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Blythe, our current center is a savvy vet, smart at making the line calls, and is a rubbish blocker. The draft has a few centers that have been mentioned in the early rounds (2-4), or we could again try for a free agent vet. Similarly, we could use an upgrade from Jackson at right guard. The guards this year are underwhelming, especially if you watch some of the 1x1 clips from the Senior Bowl practices. The best of them are being regularly driven right back into the pocket (and the comment is "great block").

My leaning is to take a drafted center and sign a free agent guard. Two rookies worked last year, but let's not push our luck. It is important to have a center who is not a converted guard or tackle. He needs to have experience making the calls and recognizing defenses.

The best of the centers, Van Pran, who cBob mentioned, went back to school, but the class is still strong. A third round pick would give us a guy who could stick.

Old but Slow wrote:Blythe, our current center is a savvy vet, smart at making the line calls, and is a rubbish blocker. The draft has a few centers that have been mentioned in the early rounds (2-4), or we could again try for a free agent vet. Similarly, we could use an upgrade from Jackson at right guard. The guards this year are underwhelming, especially if you watch some of the 1x1 clips from the Senior Bowl practices. The best of them are being regularly driven right back into the pocket (and the comment is "great block").

My leaning is to take a drafted center and sign a free agent guard. Two rookies worked last year, but let's not push our luck. It is important to have a center who is not a converted guard or tackle. He needs to have experience making the calls and recognizing defenses.

The best of the centers, Van Pran, who cBob mentioned, went back to school, but the class is still strong. A third round pick would give us a guy who could stick.

Like I told Bob, I think its a good Idea! Especially if we can get a guy that is a 2nd or 3rd rounder that can make the team, and start in year 2.

Old but Slow wrote:Blythe, our current center is a savvy vet, smart at making the line calls, and is a rubbish blocker. The draft has a few centers that have been mentioned in the early rounds (2-4), or we could again try for a free agent vet. Similarly, we could use an upgrade from Jackson at right guard. The guards this year are underwhelming, especially if you watch some of the 1x1 clips from the Senior Bowl practices. The best of them are being regularly driven right back into the pocket (and the comment is "great block").

My leaning is to take a drafted center and sign a free agent guard. Two rookies worked last year, but let's not push our luck. It is important to have a center who is not a converted guard or tackle. He needs to have experience making the calls and recognizing defenses.

The best of the centers, Van Pran, who cBob mentioned, went back to school, but the class is still strong. A third round pick would give us a guy who could stick.

I agree. In the past, Pete and Co. have treated interior line positions as essentially bust insurance where they can hide their failed draft picks at tackle. There's been scant few interior linemen, Lewis being the most recent, that were drafted and played at their original position.

We have two 2nd round picks, so I think that it would be a good utilization to use one of them on a center.

I think it would be great if Pete drafted a Center in round 2/3. It just feels Pete doesn't deem Center a position of great importance. He inherited the best C he ever had and dealt him away. Britt was drafted as a Tackle and Pocic a Guard before moving inside. Kyle Fuller and Joey Hunt? ugh...

I read that Austin Blythe wants to re-sign with Seattle or he is gonna retire, so I'd guess he will be starting C in 2023.

Since Waldron is from the McVay system the blueprint is for quicker but slightly smaller interior OL.
However, that doesn't mean that he has to have that, and that he doesn't have his own ideas. I'm sure he knows the inadequacies inside and I wouldn't mind selecting a LG along with a Center and push Lewis back
to his original RG spot where he did very well.
But like said above, our FO doesn't seem to value the IOL and the play, draft picks, and FA selections have shown that over the years.
Maybe they will surprise us this year.

Yes- If we can get a QB, DT, interior OL in our first 3 picks I think we would be looking really good. Obviously the quality of those players is what really matters but you really should be able to find a starting caliber QB at 5, a starting level DT at 20, and a starting caliber interior lineman at pick 37.