Report: Washington State offensive tackle Cole Madison visits with Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks may be interested in enlisting the help of a former Washington State offensive tackle to patch up their front line and give better protection for franchise quarterback Russell Wilson.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Seattle was the latest stop on the tour of potential NFL landing spots for ex-Cougars offensive tackle Cole Madison, who returned to the Puget Sound on Saturday to visit with Pete Carroll and the Seahawks. Per Rapoport, Madison also met with the Dallas Cowboys on the Thursday and the Washington Redskins on Friday.

Seattle would be an intriguing destination for Madison, who was raised just 10 miles south of CenturyLink Field in Burien, attended Kennedy High and grew up an avid supporter of the Seahawks. Seattle has loaded up on offensive linemen in the NFL Draft – no club has selected more since 2011 – but the Seahawks have still struggled to keep Wilson clean on a consistent basis, ceding 121 sacks in 2017.

Madison thrived in pass protection while playing in Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense and the 6-5, 314-pound tackle started in all 47 games he appeared in for the Cougars. Madison was named to the All-Pac-12 Conference Second Team as a senior and was tabbed All-America honorable mention by SB Nation.

Although Madison was a four-year anchor for the Cougars at right tackle, some believe he has the chops and football IQ to slide inside and man the guard position – or possibly even center.

In an interview with The Spokesman-Review, Seattle-based NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang said Madison has “shown the intelligence that it leads you to believe that he possibly could play that center position.” Added Rang: “He does have the athletic ability, the strength and the knee bend I look for at guard.”