Having failed in the first week of free agency to land any of the prime offensive linemen in the pool of available veteran blockers, the Seattle Seahawks settled instead for a Pork Chop.
Womack
The Seahawks have reached agreement to re-sign versatile lineman Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack, a move that provides the team stability and takes the six-year veteran out of a market where he was generating solid interest. Details of the contract agreement were not immediately available.
Womack visited last week with officials in Pittsburgh and Atlanta and had lined up meetings with other teams as well.
But after the Seahawks struck out in their attempt to sign San Diego standout guard Kris Dielman, and Seattle officials suddenly realized the prohibitive cost of adding a top-shelf lineman, they turned their attentions back to Womack. And Womack, who started nine games at left guard in 2006, opted to return to the team that brought him into the league in 2001, rather than continue testing the free agent market.
In his six seasons with the Seahawks, Womack, a powerful in-line blocker (6-feet-4, 330 pounds), has started at tackle and guard, and the flexibility that he provides the team is highly valued. It is uncertain where Womack fits into the lineup for the 2007 season but, with longtime veteran right guard Chris Gray unsigned, there may be an opening at that spot.
If the Seahawks don't make any further moves in terms of adding an offensive lineman, Womack may return to his familiar left guard spot.
The former Mississippi State standout, a fourth-round choice in the 2001 draft, has appeared in 61 games and started in 32 of them.
Senior writer Len Pasquarelli covers the NFL for ESPN.com.