When the Seattle Seahawks trimmed their roster down to 53 players last summer, one of the players they let go was veteran offensive lineman Jahri Evans.

Evans ended up returning to the New Orleans Saints, was a 16-game starter and played well.

General manager John Schneider was asked at the combine whether he regretted the decision to part with Evans.

LT George Fant was a first-year starter last season on a very young Seahawks line. Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini

"Yeah, I’d be lying to you if I said differently," Schneider told reporters. "I think that his leadership would have been outstanding for us. I think we got in a position where we probably got a little bit too young. That offensive line thing is all about acquisition -- the mix in the room between veteran leadership and talent. But that cohesion that goes along with it."

Last season, George Fant started at left tackle after having not played football competitively since the eighth grade. Mark Glowinski was in his first year as a starter at left guard. Justin Britt was playing center for the first time. Right guard Germain Ifedi was a rookie. And right tackle Garry Gilliam was in his second season as a starter.

They clearly could have benefited from more leadership and experience. The Seahawks now seem to realize that they put too many young guys in difficult positions -- a possible signal that they will look to add some veterans this offseason.

"I think we’d like to add some experience to that position," Schneider said.

The Seahawks currently have $5.5 million committed to the offensive line for next season, the lowest number in the league.

But their issue up front hasn't been just about resource allocation. Since Schneider became the GM, the Seahawks have drafted 14 offensive linemen, tied for most in the league. Whether because of player evaluation or player development, not enough of those picks have panned out.

It's unlikely the Seahawks will spend big in free agency, but they need to make better calls than last year when they signed J'Marcus Webb and Bradley Sowell. Webb was released during the 2016 season, and Sowell was inactive in three of the last four games.

One of the interesting names on the market is Russell Okung, who could make sense as a veteran addition.

Schneider emphasized that the key for the Seahawks is to build a mix of young talent and veterans. The Seahawks' ability to find that mix -- both through free agency and the draft -- will go a long way in shaping their offseason and expectations for 2017.