Seahawks chasing offensive line help with Charles Cross, Abe Lucas injured
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 27: Charles Cross #67 of the Seattle Seahawks in action during the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lumen Field on November 27, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
RENTON, Wash. - The Seattle Seahawks have signed 41-year-old free agent Jason Peters and added Raiqwon O'Neal and McClendon Curtis off opposing practice squads as the team searches for solutions at tackle after losing both Charles Cross and Abe Lucas to injury on Sunday.
Lucas was placed on injured reserve by the Seahawks on Wednesday and will miss at least four games. Cross is still on the active roster but also appears unlikely to be able to play this week against the Detroit Lions.
"It's going to be hard for them. It's going to be a challenge for them," head coach Pete Carroll said in regard to both Cross and Lucas ahead of Wednesday's practice.
Cross and Lucas both left the game in the third quarter on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. Cross hobbled to the sidelines with a sprained toe and was evaluated in the medical tent before being carted to the locker room. He eventually returned to the sidelines with his helmet in hand but did not return to the game. Lucas was unable to continue due to knee soreness near his patella.
The injuries have put Seattle into scramble mode searching for help on the offensive line.
Peters is a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time first-team All-Pro over 18 seasons played in the NFL over the last 19 years. A college tight end at Arkansas, Peters went undrafted before signing with the Buffalo Bills in 2004. He transitioned to tackle and became one of the league's best left tackles. He's played for the Bills (2004-08), Philadelphia Eagles (2009-2020), Chicago Bears (2021) and Dallas Cowboys (2022).
"We just had a walkthrough. Let's see," Carroll said of the chances Peters could play this week. "We've got to see how he is and you would think you give him a couple of weeks to get ready to go. I don't know if we can afford to do that. We'll see what happens here as we get one day at a time here and work with him."
Peters said the Seahawks reached out to him on Sunday night while he was at home in east Texas. The Seahawks signed him to their practice squad, but he'll be an option to call up for this weekend's game in Detroit.
"Maybe this Sunday. Maybe a couple weeks. I just got to get a feel for the pads. I haven't had them on since January. So that's going to take some time," Peters said.
Peters has won a Super Bowl with the Eagles and has a decorated career under his belt already. Why did signing with the Seahawks appeal to him at this point?
"20 (years) sounds better than 19 don't it?" Peters said. "Seattle's got a good team and I feel like we can make a run in the playoffs and get to the Super Bowl to be honest. They're a good team. I watched them last year. So why not come for 20 and get a ring."
"I can still play a bit. If that weren't the case, you know, I wouldn't have came and suited up. So I've still got a little bit."
Peters had not been on a roster this year since his 2022 season ended with Dallas back in January.
"He saw a handful of plays (in walkthrough) and looked pretty darn good today. I'm just telling you. He looked quick and landed on his feet," Carroll said.
O'Neal went undrafted out of UCLA after starting 13 games at left tackle for the team last year. He had transferred to UCLA after three seasons at Rutgers where he started 21 games at left tackle as well.
"He's played around at some different spots, done even a little center as they've prepped him at Tampa," Carroll said. "But we see him as a tackle and left tackle is where he looks most at home."
Curtis signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent from Tennessee-Chattanooga. He started 38 games in college with his time spent at both guard spots and left tackle.
Beyond the additions made from outside the team, the Seahawks have a few options to turn to internally. Stone Forsythe and Jake Curhan took over at left and right tackle, respectively, for Cross and Lucas against the Rams. With Peters, O'Neal and Curtis just getting to the team, they are likely the first options to take over this week against Detroit as well.
"They both know our system really well. And they'll work better when they put a whole week behind (them) knowing that they're out there. Communicating and all that will be better," Carroll said of Forsythe and Curhan.
Curhan said he's expecting to be better situated to play this week as well as he'll get a full week of practice to prepare in that role. Both sacks of Geno Smith in the game by the Rams came in the fourth quarter with Forsythe and Curhan in the lineup.
"It’s always tough to get thrown in there in the middle of a game, and the first game of the season, too," Curhan said. "Things happened. But I’m confident in my abilities. It’s a different situation going into a game if know you are getting the whole thing versus if you think you’ve got to pop in at a couple of different positions."
Cross played all but two snaps for the Seahawks last season while Lucas missed a game against the New York Jets on New Year's Day due to a knee injury. Forsythe started in place of Lucas in that game against the Jets. Curhan played 34 total offensive snaps last year with 24 coming in at guard in relief of an injured Phil Haynes. The other snaps were as a sixth offensive lineman.
Greg Eiland was re-signed to the practice squad earlier this week as well. While Eiland has mostly played guard during his time with the Seahawks, he was a tackle at Mississippi State as he started at right tackle opposite of Cross.
Peters played some right tackle as well for Dallas last season after being a left tackle throughout his professional career in Buffalo, Philadelphia and Chicago.
It's not the situation the Seahawks wanted to be facing after the first game of the year. Especially coming off a dismal second half performance against the Rams that saw the game manage just 12 yards of total offense after halftime. But it is the reality for Seattle and they'll have to make the best of it at least in the short term.
"Obviously the guys that have been here, you know, they haven't taken all the reps but they've been in the system for a long time. They know what they're doing," center Evan Brown said.
"It's always preaching about communication and the second we're not on the same page, you know, we're screwed up front. If there's any miscommunication there, you know, it's not going to go well. So I think it starts with that, you know, coming into today, especially with going into a hostile environment, being an away game, definitely got to be on top of everything."
Injury Report: