Seahawks Banking On Austin Blythe Bringing Smarts, Command to Center Position

Around this time last year, with starter Ethan Pocic scheduled to become a free agent, the Seahawks had a prime opportunity to upgrade the center spot heading into a new league year. Several quality veterans were slated to hit the market, while a strong draft class featured a number of high-upside prospects at the position.

Following the hiring of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and run game coordinator Andy Dickerson in January, Seattle was linked to impending free agent Austin Blythe, who had spent four seasons with the two coaches as a member of the Los Angeles Rams. Given his familiarity with them and their scheme, he seemed like a natural fit to succeed Pocic as a possible long-term starter.

But despite his prior relationship with Waldron and Dickerson, the Seahawks didn't make a push to sign Blythe, opting to re-sign Pocic to a team-friendly one-year, $3 million deal. One month later, they further illustrated their support for the veteran by bypassing an opportunity to draft Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey, instead using the No. 56 overall selection on speedy receiver Dee Eskridge.

While Pocic played the best football of his career over the final two months last season, the decision to stick with status quo backfired on the Seahawks. The veteran missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury, opening the door for Kyle Fuller to start in the season opener. Winning the job by default, the journeyman center struggled in seven starts before eventually being relegated back to the bench.

Such results matched up well with how Seattle's disappointing season played out as a whole. The team crashed and burned to a 7-10 record and finished in last place in the NFC West, leading to the departure of star quarterback Russell Wilson and linebacker Bobby Wagner this offseason.

After seeing how things unfolded at the pivot position, the Seahawks weren't going to make the same mistake two offseasons in a row. With Blythe once again available as a free agent, Waldron and Dickerson lobbied for the franchise to sign him and the two sides agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal earlier this month.

“I'm very excited," Blythe told reporters in his introductory press conference. "There wasn't any opportunity last year, but I'm very excited about the opportunity this year to come in and compete and be in a system that I'm familiar with and people that I'm familiar with."

Interestingly, the 2021 season went as smoothly for Blythe as it did for Seattle. After signing a one-year contract with the Chiefs, he expected to compete for a starting spot. But in an ironic twist of fate, Kansas City used its second-round pick to select Humphrey, who immediately made a strong impression on the coaching staff and quickly seized the starting job.

While Humphrey went on to finish third in AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year balloting and received 10 All-Pro votes, Blythe battled injuries and wound up playing a grand total of 12 offensive snaps in what amounted to a lost season. Back to 100 percent health, he's eager to turn the page and start anew in the Pacific Northwest.

“It's just sometimes how it happens," Blythe reflected. "But in this business, in this league, you have to have a resilient mindset and just attack the next opportunity that comes, and it happens to be here with the Seattle Seahawks.”

Compared to his predecessors, Blythe brings a different body type and different skill set to the table for Seattle. While Justin Britt and Pocic both stood 6-foot-5 and weighed well over 300 pounds, the former seventh-round pick out of Iowa stands just 6-foot-2 and weighs 298 pounds.

Given his lack of size, how has Blythe found prior success in the league? As coach Pete Carroll noted at the NFL's annual owner meetings on Tuesday, his high football IQ and understanding of the scheme coupled with technical savvy and lateral quickness gained from years dominating on the wrestling mats stand out as clear strengths in his game that cater well to a zone-heavy scheme.

"Austin Blythe is a really good football player in our program and the background Andy's had with him and Shane has had with him and the reason they championed getting him back is because of his smarts and his control and his command," Carroll remarked. "He's a different makeup with his historic wrestling background being from Iowa and all shows up. He's got a knack about it and how he moves and all that."

Starring at Williamsburg High School, Blythe advanced to the state finals as a wrestler four consecutive years and won the state title three times. As a senior, he posted a 50-1 record and captured another state championship, ultimately receiving the High School Wrestler of the Year honor from the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

When asked how his wrestling background helps him in the trenches going against NFL defensive linemen on Sundays, Blythe said what he learned on the mat translates "almost hand in hand" to what he experiences on the gridiron and helps offset the size disadvantage he often faces.

“A lot of the skills that make a successful wrestler are what make a successful offensive lineman," Blythe explained. "It definitely helps with hand placement, leverage, understanding your body, body control, and then just really instincts. I think that's probably the biggest thing that is more and intangible, but your instincts are good and that comes from wrestling.”

A technician in every sense, Blythe's hand usage, lateral movement skills, and football smarts played a key role in his emergence as a starter for the Rams. In his first year as a full-time starter in 2018, he earned a respectable 76.4 grade from Pro Football Focus and didn't allow a single sack in pass protection. He took a bit of a step back in 2019, allowing 38 pressures and a pair of sacks, but proved durable starting all 16 games again.

While he allowed a career-worst four sacks and battled further inconsistency issues in pass protection, Blythe successfully transitioned to center in 2020 and made marked improvements as a run blocker, earning the seventh-best run blocking grade out of 32 qualified centers. Overall, he graded out as the 11th-best center. If he can play at a similar level next season, Seattle will have landed a clear upgrade and he could play himself into a multi-year contract next spring.

Looking at where Blythe fits into the Seahawks plans in 2022, Carroll expects a fierce battle to play out in training camp between him, Fuller, and Dakoda Shepley, who the team claimed off waivers from the 49ers last September. It's also possible the team could draft a center next month with one of their eight selections. As to be expected, the job won't be handed to him and he will have to win it outright.

But while a starter won't likely be named until sometime in August, there's no question Blythe's familiarity with Waldron and Dickerson's scheme, plus-communication skills, and wealth of starting experience give him a major advantage over the rest of the competition. Based on Carroll's comments, he should be the heavy favorite to start when camp kicks off in late July.

"The most valuable thing he brings that will give him a chance to compete for a starting job is his command and his ability to help a new quarterback, young guards with D. Lew [Damien Lewis] playing and Phil Haynes battling with Gabe [Jackson]... He should be the kind of guy that helps guys play better around him. That's what we're counting on."