The Seattle Seahawks know their offensive line has to step up if they hope to take the next step as a team. Germain Ifedi is one of the offensive linemen who will be asked to improve his play in 2019.
In an article by Michael Shawn-Dugar of The Athletic, Ifedi said that Seattle's offensive line have “all bought into” offensive line coach Mike Solari's methods. Over the past few seasons, the Seahawks have struggled to protect Russell Wilson.
“He continues to pound details, and we’ve all bought into that and we all hold ourselves to that standard to start with,” Ifedi said of Solari during minicamp. “So, before he ever asked us anything where it’s self-correcting and they were getting coached up on it, but it’s been exciting and I think we’re still breaking new ground every day on where this O-line can go.
This offseason, the Seahawks made Wilson the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL by giving him a deal that offers him $35 million in salary every season. That means the offensive line has to protect its franchise quarterback as though the careers of every lineman depend on it.
Last season, the Seahawks failed to keep Wilson clean. They allowed 51 sacks—the eighth most in the NFL. Since joining the Seahawks in 2012, Wilson has been sacked an average of nearly 43 times in each season. That has to change, and Ifedi will be crucial in making that change come to fruition.
The NFC West is continuing to get stronger with the Los Angeles Rams leading the way, but if Seattle hopes to inch closer to the Rams, it must be able to have improved play from its offensive line. If not, Aaron Donald is going to eat Wilson alive, as he has throughout his career.
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