According to ESPN's Josina Anderson, left tackle Russell Okung is close to finalizing a deal with the Denver Broncos.
Okung represented himself without an agent, and the five-year contract is worth a reported $10.6 million per year. His departure leaves the most glaring hole on the Seattle Seahawks' roster unfilled.
They've made a couple moves on the offensive line, signing J'Marcus Webb and Bradley Sowell. Webb started 13 games at right guard last year and then moved to right tackle for the final three. He previously played left tackle with the Chicago Bears in 2011 and 2012. Sowell played left tackle in 2013 for 12 games but has not made a start since.
Another option on the roster is Garry Gilliam. He started all 16 games at right tackle last year but could swing over. Justin Britt or Webb then could take his place at right tackle.
The Seahawks obviously also have the draft to add an offensive lineman, or they could look into trading for one.
But there's no sugarcoating the fact Okung's departure is a blow. Russell Wilson had the highest passer rating in the NFL. Once the Seahawks started giving up fewer sacks in the second half of the season, the offense took off. But offensive line issues surfaced in a Week 16 loss to the St. Louis Rams and again in the first half of the divisional round game against the Carolina Panthers.
General manager John Schneider has to determine what price he's willing to pay to retain some of the team's assets. The Seahawks were clearly interested in bringing Okung back, but they were not willing to match his asking price. The team began the new league year with seven starters set to test free agency. Four - Okung, right guard J.R. Sweezy, nose tackle Brandon Mebane and linebacker Bruce Irvin - have signed with other teams.
As Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times pointed out, none of the five offensive line starters from the team's Super Bowl win over the Denver Broncos are still on the roster. And the Seahawks currently have just one first-round pick (Earl Thomas) on the team.
One of the goals of the offseason was to upgrade the offensive line. The picture is not complete yet, but given how the roster currently looks, it's difficult to argue that the Seahawks have done that.