Seahawks' Abe Lucas is so important: The increasing value of a great right tackle

Seattle knew what they were doing by drafting Lucas so soon after picking Charles Cross: Seaside Bonus 1/29/2023

Lane Johnson was one of the most surprising picks of the 2013 NFL Draft, going to the Philadelphia Eagles with the fourth overall pick even though left tackle Jason Peters was still a 32-year-old Pro Bowler in his own right. Peters stayed at left tackle for the Eagles for the next seven years and then he was replaced by Jordan Mailata—not Johnson as many assumed was the long-term plan—in 2021.

Note: I sent out this morning’s Seaside Joe newsletter but I’m not sure if it got to everybody because I never received the e-mail myself. Read Seaside Joe 1427 right here.

Johnson went to the Eagles as a top-5 pick. He’s now going to his second Super Bowl in the last six seasons—both years in which Lane Johnson was named as a first-team All-Pro, after beating the San Francisco 49ers (another team that spent a top-10 pick on a right tackle) 31-7 in the NFC Championship.

Is it a coincidence or were the Eagles simply ahead of the curve before other teams in thinking that right tackle is now just as important as the guy protecting the blind side?

Yes.

Will Presti @WillPresti

Lane Johnson false starts on almost every play. I know some guys time it perfectly, but he’s straight up jumping. Nick Bosa effect or does Johnson always do this and not get called? #SFvsPHI #NFCChampionship

There were complaints on Sunday that Johnson was “false starting” on nearly every play and ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio chimed in on a tweet by former offensive lineman Alan Faneca that the Eagles “get away an early start almost every pass play?”. (Someone get Faneca some tweeting help.) If I’m interpreting him right, Florio said that the league ignores these false starts because offensive tackles are at a talent disadvantage to edge rushers.

ProFootballTalk @ProFootballTalk

Yes. It’s league wide. It’s one of the ways to balance out the fact that the NFL’s defensive lines currently are much better than the NFL’s offensive lines.

Alan Faneca @afan66

Is it me, or does the Eagles oline get away we an early start almost every pass play?

I agree that there are more good edge rushers than there are offensive tackles.

But is it actually a false start? Not according to Duke Manyweather, a highly regarded personal coach and consultant for offensive linemen, including Charles Cross among many other early draft picks in recent years. He says that refs are simply following the rules.

Duke Manyweather @BigDuke50

It’s not being called, because it is not a false start! @AndrewWhitworth @geoffschwartz @BrandonThornNFL @BBulaga

Duke Manyweather @BigDuke50

There is a lot of “Am I seeing things” that have been going on @nfldraftscout @TonyDungy @LRiddickESPN @EmmanuelAcho I highly encourage you guys to listen to our podcast, Myself, @AndrewWhitworth and @BrandonThornNFL talk about this in depth https://t.co/Q7l4mf3CKB https://t.co/L3ppNN61as

We see movement from right tackles before the snap so we assume that it must be a false start. However, I think that Florio and Manyweather both have a point…and that’s why Abraham Lucas is so important to the Seahawks.

I’ll continue in a quick bonus edition of the Seaside Joe newsletter. Support for tons of bonus content and to help support a small mom-and-pop Seahawks business.