With Seattle shipping center Max Unger to the New Orleans Saint as part of the trade for tight end Jimmy Graham and right guard James Carpenter signing with the New York Jets in free agency, John Schneider admitted in a pre-draft press conference last week that he'd be lying if he said offensive line wasn't a position the Seahawks needed to address.
The Seahawks Executive VP/General Manager backed up that statement on the second day of the 2015 NFL Draft, selecting San Diego State's Terry Poole (No. 130 overall) and West Virginia's Mark Glowinski (No. 134) with the team's two picks in the fourth round.
Poole and Glowinski joined the Seattle-area media on conference calls shortly after the picks were turned in. Here's five things to know about the team's newest offensive linemen:
Terry Poole
1. He Takes Pride In Being The Most Physical Player On The Field
The 6-foot-5, 323-pound Poole started 12 games at left tackle for the Aztecs in 2014 after starting 12 games at right tackle the year prior. He said he'll be a "versatile" player for the Seahawks that will come in and compete at tackle, guard, and center, noting he's been working on his play at the line's interior positions leading up to the 2015 draft.
Poole, a junior college transfer from Monterey Peninsula who played basketball competively until his junior year of high school, described himself as an "athletic," "hard-nosed," and "very physical" football player.
"When people are on the ground I'm still going to hit them," Poole said. "I take pride in being the most physical player on the field."
2. He's A Fan Of Tom Cable & Looks Forward To Blocking For Marshawn Lynch
Poole, a native of Seaside, Calif. located south of the Bay Area, said he grew up a fan of Seahawks assistant head coach/offensive line coach Tom Cable, who was head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 2008-10.
"I've been watching Tom Cable since he was with the Raiders," said Poole. "I grew up a Raider fan and watched him, how he coached, and he's a hell of an O-line coach."
Cable's system in Seattle incorporates a zone-blocking scheme in the run game, something Poole said he's familiar with from his time at San Diego State.
"We were a hard-nosed football team, most definitely," he said. "We ran the ball a ton."
That's good news for the Seahawks, a team that rushed the ball the most in the League last season (525 attempts) behind "Beast Mode" running back Marshawn Lynch, who Poole said he's looking forward to playing with.
"I'm ecstatic, man," said Poole. "He's a beast, straight up. That's who I want to block for. I want to block for somebody like that. He's going to go hard every time and go in with that heart."
3. He's Friends With Seahawks Cornerback Eric Pinkins
Poole said he has close ties to cornerback Eric Pinkins, who Seattle drafted out of San Diego State in the sixth-round of last year's draft.
"That's my boy right there, big time," said Poole. "He keeps calling me, I haven't got to talk to him yet. He's ecstatic for me and we're just ready to get it going."
Mark Glowinski
1. He Had A Gut Feeling The Seahawks Would Select Him
The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Glowinski, who started all 25 games he played at West Virginia, opened by telling reporters he had a hunch the Seahawks might target him as the fourth round came to a close.
"I went on the visit and they were really impressed with me," Glowinski said. "I just had a gut feeling toward the end of that round with the way it was going that they were going to pick me up.
"I'm just excited right now, words can't explain it."
Glowinski said he talked with Cable throughout the draft process and came away impressed with the O-line coach's personal approach.
"I liked how he is," Glowinski said. "He seemed more into the guy, and making sure you're staying healthy. It wasn't just about business. He talked about it not being business, but about being part of your life, and doing it to the best of your ability."
Glowinski too was thrilled knowing he'd now be blocking for No. 24.
"I'm excited as hell," Glowinski said of opening running lanes for Lynch. "There's no other way to put it. I like that style, I like the hard-nosed style. I think it's going to be perfect for me."
2. Being Drafted Was The Best Birthday Present Of His Life
Glowinski turns 23 years old tomorrow. He said hearing his name called in this year's draft is the greatest gift he's ever received.
"This'll be the best birthday present of my life," he said.
