Robert Gallery and Tom Cable are reuniting with the hopes of solidifying Seattle's remodeled offensive line.
NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora cited a league source in reporting Wednesday that Gallery and the Seahawks agreed to a deal that will make him their starting left guard.
Gallery's agent, Rick Smith, later told The Associated Press that his client agreed to a three-year contract. Gallery had spent his entire career with the Oakland Raiders, but the team announced in March that Gallery would not be re-signed.
Gallery instantly becomes the veteran among the Seahawks' young but talented front five. The Seahawks started their renovation when they drafted Alabama's James Carpenter and Wisconsin's John Moffitt with their first two picks in April's draft. Max Unger, who missed nearly all of last season with a foot injury, will move to center with second-year tackle Russell Okung anchoring the left side of the line with Gallery.
Gallery can't sign his contract with Seattle until Friday.
All of Seattle's offensive line changes come under the watchful eye of Cable, who was brought over by head coach Pete Carroll to revamp Seattle's run game and blocking schemes after the Seahawks struggled near the bottom of the NFL in rushing. Cable worked with Gallery the last four seasons in Oakland, the last three as the Raiders head coach before he was not retained at the end of the 2010 season.
By bringing in Cable, Carroll hopes to regain some of the toughness on the offensive line he believes was lost when Alex Gibbs abruptly retired a week before the 2010 regular season began. The struggles by Seattle's run game were a season-long issue and even the acquisition of bruising running back Marshawn Lynch couldn't provide the desired results.
Seattle went through 10 different offensive line combinations during the season, and Lynch became Seattle's only 100-yard rusher when he ran for 131 in the Seahawks' 41-36 upset of the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the playoffs. That effort was buoyed by Lynch's 67-yard touchdown romp through most of the Saints defense in the final minutes that clinched the victory.
Gallery will be the example of what Cable wants. Gallery was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 draft by the Raiders, but he struggled when the Raiders tried using him at right tackle and later at left tackle. He was moved to left guard before the 2007 season -- coinciding with Cable's arrival in Oakland -- and Gallery flourished.
One concern is Gallery's durability. He's played just 18 games the past two seasons, missing time with hamstring, back and leg injuries. Gallery started 91 games in his career with the Raiders.
Seattle also appeared to reach a deal with undrafted free agent kicker Wes Bynum on Wednesday after both Bynum and his agent, David Canter, posted on Twitter that a deal had been reached with the Seahawks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
