pittsburgh and Seattle. It is hard not to choose Pittsburgh with three pro-bowlers in LG Alan Faneca, C Jeff Hartings and LT Marvel Smith. Seattle is definitely in the conversation with LT Walter Jones and C Robbie Tobeck, but it is tough to anoint them the best with the loss of LG Steve Hutchinson. Either way, Pittsburgh and Seattle have the two best lines in the NFL, which is why we saw both teams in the Super Bowl. The importance of offensive line play is reflected in my emphasis on it in my team previews (I have updated the Kansas City Chiefs Preview accordingly).