How did you feel when the Seahawks traded Max Unger to New Orleans, knowing you likely would get a chance to start?
Lemuel Jeanpierre: I was a free agent then. When they traded Max, I was like everybody, really surprised. We loved Max. We still love Max. Max is one of my guys. I was only one year behind him starting here. It is part of the business. Now I have an opportunity to compete and be at the forefront.
You started four games last season (counting playoffs), including the final two games of the regular season. How do you feel that helped you improve as a player during that time?
Jeanpierre: I have played throughout the years. I got five starts in 2011 and then started three games in 2013 as well. To get some starts last year was great, but I've been here the whole time, so there was familiarity already.
What do you think of Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable, and what has he told you about this season?
Jeanpierre: Coach Cable is awesome. When he was first named the O-line coach, everyone knew him from what you heard about his time in Oakland. We wondered: Is this guy going to be swinging on everybody? That was not the case at all. Coach Cable is awesome. He does not take a player and fit him into a mold. He sees what they have and tries to improve on those aspects.
As far as this season, when they brought me back a week or two after Max was traded, it was the same thing as always. Coach Cable said, 'You have a chance to compete, but nothing is promised to you just because you have been here.' There is open competition here.
