Why the Seahawks ought to decide up the fifth 12 months choice of Charles Cross

With one other season within the books, followers of the Seattle Seahawks can look again and as soon as once more complain in regards to the poor play of the offensive line. It’s been a standard theme for greater than a decade, persevering via modifications to the teaching workers, scheme and personnel.

The Seahawks have skilled numerous ranges of success throughout that point interval, from hoisting a Lombardi Trophy after dismantling the Denver Broncos in Tremendous Bowl XLVIII, to stumbling into final place with an injured Russell Wilson on the helm in 2021. Nevertheless, via all of it one reality stays true, and that’s that because the twenty 12 months anniversary of Walter Jones inking a seven-year, $52.5M contract with Seattle on February 16, 2005, that is still the only largest contract the Hawks have given to an offensive lineman in franchise historical past.

So minimal has spending on the offensive line for the Seahawks been over the previous decade and a half that two of the biggest single season cap hits for Seattle offensive linemen in franchise historical past are from contracts that have been signed previous to the adoption of the earlier CBA in 2011. For these curious, listed below are the highest twelve largest single season cap hits for offensive linemen in franchise historical past, and, sure, the listing was expanded from ten to 12 for a selected purpose.

1: Duane Brown (2020: $12.75M)
2: Russell Okung (2014: $11.24M)
3: Duane Brown (2019: $10.85M)
4: Duane Brown (2021: $9.85M)
5: Walter Jones (2009: $9.8M)
6: Russell Okung (2013: $9.54M)
7: Russell Okung (2014: $8.96M)
8: Russell Okung (2011: $8.8M)
9T: Walter Jones (2007: $8.6M)
9T: Walter Jones (2008: $8.6M)
11: Justin Britt (2019: $7.92M)
12: Luke Joeckel (2017: $7.69M)

The rationale that is introduced up is as a result of between now and early Could the Seahawks entrance workplace might want to decide on the fifth 12 months choice of 2022 first spherical decide left deal with Charles Cross. As Area Gulls Managing Editor Mookie Alexander famous earlier in January, the fifth 12 months choice for Cross is projected to be $18.424M, which might immediately take excessive spot as the biggest single season cap hit for a Seahawks offensive lineman in franchise historical past in pure greenback quantities.

In any case, no matter the place the fifth 12 months choice would fall for Cross relative to historic cap hits for Seattle offensive linemen, the fact is that his efficiency on the sphere has proven him to be a younger up and comer, and with youth on his facet a capability to proceed to develop. Particularly, the Seahawks left Cross alone on an island at an unusually excessive charge throughout the 2024 season, and he outperformed expectations relative to the go rushers he was tasked with blocking when left with out assist from a guard, tight finish or operating again.

So, for many who have questioned what Cross has carried out to warrant having the fifth 12 months choice exercised or to be signed to a big extension, the reply is correct right here. His on subject efficiency places him on par with guys like Dion Dawkins, Trent Williams, Kolton Miller, Orlando Brown, Spencer Brown and different excessive performing, however not fairly elite, tackles, and Cross is doing that whereas having simply turned 24 in late November.

Briefly, he’s acting at a excessive stage, and he’s doing it at a really younger age. That’s the kind of participant that groups most of the time decide to increase, so here’s what a number of the gamers who fall within the space round Cross on that chart are incomes on non-rookie contracts.

Dion Dawkins: 3-years, $60.2M
Kolton Miller: 3-years, $54.01M
Orlando Brown: 4-years, $64.1M
Spencer Brown: 4-years, $72M
Trent Williams: 3-years, $82M

These numbers, mixed with the $18.424M projection for the fifth 12 months choice, present the bottom stage for the place the dialog about any extension Cross may signal begins. Now it’s a matter of ready to see whether or not John Schneider stays true to previous kind and opts to let Cross stroll, or whether or not he takes over as the best paid offensive lineman in franchise historical past.

It needs to be a no brainer. However then once more, selections that felt like no brainers previously haven’t at all times been made the way in which followers thought they need to have been made.

Picture by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Pictures