The Seahawks will take the field for one last time this week for mandatory minicamp before taking off for the summer and returning in late July for training camp to get ready for the season.
Minicamp is in many ways an extension of the past three weeks, when the Seahawks held organized team activity (OTA) practices.
The main difference is that minicamp is mandatory and players can be fined for not attending. This has been relevant in past years, when the Seahawks had some players skipping OTAs (such as Marshawn Lynch, Michael Bennett and Earl Thomas) with some drama in whether they would show up for minicamp.
Thomas last year did not, taking to Twitter to announce he would skip minicamp, which foreshadowed his eventual training-camp holdout and helped pave his way out of Seattle.
But the Seahawks have had no one missing OTAs this year. Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner made the decision to show up but not do anything on the field while he negotiates a new contract — to avoid fines, players are required only to attend.
Minicamp officially began Monday, with physicals and recording official heights and weights. Teams can then hold three days of practices — Tuesday through Thursday — with two sessions allowed each day, though one must be a walk-through. The total of practice time each day cannot exceed 3 1/2 hours.
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As is the case with OTAs, players can be in helmets but not full pads, and there is no full contact.
This makes evaluating offensive- and defensive-line players tricky at this time of year, and, obviously, teams are also limited in what they can practice when it comes to things such as tackling.
These rules are why offseason OTA and minicamp media coverage often tends to focus on skill players (and maybe most particularly receivers) since the noncontact nature of everything makes it a little easier to throw and catch passes — there are no hard hits by defensive backs to report.
But the Seahawks’ offseason program has revealed a few things that are worth watching at minicamp this week. Here are five:
Offensive line seems well set
This isn’t huge news, as the line returned four of five starters from last season and added veteran Mike Iupati as the expected left-guard replacement for J.R. Sweezy.
But just in case you thought a surprise might develop, that hasn’t appeared to be the case. The line has consistently been the expected starting five of left tackle Duane Brown, left guard Iupati, center Justin Britt, right guard D.J. Fluker and right tackle Germain Ifedi, with George Fant again filling a role as tight end/eligible tackle. Fant caught a handful of passes in the OTAs open to media.
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The most interesting development has been rookie Phil Haynes’ apparent rapid rise. He spent time with the starters for at least two OTA days (not all are open to the media) in Iupati and Fluker’s absences. That sets up an interesting competition for the backup-guard spots with last year’s backups, Ethan Pocic and Jordan Simmons. Pocic, who began last year as a starter, might have to continue to show off his overall versatility and ability to play both center and tackle to earn a spot.
Jaron Brown a receiving standout
As noted, receivers tend to stand out in these sessions. Conventional wisdom says to keep some of the receiver hype you hear this time of year in check.
Rookie DK Metcalf has generated tons of excitement since the day he was drafted and will undoubtedly play a key role this season. But Jaron Brown, a free-agent signee last year who had just 14 catches (though five for touchdowns), is also drawing lots of raves from coaches.
Coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have talked of Brown’s impressive offseason, and they hope he will have a larger role this season. Brown has worked consistently as one of the starting three receivers alongside Tyler Lockett and David Moore, with Metcalf typically working with the No. 2 offense. Is that just a little love for a vet in response to the praise being sent Metcalf’s way, or something more?
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The bigger picture shows Seattle will need all the receiving help it can get as it tries to replace the departed Doug Baldwin, whose role in the slot figures to be filled in large part by Lockett, which will put the onus on Brown, Moore and Metcalf to produce consistently on the outside.
Defense is hard to read
Don’t expect there to be any real difference in minicamp participation compared with OTAs, meaning many key defensive players won’t be doing much, if anything. Most of the offensive starters are available, with Chris Carson an exception. Reps this time of year don’t matter a ton for running backs anyway.
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But it’s difficult to figure out the defense, with a number of potential starters sidelined or limited, including end Ziggy Ansah, tackle Jarran Reed, linebackers Wagner, K.J. Wright and Mychal Kendricks (the latter two mostly precautionary after knee issues last year) and safeties Bradley McDougald, Lano Hill, and, of late, rookie Marquise Blair, who has been considered a potential starter since being selected No. 47 overall.
Missing snaps this time of year isn’t a huge deal, but for once it’s Seattle’s offense, with all the vets on the line and quarterback Russell Wilson, that appears the more sure thing heading into the season than the defense, which is in full-fledged makeover mode after an offseason of change.
Much remains to be settled in training camp, which leads us to our next item.
Mandatory Mini Camp thread
Mandatory Mini Camp thread
This week is the last chance to discuss actual somewhat kinda football related activities until training camp starts at the end of July so I thought I would start this for all mini camp related developments:
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Re: Mandatory Mini Camp thread
Safety to be unresolved until training camp
Safety might be the most critical position to sort out. Seattle has had among the best safeties in the NFL since Carroll (and Thomas and Kam Chancellor) arrived in 2010. Safety has not been a spot Seattle has mixed and matched, for years being able to depend on Chancellor and Thomas to play all the snaps, and that’d be the preferred method: Find the best two and let them roll.
McDougald, once recovered from offseason knee surgery, will be one. But the other could be any of Tedric Thompson, Hill or Blair. At the moment, Shalom Luani has been working with Thompson as the other starting safety with the others all out.
That spot figures to remain one of the most unsettled and intriguing until well into camp.
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Shaquem Griffin is everywhere
Speaking of intriguing, Griffin’s fate ranks right up there among 2019 story lines.
Wright and Kendricks re-signing leaves Seattle stacked at weakside linebacker, and the Seahawks are experimenting using Griffin in some different roles — specifically, as a strongside linebacker and edge rusher, with the team asking him to gain some weight to handle a more physical role.
With Wright, Kendricks and Wagner all out or limited, Griffin has gotten lots of work at all spots throughout the offseason. But pass rushing is one of those things harder to judge in these sessions, and the coaches will need to see camp to know where Griffin will really fit best in 2019.
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Re: Mandatory Mini Camp thread
RENTON, Wash. — Germain Ifedi’s minicamp press conference Tuesday afternoon ended with an inquiry from a brand new reporter.
“Germain, Tyler Lockett here with the Seattle Seahawks. Can you talk a little bit about the receiving corps?”
“Well, our No. 1 receiver needs to cut his hair off.”
Awkward laughter ensued.
“This isn’t good enough?” Lockett said.
“Nah, you got to let it go, man,” Ifedi replied. “You got to come on home.”
In honor of Lockett’s reluctant journey back home — a term used about young men whose hairlines forecast baldness in the near future — here are 16 observations from Seattle’s first day of mandatory minicamp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
1. The main difference between organized team activities and minicamp is that attendance is mandatory this week. Every Seahawk on the roster was present Tuesday with the exception of defensive tackle Al Woods, who is dealing with a family matter according to coach Pete Carroll. Other than the attendance requirement, minicamp doesn’t look a whole lot different than OTAs.
2. The two practice types are so similar that Carroll sarcastically opened his press conference by welcoming us to Seahawks minicamp, where a bunch of “important stuff” happened on the practice field. Even Carroll gets a kick out of offseason semantics.
3. Linebacker Bobby Wagner is still holding out without technically holding out, so he won’t be subject to fines for declining to participate. Wagner, still in search of a contract extension, has had talks with the Seahawks about a new deal since we last heard from him at OTAs, but don’t expect any substantial updates on that front since Carroll said Tuesday the two sides have “agreed not to say anything about what’s going on.”
Carroll did say that Wagner — who wore a helmet on the field for the first time this offseason, for what that’s worth — is handling the halfway holdout “beautifully.”
4. Returning to action in a limited capacity was defensive tackle Jarran Reed, who is recovering from hernia surgery. He did positional work, but didn’t participate in any of the 11-on-11 sessions. Carroll has said Reed — another starter on an expiring contract — should return to full action by training camp, and his progress over the last couple months would indicate he’s on schedule.
5. Carroll finally provided info on the long list of non-participants. The rundown: Offensive guard Mike Iupati (foot), rookie linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven (hernia), rookie safety Marquise Blair (hamstring), rookie running back Travis Homer (hamstring), receiver Amara Darboh (knee), receiver Caleb Scott (foot), receiver Malik Turner (foot). Carroll didn’t provide updates on Jordan Roos, Jamie Meder, rookie lineman Demetrius Knox or rookie cornerback Derrek Thomas. The rest of the injury report looks the same as OTAs with Ezekiel Ansah (shoulder), Lano Hill (hip), Will Dissly (knee), defensive tackle Nazair Jones (knee) and running back Chris Carson (knee) sitting out.
6. Iupati suffered a foot sprain during a team period at the last OTA. Carroll intimated that it’s not serious and they’re being careful with him rather than rush him back unnecessarily. Burr-Kirven, a fifth-round pick out of Washington, is recovering from hernia surgery performed six weeks ago. Scott suffered a broken foot during an offseason workout.
7. If you’re curious, no, there’s still no timetable for Ansah’s return. Same for Dissly. They’re both able to do some conditioning stuff, which is a good sign. I’d expect them back at some time during training camp, though.
8. With Iupati on the sidelines, I continue to feel even more confident about rookie guard Phil Haynes having a real shot at cracking the starting lineup this year. This could all change once the pads come on in training camp, but so far Carroll has been pleased with Haynes’ technique, footwork and how the fourth-round pick fits Seattle’s style of play. Of the Day 3 draft picks, Haynes feels like the safest bet to be a contributor as a rookie.
9. Left tackle Duane Brown said during OTAs that his unit has the potential to be the best offensive line group in the league. In past offseasons, this is the time of year we’d get some declaration about continuity, improvement and excitement from Tom Cable, whose claims were almost always met with a healthy dose of skepticism. It feels different coming from Brown, a four-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro who has been fairly honest in his assessments of the team since arriving midway through 2017. However, Seattle’s group will only be as good as its weakest link: Ifedi, who, naturally, agreed with Brown’s comments.
“I don’t think he’s blowing smoke,” said Ifedi, whose fifth-year option wasn’t picked up this offseason. “I think we all believe that. I think we’re working every day for that to be the reality. We have all the talent, we have everything we need up here. Why not us? We’re still cleaning things up in the run (blocking), still cleaning things up in the pass (protection), still cleaning up communication, but I think the sky is the limit.”
10. Ifedi had his best season as a Seahawk last year but there’s still plenty room for improvement. He surrendered the greatest number of sacks among Seattle’s five starters and his matchups against Von Miller and Khalil Mack in the first two weeks of the season went about as you’d expect. Seattle’s pass-blocking was really solid last year, but if this is going to be the best line in the league, then Ifedi needs to make a massive leap in Year 4, his third as the starting right tackle. If that does happen and the rest of the unit continues to be solid (with a healthy Iupati), then Seattle’s offensive line would be one amazing turnaround story. And OL coach Mike Solari would need to receive some type of humanitarian award.
11. All 11 draft picks are under contract with third-round pick Cody Barton finally signing his deal over the weekend. Barton has been impressive during camp and has the feel of one of those young guys who is ready to take charge whenever called upon. He’s already garnered some praise for how quickly he’s grasped the playbook, and he’s been good in coverage during the moments I’ve focused on him in practice. The former team captain at Utah was responsible for a few goal-line stops last week and on Tuesday he moved very well in 7-on-7 and team sessions. The linebacker room is crowded with talent at the moment, and Barton is still behind Wagner and Austin Calitro on the depth chart, but he has stood out thus far.
12. Tight end Jacob Hollister didn’t make my cut in the 53-man roster projection I wrote last week, but he’s another player who looks good during camp. Seattle liked him enough to send a 2020 draft pick to New England for his services in April, and I’m starting to see why. He’s a decent route runner and has soft hands, especially in the red zone. He caught a touchdown from Russell Wilson to end a team period Tuesday.
“He’s made a really good impression coming out,” Carroll said. “He’s really fast, speed guy who runs in the 4.5s. Catches the ball well. Obviously learned a lot from his days in New England. He’s done nothing but positive stuff.”
13. There haven’t been many turnovers during the practices that we’ve been allowed to attend, but we witnessed one Tuesday. Running back Bo Scarbrough fumbled while slashing through the secondary. My vision was temporarily blocked, but it appeared that cornerback Neiko Thorpe forced and recovered the fumble, then had a nice run-back afterward.
14. The temperature at practice hovered around 79 degrees Tuesday, but there were several players practicing with hooded sweatshirts under their jerseys. Chris Carson is notorious for this in any weather but it was truly puzzling to see DK Metcalf, Rashaad Penny, Tedric Thompson and Ifedi wearing hoodies too. That had to be terribly uncomfortable. And sweaty.
15. Backup quarterbacks Paxton Lynch and Geno Smith are “very competitive,” according to Carroll. “Both guys are showing a good arm, really throw the ball down the field. Moving well, too.” Carroll was complimentary Tuesday, but my assessment of the competition hasn’t changed from my recent roster projection — if the Seahawks ask either guy to step in for Wilson this year, it’s going to be trouble.
16. Carroll probably doesn’t want to take Lockett off of kick return or punt return but his role as the No. 1 receiver — Ifedi’s words, not mine — may force his hand. If that’s the case, Carroll said Tuesday J.D. McKissic would be first in line for both jobs.
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Re: Mandatory Mini Camp thread
I read an article in CBSSports (insert laugh track) a while back on 'the most underrated' players in the draft - Both Haynes and Kirvin were on the dude's list. Do not be surprised if Haynes is starting or getting significant playing time sooner rather than later. I think this offense could be very very formidable and that oline is our new dline - really nasty Really looking forward to seeing what Kirvin can do, too.
Re: Mandatory Mini Camp thread
BBK is going to force his will on this team . He is going to force the coaches to play him and he will make an impact on special teams. Wasn't that high on him until the combine. He is bigger and way more athletic than I thought. He's going to be a player.auroraave wrote: ↑Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:27 pmI read an article in CBSSports (insert laugh track) a while back on 'the most underrated' players in the draft - Both Haynes and Kirvin were on the dude's list. Do not be surprised if Haynes is starting or getting significant playing time sooner rather than later. I think this offense could be very very formidable and that oline is our new dline - really nasty Really looking forward to seeing what Kirvin can do, too.
Haynes is a different story. he is talented and by all reports he is picking up the offense quickly. However, the offense needs the veteran leadership of Iupati and Fluker. if Haynes is starting early that means one of those two went down. It would be nice to get at least the first 6-8 games out of those two IMO.
Re: Mandatory Mini Camp thread
RENTON — The just-completed offseason program helped the Seahawks learn a few things about the team they expect to have in 2019.
It confirmed that their starting offensive line is set, that their young receivers should be able to help immediately and that Russell Wilson is still Russell Wilson — an easy thing to overlook in the understandable emphasis on the new and young players, but still the biggest thing this team has going for it.
But questions inevitably remain.
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Here are five things I’m still wondering about as the Seahawks head into their summer break, in no particular order.
1, Who is going to play safety?
Okay, we know one name — Bradley McDougald. McDougald will play either free or strong (he has started at both) saying this week what he has said often in the past, that he prefers strong safety. That’s where he started 14 games last season.
But the Seahawks liked it a lot when he played the final two games of last season at free safety paired with Lano (no longer Delano) Hill, and that may still be the favored pairing.
The problem is neither was available for the offseason program, with McDougald coming off surgery to repair a partially torn patella tendon injury and Hill rehabbing from hip surgery.
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Also missing much of OTAs and all of minicamp was second-round pick Marquise Blair, who figures to get a long look at strong safety. That had Seattle going with Tedric Thompson at free safety and Shalom Luani at strong safety with the starting defense for much of the offseason with Seattle also using fifth-round pick Ugo Amadi solely at safety to fill in — he’s expected to be in the mix at nickel once camp begins.
And it means the safety position — for so long one of the best in the NFL with Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor — ranks as maybe the most uncertain on the team heading into 2019, with the only known that McDougald will start at one spot or the other.
Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said assessing the safety position right now is “a little bit difficult’’ due to all the absences.
“So we’re going to have to reserve judgment a little bit in how it’s going to wind up in the starting spots,’’ Carroll said. “It was really good for the younger guys to get the reps. Amadi got all kinds of turns. We missed out also on Marquise not getting his time. So it’s going to be an interesting spot when we come back to campus. We’re going to have to make up a lot of ground there. I think Bradley is scheduled to be fine first day of camp and should be out there going; that’ll be really important. He’ll help us continuity wise. T2 (Thompson) played really well for us all along and been really consistent. So that’s been good. But there’s going to be some comp there. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens.’’
2, How will the pass rush hold up?
The team’s biggest free agent signee, end Ziggy Ansah — acquired to replace the traded Frank Clark — was limited during the offseason program to only doing conditioning work on the side as he recovers from shoulder surgery, with Carroll offering a hopeful, but still vague, timeline for a return sometime during training camp. His pedigree suggests reason for optimism he can fill much of Clark’s lost production once healthy. But there will be some hefty sighs of relief once he does actually get full clearance to play.
As Carroll also noted, the nature of OTAs/minicamp — no full pads, no full contact – makes it pretty hard to evaluate linemen, so any real assessment of the readiness/improvement of young players such as Rasheem Green, L.J. Collier and Jacob Martin will have to wait. Cassius Marsh, in his second stint with the team, seems certain to play a key role and Carroll this week said Barkevious Mingo — who last year played mostly at strongside linebacker — will be used more as a pass rusher this season. But Mingo has just five sacks in his last five seasons and it may not even be a guarantee he is on the roster come September.
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Seattle still has almost $24 million in cap space for 2019, 11th-most in the NFLvia OvertheCap.com, so it won’t be a surprise if the Seahawks use some of that flexibility to scour the waiver wires for veteran pass rushers who become available as the season nears.
3, Who will be the third-down running back?
The third-down/two-minute running back has always been a key role in the Seattle offense, held primarily by Robert Turbin in the Super Bowl years, and Mike Davis much of last season.
Seattle has three candidates this year — C.J. Prosise, J.D. McKissic and Travis Homer — and might not have room for all three on the roster. Homer flashed early but then was out with a hamstring issue. The oft-injured Prosise was largely healthy this offseason before sitting out some on the final day with a sore hamstring (which appeared to be cautionary and nothing that should slow him down once camp starts), while McKissic was steady throughout. That McKissic can help out as a kickoff and punt returner helps his cause greatly while Prosise is entering the final year of his rookie contract so the team no longer has any reason to exercise patience with him if he runs into injuries again. And the Seahawks have raved about the overall contributions Homer could make on special teams.
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All that means Prosise could be the odd man out — especially if injuries creep up again. But Seattle will be intrigued by him if for no other reason than his performance in the memorable 2016 win at New England (66 yards rushing, 87 receiving) a game the Seahawks wouldn’t have won without him.
Also a factor is that Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny, who will be the primary early-down backs, are each good receivers so Seattle doesn’t have to take them off the field in third down/two-minute situations if no one else proves worthy of the snaps.
4, Who will be the backup quarterback?
Seattle has an intriguing battle brewing here between Geno Smith and Paxton Lynch. Carroll said the two have been pretty even so far but also has mentioned that Smith’s experience — he has 31 career starts compared to Lynch’s four — has been noticeable in his huddle command and adjustments at the line of scrimmage.
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“He brings a little bit of savvy and it’s nice to have,’’ Carroll said. “We haven’t had a guy like that really since Tarvaris (Jackson, the backup from 2013-15) who’s played quite a bit as a backup.”
So give Smith the edge heading into camp. But as Carroll said, much will be determined by the first two preseason games, as well as the fourth, when the playing time will largely go to the backups.
5, How will the receiving depth chart shake out?
The format of OTAs and minicamps — no contact, defenders unable to make plays on the ball — means receivers inevitably stand out. So some of the excitement about the young receivers has to be considered within that context.
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Still, everyone who watched left excited about the potential of second-round pick DK Metcalf, while fellow draftees Gary Jennings and John Ursua also had their moments once each returned from hamstring issues.
Carroll also cited veterans Jaron Brown and David Moore as offensive standouts at different times, and Amara Darboh — a third-rounder in 2017 — also showed he’s still in the mix. Undrafted free agent Terry Wright also has impressed and 6-5, 228-pounder Jazz Ferguson intrigues for his size alone, while vets such as Keenan Reynolds and Malik Turner each had their turns on the active roster last season.
Seattle had just five receivers on its roster at the end of the 2018 season and usually has no more than six. Tyler Lockett, Moore and Metcalf seem like locks, with Brown pretty close to it (that the team could save $2.75 million releasing him leaves him somewhat vulnerable), possibly leaving the rest vying for only one or two spots..
Worth remembering, though, is that Seattle typically keeps two or three receivers on its practice squad, and players cut in September can always resurface later.
But there will be some really intriguing decisions for Seattle when the cutdown to 53 arrives this year.
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