The Seattle Seahawks went into last week’s practice sessions holding another open competition at right guard between sophomore Anthony Bradford and rookie Christian Haynes. Bradford had won the job in training camp, but has put forth lackluster performances throughout the early portion of the regular season. He was awarded another opportunity in Sunday’s Week 3 victory over the Miami Dolphins, but struggled mightily.
Bradford played all 64 offensive snaps as the Seahawks even declined an opportunity to rotate him by series with Haynes, a strategy we’ve seen other offensive lines employ, to inconsistent results. Bradford arguably delivered his worst performance of the campaign. He had season-low grades in protection (27.4), as a run blocker, (50.1), and overall score (37.5), according to Pro Football Focus.
Bradford allowed his first two sacks of the season. He struggled to block the likes of Calais Campbell and Zach Sieler, who each had a sack (so did Da’Shawn Hand). Bradford allowed a season-high six pressures. He was also whistled for two penalties, bringing his overall infractions count to a position-high seven.
Perhaps the more disappointing aspect of all this is that the Seahawks settled on Bradford after evaluating him and Haynes throughout the week of practice. There’s no reason to doubt Macdonald’s evaluation. Haynes is a rookie blocker. He played 15 snaps against the New England Patriots in Week 2 and struggled, earning a PFF pass-blocking grade of 18.3.
The unfortunate reality is the Seahawks may not possess a straightforward answer to the struggles at right guard. Bradford continues to deliver below-average results, and Haynes isn’t yet fully acclimated to the challenges of professional football. It could be a season-long weakness for the Seahawks offense.
