Author: Rob Staton (Page 35 of 423)

I watched the first half in the hotel and will watch the second on my phone in a restaurant. Before heading out though, I wanted to share some thoughts…

— With the usual caveats of acknowledging this is only pre-season and the Chargers played their backups, that was a highly enjoyable first half of Mike Macdonald football. The Seahawks look refreshingly different. They’re doing the fundamental basics right, they look angry and intense. There was a physical quality we haven’t seen in years. Thank goodness for change.

— The defense in particular was outstanding. They set the edge well, they created pressure without needing to be tricky and just looked better than the opponent. LA’s first six drives included five three-and-outs and an interception. Byron Murphy, Boye Mafe and Derick Hall looked like three terrors. Tariq Woolen looks well set to return to his best form. The linebackers flew to the football. The defensive backs were everywhere and could’ve had multiple picks. Seattle looked young and aggressive.

— Mafe was flying off the edge, Hall’s power was on full show and Murphy already looks so dynamic rushing inside. This trio of high draft picks need to become Seattle’s pass rushing future and the early signs here were encouraging. They were far better than LA’s backup O-line.

— Michael Bennett is a treasure in the booth because he has no filter. He was very critical of the defense a year ago because their fundamentals were appalling. This year? “What we’re seeing that’s different from last year is the fundamentals. Shedding blocks, setting edges.” He’s spot on. For too long we accepted sloppiness and bad defense. Those days, thankfully, seem to be gone.

— The Seahawks just look organised and well coached. Everyone was on top of their brief. All three sides of the ball were sharp.

— Although the O-line had some nice physical moments of their own in short-yardage situations and the team ran the ball well, pass-protection was a concern. Stone Forsyth and McClendon Curtis showed the depth at tackle is not good and neither looked comfortable. The Seahawks, like most teams, can ill-afford injuries at tackle.

— Sam Howell played a solid half. He checked down nicely when that was the best option, he converted key downs with his arm and legs. His decision making was generally good and there were no turnover worthy plays. This was a very solid two quarters for Howell, playing within quite a vanilla arrangement for this pre-season game. He took very few risks and wasn’t asked to force the ball downfield, apart from one overthrown pass to Jake Bobo.

— Brady Russell has something about him. He showed a great finish on the touchdown to open the scoring. He settled into good areas to provide a target and he has some suddenness to his movement. He provides special teams value and he’s athletic. I like what I saw from him. George Holani equally has some value and made a nice cut to exploit great blocking off the edge from Pharaoh Brown and Tyler Mabry.

— Dee Williams has special teams value which will help his cause.

I’m working my way through the 2025 draft eligible class and one player more than any other so far has stood out from a Seahawks perspective. It’s impossible not to be drawn to Alabama left guard Tyler Booker. He is one of the best pure guard prospects I’ve studied, perhaps even the best.

In an ideal world the Seahawks find interior O-line solutions during the upcoming season. They’ve just signed Connor Williams. They drafted Christian Haynes. Anthony Bradford is coming into year two. McClendon Curtis is occasionally mentioned by those watching camp.

However, with Laken Tomlinson very much feeling like a stop-gap, finding someone who can provide a long-term answer at left guard is appealing. Especially for a team that has gone too long without having what many would consider a good offensive line.

Booker’s tape is a joy to watch. He is one of the most violent finishers you’ll see. Go and watch the tape. It’s one pancake after another. He’s 350lbs but carries the mass well. He’s a former five-star recruit with a great pedigree. You can see with the way he bends his knees and gets into his stance that he’s a good athlete.

He combines his frame and mobility with a punishing style of play. He’s a nasty finisher. Booker regularly demolishes opponents but he doesn’t just do it with pure straight-ahead power. There are loads of examples of him getting on the move, pulling and latching onto an opponent in space before sending him to the deck. You see him reaching up to the second level and hammering people. He can judo-toss players to the ground with a great hip thrust.

If you want to set the tone up front this is the guy you want. In the running game he’s extremely powerful and just displaces defenders to create running lanes. Booker throws the first jab, jolts back his opponent and you can often see how he unsettles them on contact.

His combo-blocking is at a high level. His hand-placement is good and once he latches on he controls and finishes time after time.

He isn’t just a cumbersome run-blocker though. He can drop the anchor in pass-pro and you can’t get around him. Against Mississippi State you could see him reading the defensive call, identifying his guy as the blitzing MIKE and then just staying low, absorbing contact and sending his guy to the turf. There are plays where he doesn’t gain initial positioning with his hands but he’ll fight to shoot them inside, lock-on and finish. His feet are choppier and quicker than you’d expect for such a big guard and it helps keep him balanced and upright, even in battles against active, mobile interior rushers.

His size works well to plug gaps and as noted — he’s a better athlete than you’d think for his size. I’ve read some scepticism about his fit in a zone system but I think he can do it. Watching him on the pull shows there’s potential here.

I only planned to watch three of Booker’s games but ended up watching twice as many simply for entertainment. It’s not often you say that about a guard. He has the makings of a legit top-25 talent for the next draft if he declares. I doubt he’ll go that early due to his position — but that will only increase his value if he lasts beyond that range.

If he plays the way he did last year in 2024 there’s absolutely no reason to believe he won’t be a day-one, plug-and-play starter in the NFL.

John Schneider might feel interior linemen can be over-drafted but with a player like this, it might be worth testing that theory. Booker is the real deal, one of the best players eligible for the 2025 draft and he needs to be on your radar going into the new college season.

A final point on this — the fact he’s at Alabama helps. He’ll be playing for Kalen DeBoer. We’ll get to see how he fits in DeBoer’s offense and no doubt Ryan Grubb will be able to get the inside scoop on Booker (and all of Alabama’s offensive talent) to gauge their fit in Seattle.

It’s not simply about signing a player with proven quality at a good age.

Yes, Connor Williams’ PFF grade (86.5) put him second among centers prior to his week-14 injury last season. Yes, he’s consistently graded well over the years and is no flash in the pan. If it wasn’t for the injury, his agent Drew Rosenhaus is probably right. He would’ve received a big pay-day — either by the Dolphins or on the free agent market.

It would seem to be quite the no-brainer therefore for a team like the Seahawks to secure his signature. This is a team with question marks at every position on the offensive line. They desperately need talent and quality. It feels like we’ve been saying this for a decade.

However, the injury does exist. It was deemed to be serious enough to place doubts on his career. That Williams has recovered enough, according to Rosenhaus, to potentially play in week one is quite a dramatic turnaround and one that might not be rooted in reality.

Improbable fixes in August are rare. If the league had no concern about Williams he would’ve been signed before now. Or, there’d be more than the two revealed teams (Seattle and Baltimore) pursuing him.

I appreciate it’s not quite the same situation but I recall in 2019 how everyone, myself included, was hoping the Seahawks sign Ziggy Ansah. Seattle’s pass rush wasn’t good enough. They’d just traded away Frank Clark. Ansah was available after the draft due to a shoulder injury. He was still at a good age. The Seahawks signed him and it looked like a great way to replace Clark even if it was just for one year.

Ansah was never healthy. He was anonymous on the field. It was a waste of money.

A repeat of this kind of situation would be an issue. Seattle’s cap situation next year means every dollar counts at the moment.

Despite this, I’d still take a chance on Williams. I’d probably do what it takes to get him, in fact.

This is a gamble worth taking because of the situation the Seahawks find themselves in. The team will no doubt have done its homework on the injury situation. He reportedly passed a medical.

It’s been a massive problem for years in Seattle, trying to fix the offensive line. They’ve struggled to find good players in the draft, their veteran additions rarely progress beyond average or mediocre and there’s just been too much chopping and changing. Every year it’s a different center. Every year they’re trying to plug new holes.

John Schneider went on the record this year saying interior offensive linemen are overpaid and over-drafted. He has a point to be fair. Look at Damien Lewis’ contract in Carolina. Whether they’re over-drafted is a bone of contention. The Seahawks have passed on good centers over the years, although admittedly there isn’t a steady stream of brilliant guards entering the league.

If they do find it difficult to draft or sign good interior linemen, they have to consider taking a chance on a player like this who can help them get around the GM’s resources concern.

With Williams’ age (27) and production so far in his career, combined with Seattle’s inability in recent years to fix their O-line, this feels like a hand worth playing. Take a chance on the recovery. If it doesn’t work out and does end up being a waste of money, at least they took a gamble to fix this particular issue. Better that than some of the other expensive gambles they’ve taken in recent years at far less important positions.

If Williams works out, he’s young enough to solidify a position on the O-line for a few years. If Charles Cross takes a step forward, that’s two players to build around. It’d be a start, if nothing else.

Yes, there’s a chance Williams won’t ever be back to his best or won’t be able to stay healthy. If that happens, I’m guessing most people will be able to live with the consequences.

And if that means going a little bit out of your comfort zone to stave off the Ravens to get this done, so be it.

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen

A 9:45am practice today challenged the players’ body clocks and energy after the Football Fest on Saturday but they responded well with a spirited practice session that got a bit chippy.

Geno Smith Returns to Practice

A sigh of relief swept over the VMAC and its fans as Geno Smith stepped out fully dressed for practice this morning.  The gap between Smith and Sam Howell is still considerable, even with Howell improving over the last three days while getting first team reps with the loaded Wide Receiver group.

Smith stepped on the field and showed absolutely no limitations in practice, taking several long throws in warmups and putting his signature spin and zip on the passes.  In drills, we witnessed the same thing:  throws placed accurately, giving the receivers the ability to run after the catch.  Some throws even led them to gaps that were open.

In a Red Zone drill from the 10-yard line, Smith showed touch, accuracy and the ability to know when the rifle one in and when to float one over the defense.  Simple slants from both the right and left side were well placed with appropriate speed.  They allowed the receiver to use their body to box out the defender and present a clean target.  Later he found Cody White in the far corner with a perfect touch pass over the defender.

That was the good.  Smith also had plays in this same drill and later in the full scrimmage against the top defense, where he was indecisive and could not make good choices as the pass rush closed in on him.  He forced a throw to Jake Bobo — who was coming back to the line of scrimmage to present his quarterback a target — but Tre Brown read his eyes and broke on the ball to get a pass defensed.  Later, after hesitation, he threw a desperation heave to see if D.K. Metcalf could jump out of the gym to get it but he was not able to.

As good as Smith has looked in practices when they warm up and do passing drills, he still seems to have a real issue making decisions and getting rid of the ball in an effective way when throwing under pressure.

The final scrimmage of the day showed that.  The defensive front gave the offensive line all kinds of trouble, forcing Smith to make decisions quicker than he would like.  Dump offs were plentiful and on one rep, Smith tried to force a play under pressure by throwing off his back foot deep to a well-covered Metcalf down the sideline, hoping he could make a play.  It fell incomplete as the defender had position and easily batted it away.

It appears the key offseason narrative is starting to take shape.

The Seahawks Must Find a Way to Get This Offensive Line to Work

Mike Macdonald has confirmed more than once that they are looking for players to step up and that not all the starting jobs on the line are locked down.  Center has particularly been an area of focus, with Olu Oluwatimi getting the bulk of reps with the top squad today.  But Nick Harris stepped in and had a good chunk with them Saturday for Football Fest.

That rotation, the line’s performance in scrimmage drills and the fact that the team is apparently still negotiating to bring Connor Williams in say a lot.

Macdonald is clearly not happy with the line’s performance thus far.  Getting into the third full week of camp and broadcasting that jobs have not been won yet and considering outside help are strong indicators of that.

In a way, it is comforting to hear these remarks and reports from the team.  It shows they are serious about competing and are not just going to cheer a player on and hope he transforms into a serious NFL player right before our eyes like the team has in the recent past.

There is still an important chunk of offseason to go.

Some optimistic thoughts on the line:

It is possible that this line has just taken longer to gel together.

It is also possible that the defensive unit has been so good that secretly hidden on this roster is the middling offensive line that we have been craving.  A line that can be better than what we have seen against defenses that are not as deep and talented as the Seahawks are.

That theory will be put to the test Saturday against the Chargers — who have Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack on the edges — but no dominating presence on the interior (with apologies to Poona Ford.)

They then will play Cleveland and Tennessee, two teams that have very healthy defensive lines.

The next three weeks will tell us a lot about this offensive line, and where this team is going this season.

It also should be noted that the running game is never a real known entity until the unit gets a full taste of game action.  An effective and creative running game will take a lot of pressure off Smith and the pass-blockers.  Paired with a defense that looks quite effective, those two things could carry a lot of weight while the offensive scheme and the pass protections work themselves out.

It is not comfortable to have such a big open question at this point in the offseason.  However, this coaching staff has proved its mettle in a very short period.  They appear to have installed a new culture in the building, demanding accountability and excellence from their players.  All their comments show that they realize the line could be their Achilles heel this season.  How they address it will be fascinating to watch.

Other Practice Notes

— Another huzzah for Byron Murphy.  He still looks fantastic.  He played with the twos in an early scrimmage, then joined the ones for the final scrimmage.  Watching him stand up two interior blockers so his mates can run free is so impressive.  He did that again today and Sam Howell had nowhere to scramble to as the middle was plugged.  Later against the ones he steamrolled Laken Tomlinson into the backfield and on another play Smith had no choice but to dump the ball off to Kenneth Walker, and Murphy turned tail and ran to track him down.  The play got 4-5 yards but Murphy’s effort was impressive.

— No Dre Jones and no Jerome Baker again in practice today.  The defense looks great even without those two but smart teams will be able to exploit the fact they are not on the field.  Get well soon, fellas.

— In Red Zone drills, the offense is showing a look where they bunch receivers to the quarterback’s right and give the defense mixed signals about who is doing what, hoping one of the receivers will pop free.  It is an interesting concept.  But if there is a traffic jam and Smith must wait for someone to come free, it will become a problem.  On those drills, just letting your receiver beat his man and throwing the ball with anticipation appears more effective.

— Christian Haynes took some center snaps at the Senior Bowl and that is great.  But the Seahawks (to my knowledge) have never lined him up there.  Every scrimmage and drill, Haynes has been at Right Guard, his natural spot.  I hope the team does not turn to him in desperation to fill the center spot.  Particularly without a full summer or camp of work there.

— Tre Brown is still very strong looking.  His matchups with D.K. Metcalf are appointment watching.  Neither is giving an inch, and it would be hard to say who has won more matchups at this point.  Every single time Metcalf makes a nice play, the next time Smith goes to him, Brown shuts it down with his own fine play.

-The Cornerback group is an intriguing roster question at this point.  Brown, Woolen and Witherspoon are locks.  Burns has had a very good camp and provides versatility.  Bryant could move over from safety if needed, and the Seahawks drafted D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett.  Could Mike Jackson be the odd man out?

-Ken Walker has fire and isn’t shy about letting defenders know about it.  He and Woolen had to be separated after Walker was tackled with a facemask tackle.

-Brady Russell keeps having good days at Tight End.  Today he had a handful of reps with the top offense.  It is hard to gauge his blocking, but the Seahawks do appear to like has skill in the passing game.  With Fant and Brown locks, and Jack Westover looking good so far, can the team afford to keep a fourth and/or fifth Tight End on the roster?

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen

Mike Macdonald continues to take his team in a different direction compared to Pete Carroll.

Rather than having a simulated Mock Game at Lumen Field – as has been done for several seasons – the Seahawks simply had a practice session at a different location — with a couple of tweaks to the routine they had established at the VMAC.

We were treated to some scrimmaging with the top offense against the top defense and the backups against the backups to end the session.

However, drills dominated the day. Quarterbacks threw to receivers with defensive backs trying to cover at one end of the field, while pass rushers ran individual drills against blockers at the other end. Michael Dickson and Jason Meyers practiced kicks at midfield. Things like this were happening most of the day.

It made for a very busy day and just underscored the same pattern we have seen so far in training camp — a busy, active and well-prepared session, set to give players as much experience and exposure to the new systems as possible.

The Offensive Line Continues to be a Work in Progress

The Seahawks rolled out the following top offensive line for their drills and scrimmages: Charles Cross at Left Tackle, Laken Tomlinson at Left Guard, Anthony Bradford at Right Guard and George Fant at Right Tackle. They rotated centers, giving Olu Oluwatimi and Nick Harris snaps.

The result was not unlike what we have seen so far in camp. The line struggled to keep their quarterback from being under pressure on a regular basis. One particular series was a three and out, with Devon Witherspoon blitzing and getting his hands up to deflect a pass away and Leonard Williams causing trouble in the middle of the line and also batting a ball away.

The only time the top offense had success moving the ball very much was when they employed the offense we recently talked about, relying on quick throws that get rid of the ball before pass rushers can get home.

When Sam Howell had a fast read and his receivers had given him a target, he responded well and delivered regularly. Whenever he needed to take any time at all in the pocket, he was pressured greatly.

To be fair, this is be a function of the talent on the defense as well as coaching. The defense seems further along in their installation. Players are being lined up all up and down the line and appear comfortable doing so. Linebackers, corners and safeties are ready to get their number called for an out-of-the-blue blitz (speaking of that, John Rhattigan blitzed into a gap you could drive a Volkswagen through and caused Howell trouble). They have a talented cast of defensive backs who can keep the quarterback away from his first read. Plus, there’s depth on this defensive line to keep bringing fresh energy off the bench.

That said, Mike Macdonald clearly is still working through the offensive line:

Mike Macdonald made it clear that Seattle's OL is not yet set: "I don’t think we’ve found the final five right now. Doing a good job, working hard, but I don’t think we’re making any decisions anytime soon." No. 1 unit today remained Cross, Tomlinson, Oluwatimi, Bradford, Fant.

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 4, 2024

Those comments evince a real desire for solutions. It is also an open invitation for players to distinguish themselves with improved play.

That bears watching as camp comes to a close and preseason games begin next weekend.

The Quarterback Hierarchy is Clear at This Point

Sam Howell showed improvement in drills today. He was more on-time and accurate with his throws, likely a nice benefit coming from establishing some familiarity with the top receiver group that has been established this week in Geno Smith’s absence.

Howell is still not as sharp as Smith. When throwing competitive drills with receivers versus defenders one on one, he put the football in good spots with only the occasional misthrow. Even then, Jake Bobo came to the rescue and used his long frame and soft hands to stretch out of bounds and somehow bring an errant ball in while keeping his toes scraping the ground. That was one of the best catches of the day.

Put Howell in a game situation and give him talented weapons and a mandate to make quick throws, and he is fine. Not better than Smith but fine. When pressured he frequently took low-percentage throws that his receivers would really need to make a supreme effort to come down with. Metcalf made a beautiful leaping one-handed catch in the end zone but was too far out. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had to dive for a ball that was just out of reach. Things like that.

Mike Macdonald’s words and body language do not indicate any real excitement about Howell and his game.

I think it bears repeating: Absent a stunning improvement on Howell’s part, Smith has this job locked. If Howell has it in him, the time for that transformation is now.

What about PJ Walker? He seemed to be used more as a camp arm today, throwing in a bunch of the drills and working with the backups. He had some poor decisions (a throw he tried to squeeze into a tight spot at the sideline provided DJ Jones a chance for an interception), a couple of nice throws and a whole bunch of checkdowns in scrimmage.

There seemed to be some buzz today that Walker was effective using his legs to run more than Howell. But with a no-contact order on quarterbacks, he gained many more yards than he would have in game action, and truth be told, would not have taken off running on several of those plays out of concern for being flattened by a defender.

Notes & Observations

— Odd symmetry: Jake Bobo and Artie Burns were the stars on each side today, just like last year’s mock game. Bobo, we know. He made several nice catches and two grabs with his length and agility. Burns had a few pass breakups and made a great case to stay on the roster with his fire and fine play.

— I wanted to see the Tight Ends behind Noah Fant in action today, particularly the young ones. Jack Westover had a couple of nice catches after lining up inline and as a halfback, Will-Dissly-type behind the Right Tackle. He seemed to move well. AJ Barner looked stiff and slow running any kind of route. He looked like he was running in slow motion compared to the other receivers that had lined up. What kind of role will they use him in? Purely blocking and as a surprise dump-off receiver? Is that worth a roster spot?

— Christian Haynes lined up at Right Guard on the second unit offensive line and I thought he looked effective. He was moving bodies in there, albeit against the second unit defense. Sataoa Laumea worked as the Left Guard on the third unit and did make a nice play to open up a wide hole for the back on a running play.

— With Byron Murphy, more and more often you see that he does not need training wheels. The Seahawks can put him out there in a limited series of live-game snaps and not have to worry that a rookie will look out of place. Mike Macdonald had to temper his enthusiasm when asked after the game about him.

— Derick Hall had a speed rush around Charles Cross that caused a pressure. That was nice to see.

— Dre Jones still out with a hamstring issue. The first day of camp, he was playing DE with his hand in the dirt mostly. He needs time to get into this defense and reward John Schneider’s faith for not only keeping him but also reworking his contract.

— Now Jerome Baker has a hamstring problem. Silver lining is Tyrice Knight is getting a ton of work with the 1’s and does not look bad. His speed is a real asset.

— The Seahawks are still looking for a returner to claim the job. Macdonald indicated this will go through the preseason.

— Kenneth Walker has always been an underrated route-runner. In a 1-on-1 drill today against Tyrel Dodson, Walker juked him badly and got wide open for a nice reception.

Today I jumped on a podcast with Brian from Hawkblogger to discuss the Seahawks at training camp and our hopes for the new season, check it out below:

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen

Today’s practice was spirited but flawed. It is the kind of practice that every team eventually has in training camp. It’s good for a team with an all-new coaching staff to experience and react to.

Geno Smith was on the sidelines with an injury we hope is not too bothersome. D.K. Metcalf dropped a few passes. The defensive backs struggled in coverage during drills, not being able to keep up with receivers when they made breaks and got flagged repeatedly for holding and pass interference.

It was not all bad today. There were several things to really like as you will see. But it was not nearly as complete a day as others I had witnessed this camp.

We do have to start with the ever-present elephant in the room.

Geno Smith Is the Seahawks’ Best Hope for Success in 2024

With Smith needing another practice off to recover, Sam Howell drilled and scrimmaged mostly with the starting offense and PJ Walker took over the second-string offense. How did they fare?

They were fine.

In drills without defenders present, both quarterbacks regularly completed their throws. However, there is a difference between making completions and putting your receivers in the best spot to advance the ball up the field and gain yards after the catch.

Howell and Walker often put the ball on their receivers’ back hip, requiring them to slow up a half step. In a game environment, this would give a defender time to either break up the pass or immediately make a tackle. Smith far more regularly hits his receivers in stride.

In drills and scrimmages with defenders, both quarterbacks had better days than they have had in the sessions that I have seen. Both moved the ball well, took what the defense gave them and occasionally took off running when the opportunity presented itself. Both also had the occasional sparkling completion, one that makes you stand up and take notice.

They also took the safe checkdown option much more than Smith ever has. It could be argued that we are in the middle of camp and some progress is good progress. With more work and that edge of confidence being sharpened a bit, they could ascend to a level where Smith is, pushing the ball downfield more. At this moment in time though, neither Howell nor Walker are there.

The good news with Howell is there is more to like from what I saw today than previously. He appears particularly comfortable with crossing routes over the middle, timing up several of them very well and placing the ball accurately on a consistent basis. One of his best throws of the day was about a nine-yard crosser to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had Devon Witherspoon on him stride for stride in tight coverage. Howell put it just out of Witherspoon’s reach, yet comfortably within Smith-Njigba’s for a very snappy throw. The kind of throw you point to in game highlights and say ‘Yep — that’s the throw that converted a tough third down and let the offense run the clock out for a win.’

He also had several nice out-routes. Wide receivers running down the numbers hard, then cutting toward the sideline for a timed catch for about 6-8 yards. Howell caught Metcalf, Noah Fant, Tyler Lockett and Smith-Njigba all on well-placed balls. I would guess that if Metcalf did not have so many drops today, more would be said about Howell’s day.

He struggled a bit on deeper routes down the sidelines that required timing and touch. It’s possible he is still adjusting to working with the top receivers. Knowing receivers’ strides, tendencies and body positioning may come with time and practice. But it was not a particular strength today.

Proficiency in dumpoffs and crossers is good. In certain situations, it can be very good. But they do not provide opportunities for explosive plays, which are the lifeblood of a top-10 NFL offense.

Absent a noticeable jump in effectiveness by Howell, Smith is the Seahawks’ best chance for those explosive plays this year.

Defense Nicely Taking Shape

Padded practices are a far better indicator of where a team is in regards to progressing to game readiness. There were several such indicators today at all levels on the defense.

Firstly, the run defense looked very crisp. I wanted to get an idea of what the linebackers looked like, so I focused on them when the team was doing a full scrimmage that called for mostly all running plays.

I did not get to see much of the linebackers in action. Why not? The defensive line and the ends were so actively involved in containing the run, the linebackers were clean and didn’t get many shots to plug gaps.

It could be argued that the Offensive Line is this team’s weakness and easy to point to as the reason the running game is not up to snuff. I am no scheme expert, but today it felt more like the defensive front had a good day more than the Offensive Line had a bad day if that makes sense.

Why? The Defensive Line went through multiple alignments and setups and against the same offensive line, executed them all with success. You can see the offseason work that Mike Macdonald and Aden Durde have put in bearing fruit. Linemen are not pigeonholed into one specific assignment anymore. On any given snap, offenses are going to have to completely reset and grasp what their assignments are. The versatility the coaches are working into their system makes this defense hard to read and skilled players like Jarran Reed, Leonard Williams and Johnathan Hankins have enough experience to effectively implement what they are being asked to do on any given play. I imagine it is a fun defense to play in as well.

What about Byron Murphy? He worked with the second unit defense most of the day today.

It feels like he is coming along nicely. The skill set, body type and attitude are there. Today I noticed that when Murphy gets into a three-point stance with his line-mates, he has the size and athleticism to get lower than anyone on else on the line. When he fires off, he just naturally can get under the pads easier than others. At one point he was lined up between the center and the left guard. They both tried collapsing in on Murphy and he anchored and they did not move him one single inch. It busted up the run play and they had a minimal gain.

On the next snap, Murphy switched spots and moved between the center and the right guard. It did not provide as spectacular play as the last one but he was effective and did his assignment. Once again, proving that he is learning versatility like his teammates and with time, he will figure out ways to take best advantage of it.

My early guess is that Murphy may not have some crazy 10-sack rookie season that splashes him all over social media and the highlight reels. But NFL talent evaluators and coaches will know his name and by season’s end, will have a headache trying to figure out how to game plan for him, Williams, Reed, the edge rushers and a chess piece like Witherspoon all at the same time.

Back to the linebackers. Today, Dodson was shouting adjustments pre-snap and was very active behind the line. Knight was again very fast and was occasionally used in a variety of ways, from blitzing to coverage.

I generally liked what I saw but this unit is still a work in progress. It will take the full camp, all three preseason games and probably the first quarter of the season to properly evaluate what the Seahawks have there.

A note about blitzing. The defense is truly preparing for every single member to have opportunities to blitz. Corners blitzed today. Safeties. Inside Linebackers.

Get ready for a lot of misdirection and unpredictability when watching this defense.

On that, the Running Backs did a drill today with the Inside Linebackers that was particularly interesting. The linebackers blitzed and the backs had to pick them up and keep the passer clean. Kenneth Walker was effective — not great but definitely improved. Zach Charbonnet was an animal though. Nobody got by him and most ended up on the ground. Even with three full steps to wind up their punch. The other running backs struggled with their pickups though. Speedy players like Knight and Dodson were a handful for them.

There is still a lot of work to be done with this defense but the green shoots are showing and this season should be a welcome respite from the Seahawks’ annual place in the bottom half of the league.

Practice Notes

— Michael Dickson is amazing. One of the best in the NFL at his job. The team opened with punting drills and he was kicking extremely effectively. At one point, they put a garbage can in the ‘coffin corner’ and Dickson hit it.

— Dee Eskridge had a good day in practice, running routes and catching the ball. It is early but it would appear the Seahawks may have another player who, when utilized properly (running good routes, catching passes down the field and making more yards out of them rather than being used as a line of scrimmage gadget player) can provide a spark.

— Marcus Simms, Easop Winston and Brady Russell are making the team have to really think about their Wide Receiver and Tight End group. They may not make the final squad but it would not surprise me if they are immediately signed to the Practice Squad and find ways to get some game snaps during the season. Cody White has had moments as well. Dareke Young also won a rep against Tariq Woolen with his size and speed, drawing a flag. This group is deep.

— I really have no idea what to make of Darrell Taylor. They have him at his usual Outside Linebacker/Defensive End spot and I have yet to see anything from him that indicates his clearly natural talent for pass rushing. That does not mean he will be cut or traded but he is not getting much press and I have not seen much to write about.

— If you ever can find a way to come out for a practice day, you should. I cannot recommend the setting the Seahawks have at the VMAC enough. A beautiful sunny day with Lake Washington in the background, you are closer to your favorite players and coaches than you get in game situations, bald eagles are regularly flying around the facility and today the Blue Angels treated us to several flyovers while practicing their maneuvers. The team has thought of everything — they have mister fans, bottle refilling stations, interns handing out popsicles and little bottles of sunscreen. It is quite an experience.

Check out my latest visit with Puck Sports below…

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