Rookie Mini Camp thread

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D-train
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Re: Rookie Mini Camp thread

Post by D-train » Sat May 07, 2022 9:43 pm

dt

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Re: Rookie Mini Camp thread

Post by D-train » Sat May 07, 2022 10:35 pm

At least he can still smile despite his shredded hammy. lol
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Donn Beach
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Re: Rookie Mini Camp thread

Post by Donn Beach » Sun May 08, 2022 3:37 am

D-train wrote:
Sat May 07, 2022 9:42 pm
By Adam Jude
Seattle Times staff reporter
RENTON — Ken Walker III wasn’t asked to do much in his first day in his new No. 9 Seahawks uniform. For that matter, the Seahawks didn’t ask much of any of the newcomers participating in the team’s three-day rookie minicamp that began Friday afternoon at the VMAC.

But coach Pete Carroll left open the possibility that that could change come this fall, when this rookie class could be asked to plug some important holes in the Seahawks’ depth chart.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see some guys have a shot at pushing for a lot of playing time out of this class,” Carroll said. “… It seems really specific (to the team’s position needs) and we can all kind of visualize how that’s going to happen.”

Charles Cross and Abe Lucas, the two new offensive tackles, will compete for a chance to start immediately. And Walker ought to be a key figure in a revamped offense in this post-Russell Wilson era. As the second running back taken in the NFL draft last week (No. 41 overall), Walker could emerge as the No. 2 running back in the Seahawks offense behind Rashaad Penny.

Walker made a good impression, anyway, in the light, 45-minute workout Friday. During one passing drill, he made a nice adjustment on his route and used one hand to haul in a wayward pass from undrafted rookie QB Levi Lewis.

“Ken, he took off now,” Carroll said. “He’s a rocket. He caught the ball really well today, too, which we’re really excited about.”

Walker said he prefers to go by Ken (he was listed as Kenneth when he was drafted). The 21-year-old Arlington, Tennessee, native is listed at 5-foot-9, 211 pounds on the Seahawks roster, and he had no complaints about his first day on the job.

“I gotta say it was more excitement, you know, being around the guys,” said Walker, who ran for 1,636 yards in 12 games last year for Michigan State and won the Doak Walker Award as college football’s best running back. “It made it much easier for me to just come and be who I am.”

Running back is generally seen as a plug-and-play position for rookies, and it’s reasonable to expect one as accomplished as Walker to make a relatively smooth transition to the NFL.

Walker said it helps, too, that Michigan State ran a pro-style offense.

Michigan State’s Ken Walker III (9) runs against Michigan during an NCAA college football game last October in East Lansing, Mich. (Al Goldis / AP)

Michigan State’s Ken Walker III (9) runs against Michigan during an NCAA college football game last October in East Lansing, Mich. (Al Goldis / AP)
“That was a big thing for me like when I went to Michigan State I wanted to get in that pro-style offense,” he said. “And, you know, when I was at Michigan State, it made a difference because we were able to watch them on NFL teams. And it was just like our offense, just different terminology.”

Carroll said that has been apparent.

“Coming to us, he even understood the terminology to some extent, too, so it’s really going to facilitate him being comfortable with the transition,” Carroll said. “So we’ll expect no issues there at all. He’ll be able to ‘go.’ He’s very bursty, very quick.”

Walker, for now, does not project as a third-down back. He wasn’t much of a factor catching the ball out of the backfield at Michigan State last season, posting 13 catches for 89 yards and one touchdown.

More importantly, Carroll said Walker has a lot to learn about pass protection, which has to be the top priority for any running back coming in on third down.

“Let’s wait and see on that one, as far as making him a third-down guy,” Carroll said. “He’s got a ways to go, pass protection-wise. That’s a real challenge for him. So we’ll see. I know his attitude will be in it. He’s a terrific, competitive kid. That (pass protection) needs to be a priority, and we’ve already talked to him about that.”
Right tackle I think could be interesting, the guy you brought up before. But at this point Cross doesn't have any competition does he. I am curious how that's going to work.

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Re: Rookie Mini Camp thread

Post by D-train » Sun May 08, 2022 12:31 pm

None of the UDFAs are OLs

FS Joey Blount, Virginia
SS Bubba Bolden, Miami
TE Cade Brewer, Texas
G Shamarious Gilmore, Georgia State
DT Matt Gotel, West Florida
WR Jake Herslow, Houston
LB Levi Jones, North Carolina State
QB Levi Lewis, Louisiana-Lafayette
TE John Mitchell, Florida Atlantic
SS Scott Nelson, Wisconsin
LB Josh Onujiogu, Framingham State
WR Demetris Robertson, Auburn
CB Josh Valentine-Turner, Florida International
SS Deontai Williams, Nebraska
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Re: Rookie Mini Camp thread

Post by D-train » Sun May 08, 2022 12:33 pm

Stone Forsythe is Cross's comp.
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rockycola
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Re: Rookie Mini Camp thread

Post by rockycola » Sun May 08, 2022 3:32 pm

D-train wrote:
Sun May 08, 2022 12:31 pm
None of the UDFAs are OLs

FS Joey Blount, Virginia
SS Bubba Bolden, Miami
TE Cade Brewer, Texas
G Shamarious Gilmore, Georgia State
DT Matt Gotel, West Florida
WR Jake Herslow, Houston
LB Levi Jones, North Carolina State
QB Levi Lewis, Louisiana-Lafayette
TE John Mitchell, Florida Atlantic
SS Scott Nelson, Wisconsin
LB Josh Onujiogu, Framingham State
WR Demetris Robertson, Auburn
CB Josh Valentine-Turner, Florida International
SS Deontai Williams, Nebraska
ShamWOW “Happy” Gilmore is an offensive guard, isn’t he?
Rocky Colavito is a Hall of Famer in my book!

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D-train
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Re: Rookie Mini Camp thread

Post by D-train » Sun May 08, 2022 3:59 pm

rockycola wrote:
Sun May 08, 2022 3:32 pm
D-train wrote:
Sun May 08, 2022 12:31 pm
None of the UDFAs are OLs

FS Joey Blount, Virginia
SS Bubba Bolden, Miami
TE Cade Brewer, Texas
G Shamarious Gilmore, Georgia State
DT Matt Gotel, West Florida
WR Jake Herslow, Houston
LB Levi Jones, North Carolina State
QB Levi Lewis, Louisiana-Lafayette
TE John Mitchell, Florida Atlantic
SS Scott Nelson, Wisconsin
LB Josh Onujiogu, Framingham State
WR Demetris Robertson, Auburn
CB Josh Valentine-Turner, Florida International
SS Deontai Williams, Nebraska
ShamWOW “Happy” Gilmore is an offensive guard, isn’t he?
Oh yeah was looking for O's and missed him.
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Re: Rookie Mini Camp thread

Post by D-train » Sun May 08, 2022 7:56 pm

Injury #2!!!!!!!!!!!!! :|
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Re: Rookie Mini Camp thread

Post by D-train » Mon May 09, 2022 12:11 am

By Bob Condotta
Seattle Times staff reporter
RENTON — Asked what stood out after the Seahawks completed their three-day rookie minicamp Sunday, coach Pete Carroll began with the two first-year players who may be the most important in 2022 — offensive tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas.

“The tackles jump out right off the bat,’’ Carroll said. “Both guys look well-equipped physically, they look like they can move like we would hope they can move. They’re both bright kids and will pick up their stuff. So the process is underway. I was really fired up about that.’’

Three rookie minicamp workouts, including the final one Sunday that was mostly a walk-through, is, of course, not a whole lot to go on. Coaches usually say you can’t judge linemen until pads go on in training camp and full contact is allowed.

The Seahawks will learn a lot more about each in the coming weeks as the rookies join the rest of the team in the offseason program.

But for now the Seahawks seem content with what they have at offensive tackle with Cross (the ninth overall pick out of Mississippi State) and Lucas (third round out of Washington State) joining holdovers Stone Forsythe, Jake Curhan and Greg Eiland, each second-year players.

Those five are the only players listed as tackles on the Seahawks’ roster, which after the signing of 14 undrafted free agents last week is at the offseason max of 90.

Asked Sunday if he thinks the team has enough depth at tackle, Carroll said “yeah.’’

Both of last year’s regular starting tackles — left tackle Duane Brown and right tackle Brandon Shell — remain unsigned, and the Seahawks could theoretically sign one of them or another veteran.

Carroll said Sunday he’s excited for the competition at tackle, which seems to shape up as Curhan and Lucas on the right side and Cross and Forsythe on the left.

Curhan, an undrafted free agent a year ago out of California, started the final five games of last season at right tackle after Shell was sidelined with a shoulder injury, a stretch in which the Seahawks rushed for 170 or more yards four times.

Forsythe, a sixth-round pick in 2021 out of Florida, played just 14 snaps a year ago with Brown playing every game. But with Brown often sitting out practices during the regular season to rest his knee, Forsythe got ample work with the first team.

“It’s a great opportunity for Stone,’’ Carroll said. “This is his chance. And Jake got to start a résumé last year playing and did a nice job. So they’ll come back. And I’ve already talked to these guys, they see the game differently already as they do it. You know from freshman to sophomore year it just flips so much. So we’ll see if they can take advantage of what they see new. I know Jake, he was really fired up about coming back and just not being in the blur of camp and all that. So we’ll see how it goes.’’

With there being no question that Cross and Lucas look the part, what may be the biggest key is how well each adjusts to working in an NFL offense after each played in spread style attacks in college.

Each spent the bulk of their careers playing in Mike Leach’s Air Raid — Leach coached Lucas for the first three years of his college career at WSU and Cross for his last two at Mississippi State — where neither had to do much getting in a three-point stance and doing the type of run blocking that will be a staple of the Seattle offense.

But Carroll said during the draft he felt the bigger factor in the team’s attraction to each for now is that they proved proficient in pass blocking in college, maybe the biggest priority for tackles who have to protect the edge.

And Friday he said he has few worries that each will be able to adjust to playing out of a three-point stance.

“Shoot, you would never have even known (they had so little experience being in a three-point stance),’’ Carroll said. “I already had a chance to look at half of the film of some of the teamwork that we did. They’ve been working hard at it, they look very comfortable, and they’ll get better. I saw a couple of flinches and stuff, which is really normal.

“But like I said, these guys are too good athletically. They are really comfortable in their bodies, they can move, they are well-proportioned, they are quick, and they can run fast for big guys. It’s just not going to be a big transition like we might think, and I don’t think that the experience of being in the offense that they’ve been in is going to be a detriment at all.


“The area that we would most be concerned about is pass protection and being able to pick up the speed. These guys have had thousands of snaps of protecting the edge. They knew they had to, the coach put them in that position, that was their style, the guys coming were all rushing the passer. So I think we are fortunate that they have come through that program.”

Still, few teams in NFL history have likely entered a season with a tackle corps that has a combined five starts (all from Curhan) and 419 snaps and none older than 24 years old.

How well the Seahawks can pull that off — or will possibly be forced to adjust — figures to be as big of a key to the success in 2022 as anything else aside from the quarterback position.
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Re: Rookie Mini Camp thread

Post by Nwadventure » Mon May 09, 2022 12:17 am

Super off topic but too funny tweet- Evan/Hill- " I want a QB who talks massive shit and worships the devil" Where do we find that ? LOL

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