Willis Staying at RT?

What's up with these quotes?

Of Locklear, Holmgren said they are in a little bit of a conundrum. Now, with Pork Chop (who is OK) playing so well, they have three players for two spots, right guard and right tackle. He said they have not figured out whether to go (L to R) Willis and Locklear, Locklear and Willis or Pork Chop and Locklear. But he really likes what Willis has been doing at right tackle, and Chop has been good as well, certainly much better than Rob Sims. - Seahawks Insider

Obviously this is a better problem than not having enough talented offensive linemen, but more than that it's just weird. How much were we all fretting over the Seahawks' ability to resign Locklear after last year? A ton, that's how much. Locklear is generally considered (by Seahawk fans, at least) to be a top-10 right tackle in the NFL, and losing him, while not of Hutchinson-proportions, would have been a giant loss. Yet for week five, Holmgren is openly considering playing him at right guard while keeping Willis at right tackle. Never mind that of the two, Willis is the one who has taken reps at guard. I haven't heard Locklear do anything other than play right tackle since taking over the spot in 2005.

So, I've been reading around and listening to sports radio, trying to make sense of this, what all of this means as far as how good Willis is, how hurt Locklear is, and how the team is playing with the current line. Here's my best guess:

• The line has played well during the last two games and Holmgren has been impressed with how Willis has played at right tackle. I heard one of the KJR hosts (or one of their guests) specifically say that Willis brings something extra with his run blocking that Locklear doesn't. Maybe with the running game going so well and the passing game still up in the air, at least until Branch and Engram get a few games under their belt, Holmgren will want to milk the current running attack for all he can.
• Locklear isn't completely healthy, maybe 90-95%, so why rush him back?
• On a similar note, maybe Holmgren is uncertain about Womack's hamstring injury and is trying to plan around it.
  
• Womack simply can't be counted on, and if Locklear and Willis are two of your best five linemen you have to find some way to get them both on the field. If Womack goes down, and with Sims already out, next up would be either Vallos or Wrotto. Can you really justify sitting either Locklear or Willis while playing one of those two?

What amazes me is how Willis was never considered a viable replacement for Locklear when Locklear had yet to be resigned, and now he could keep him out of the starting lineup for another week. Two possibilities here at to how this happened:

1. The Seahawks underestimated Willis' potential. Given that Willis has been around for at least three, maybe four years, I find it hard to believe that this sudden development was merely overlooked talent
2. Willis has been coached up by the new line coaches, and with some solid game experience he's been able to blossom.

Mike Solari and Mike DeBorg are already paying dividends.