By PFW staff
Feb. 15, 2008

Mike Wahle

Moving relatively quickly to shore up an offensive line that struggled mightily at the guard positions in 2007, the Seahawks signed former Pro Bowl OG Mike Wahle to a five-year contract Thursday. A 10-year veteran who made the Pro Bowl in 2005 and ’06 while with the Panthers, Wahle was cut by Carolina last Monday in a salary-cap move. Wahle’s agent, Neil Cornrich, indicated his client would be making approximately $3 million annually in base salary, plus “many more millions” in a signing bonus.

The 30-year-old Wahle spent seven seasons with the Packers before signing with Carolina prior to the 2005 season, and his rookie season was Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren’s final season as the Packers’ head coach. The 6-6, 304-pound Wahle is one of the NFL’s more durable linemen, having missed only three games in his career due to injury. Wahle has started every regular-season game six of the past seven years, including last season.

The PFW spin

The Seahawks apparently are hoping Wahle finally fills the team’s massive void at left guard that has been evident ever since Pro Bowler Steve Hutchinson left for Minnesota after the 2005 season. Since Hutchinson’s departure, neither Floyd Womack, Chris Spencer nor, most recently, Rob Sims has been able to do a consistent job at left guard. With Wahle expected to take over at that position, don’t be surprised if Sims, who has shown occasional promise, takes over at right guard in place of Chris Gray, whose skills are definitely eroding as he contemplates what would be his 16th season in the pros in ’08.

Wahle looks like a good fit in Seattle, where he maintains numerous family ties and is good friends with Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck. “The Seahawks definitely had a home-field advantage with Mike,” Cornrich told The Associated Press in a phone interview.

It’s also worth noting that the team feels a substantial upgrade has been made in the coaching of the O-line, with the accomplished Mike Solari replacing Bill Laveroni, who daily team observers believe did an inadequate job the past couple of seasons.

The addition of Wahle probably won’t be the last addition the Seahawks make to their O-line. The team is also likely to beef up the tackle position, with OLT Walter Jones a year older, and ORT Sean Locklear an unrestricted free agent. So, picking up another guard in the draft or via free agency would hardly be a shock.