The Seahawks offensive line will likely only have one change in terms of overall personnel from last year. Enter Mike Wahle, Exit Tom Ashworth. That one change has huge implications for how the entire unit will function. Also, Mike Solari takes over for Bill Laveroni, and hopefully Mike Holmgren doesn't stick his nose in too much and mess things up.
Mike Wahle was the best free agent guard available this side of Alan Faneca. There were a handful of good tackles that were either franchised or re-signed with their own teams, but after Faneca, Mike Wahle is the best offensive linemen in the NFL that switched teams. Mike Wahle is the answer to the question that has been asked since March 2006. How are the Seahawks going to replace Steve Hutchinson?
Wahle isn't some ordinary veteran. He gives the Seahawks a very good chance to have a Pro Bowl left-side again. Walt & Wahle are going to like playing next to each other. And that will improve the rest of the line as well. Rob Sims wasn't ready to fill Steve Hutchinson's shoes last year, just as Womack wasn't the year before. Now he can move over to right guard where things won't be nearly as tough.
Getting Chris Gray out of the starting line-up is very important. Even though his output has been declining, the reason he shouldn't start isn't because he isn't good enough. Chris Gray is the ideal reserve interior offensive linemen. You can count on him to be ready to come in at left guard, right guard, or center and play well for a few weeks while someone else gets healthy or even for the rest of the season. At this point in his career, he will benefit greatly from avoiding the weekly wear and tear all season. So, he will be at his best when he is asked to play.
Floyd Womack is also a good backup player. He can play either tackle or guard, and is best kept as a backup plan because of his injury history. Now that the offensive line is more appropriately balanced (it had been very tackle heavy), Womack can spend his time preparing to be the reserve tackle.
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Through some experiments that lacked direction or follow through, Ray Willis has quietly developed into a younger version of Womack. A versatile reserve lineman that can play guard or tackle. His size is alluring, but don't be confused. Willis is incapable of playing left tackle in the NFL, but he should have the right side of the line covered. And that leaves Mansfield Wrotto. He is capable of being a decent reserve, but is probably a year away from being ready to serve as the first line of defense at guard.
Chris Spencer might even benefit the most from the changes. He doesn't have to worry about blown assignments to his left. Things on the right side could be trickier, but if Rob Sims is struggling with assignments, then Chris Gray is waiting in the wings to step in and at least execute properly. Wahle and Gray are also good examples for Sims, Wrotto, and Spencer to learn from.
Although they are capable of playing on the inside, Womack and Willis will primarily function as the reserve tackles. Kyle Williams is a hard working player that will likely land on the practice squad for another season, but he'll be on the active roster if any of the 9 guys in front of him get injured enough to warrant placing them on IR. Or if one of the guys currently slated to fill a reserve role (i.e., Floyd Womack) suffers an injury during training camp. That could be a window for Williams.
Starters: LT Walter Jones, LG Mike Wahle, C Chris Spencer, RG Rob Sims, RT Sean Locklear
Locks: G/C Chris Gray, T/G Floyd Womack, T/G Ray Willis, G Mansfield Wrotto
Next in line: T Kyle Williams
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