Author: Rob Staton (Page 73 of 428)

Sports Broadcaster, Journalist and creator of Seahawks Draft Blog in 2008.

Curtis Allen’s mock game notes

August 5, 2023 /

This is a guest post by Curtis Allen…

Tonight, the Seahawks took another step in their offseason preparation with a mock game at Lumen Field. The starters on each side of the ball lined up against the backup units, and the difference in talent was very clear, as the starters showed why they are starters.

The Quarterbacks Were Impressive

Geno Smith continued his camp run of good play. He was able to take what the defense gave him, pick his moments of when to scramble and throw the ball away and live to fight again, and had several downfield throws that were excellent.

With Tyler Lockett a precautionary scratch, Smith found D.K. Metcalf more than once deep down the field, including a ball that was perfectly placed but Metcalf could just not haul in. He also demonstrated some chemistry with game star Cody Thompson.

He also effectively mixed short quick timing type passes with some deeper throws, while audibling to counteract the defensive formation:

If Geno is able to keep this level of offensive mastery into the regular season, the offense truly is going to live up to its billing.

Drew Lock did not have as good a night, but all things considered it was a decent showing for him. The defense regularly beat the second-string offensive line, putting Lock under all kinds of pressure. He regularly understood where his hot reads were, but his receivers were not always there to bail him out. At one point he threw an absolute bullet to Griffin Hebert on a rhythm timing pass, but Hebert could not complete the catch and that killed a drive.

Lock was “sacked” at least three times, with two of them being impressive plays by the defense. On one, Reed and Dre Jones both beat their inside men and met at the quarterback. Another, Boye Mafe powered past the tackle and (with the red jersey for QBs rule in place) was able to strip-sack Lock with a quick swat that proved more effective than he was likely planning for.

However, he shook off some early play that was unfortunate and pieced together a decent performance. He was able to move the offense down the field, and when his athleticism was required on a play, he was up to the task. On one play, both Jones and Mafe made good reads on play-action and, not getting fooled, gave chase after Lock. But they were unable to beat him to the sideline, and Lock was able to turn upfield and get some extra yards. He also found Jake Bobo in the seam for a ‘game winning’ touchdown pass.

Lock seemed calm, collected and measured in his game tonight. He never panicked, nor made that rash decision that he has become known for. He showed us his arm talent when the chances came, and steadily got stronger as the game went on.

At this point I would say the offense looks very good. But they are winning on talent and freshness. Once teams get a look at their tendencies and start adjusting, the Seahawks will need to come up with some fresh looks and keep them guessing.

The Defensive Backs Competition Is Heating Up

With Riq Woolen still on the PUP for precautionary reasons (Pete Carroll has confirmed he will be back soon), the door is still wide open. And let me tell you, the players are responding.

Devon Witherspoon spent most of the game at the nickel spot the Seahawks had been deploying him in practices, with Jackson at Woolen’s Right Cornerback spot and Tre Brown at Left Cornerback.

Witherspoon looks the part. He is tough, authentic and is not afraid to take chances when he sees a play developing. On one play, he was covering a zone and the ball was thrown his way. Instead of retreating to cover the receiver, he chose the more aggressive (but ultimately correct) play of diving in front of the receiver to make a play on the ball. He got fully horizontal and got enough of a hand on the ball to cause the incompletion.

You can see why they like him at nickel. A combination of his toughness, instincts and the occasional play choice that is ‘if you don’t make this play, the receiver is going to be running for days’, the Seahawks have gotten themselves a player.

What makes the position group so intriguing is the incredible depth. It was on display tonight, as Artie Burns had the best night of the group with several passes defensed. A forgotten player in this group, Burns really shined tonight.

Coby Bryant started out as a safety in the second-string defense, and later moved to a strong safety type role in the first-string defense, blitzing the passer and providing a right-on-the-line presence in run support.

This defensive backfield has all kinds of options. It is possible the Seahawks can draw from this group to strengthen this team via a trade.

Rookie Notes

Kenny McIntosh had a mixed bag kind of night. He ran well, provided his quarterback with options, and had a couple runs that were quick and tough. At one point, he cut outside and a linebacker attempted to arm-tackle him by the shoulders. McIntosh powered through it and gained a few more yards before ending the play with a friendly smack at Bryant, providing downfield last-gasp tackling coverage.

He also had a fumble and came up gingerly after the play. He hobbled to the sideline and into the blue tent. He emerged shortly after with a wrapped and iced knee, and Pete Carroll said it was a sprain of unknown severity.

Zach Charbonnet was a full participant in warmups but only got a couple reps, out of precaution after dealing with a shoulder injury.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a fairly quiet night, with two catches and a punt return. But he looks like the player who has lit up training camp so far. At one point, the Seahawks lined him up in the slot, and he took off like a rocket, drawing coverage and leaving the flat completely open for Cody Thompson to slide in for a nice gain.

Cameron Young did not get a ton of snaps but did have a play where he plugged the middle and gave the running back nowhere to go.

Derick Hall ran with the second team defense and looked good but not great. Still feeling his way through things a bit. At one point he did have a great speed rush that got around Stone Forsythe easily.

Other Notes

Jarran Reed looks like he has put on good weight and was handling the Nose Tackle role well in this game against the second-string unit.

Dre Jones was likewise a problem for the second-string line. When he wasn’t disrupting, he was absorbing double-team attention and allowing teammates to come free to the quarterback.

Not much from Tyreke Smith but he had a nice-looking bull rush to move Abe Lucas back.

Jake Bobo had a sneaky-good seven catches, mostly with the third unit, but stepped up to play with the second unit and had the game-winning catch. He looks like an intriguing option with his height and playmaking ability.

Jason Myers missed a 51-yard field goal try and made a 47-yard try.

Jamal Adams looks to be in good spirits even though he is still on the PUP list.

Monday thoughts: Injuries and trade talk

July 31, 2023 /

I can’t see anyone to trade for

I noticed on Seahawks twitter a bit of love thrown the way of Danielle Hunter when he was briefly on the trade block (before signing a new contract in Minnesota). I don’t think that was ever likely given how much Seattle has invested in the pass rush position already. Fans talked about it though.

Neither does it feel like they’ll end Jonathan Taylor’s Indianapolis nightmare because of a couple of running back injuries (see below).

I spent some time yesterday scouring the OurLads depth chart website, looking for someone who might fit Seattle’s roster.

We know they need a proper nose tackle, for example. Yet running through potential trade candidates the only name I could project was Johnathan Hankins.

The Dallas Cowboys spent a first round pick on Mazi Smith so theoretically, Hankins might lose his job. However, Cowboys fans are anticipating a chunky rotation between the two. Plus, Hankins is cheap. There’s very little reason for Dallas to give him away.

I couldn’t find anyone else.

I’m still not sure why Seattle couldn’t find a way financially to keep Al Woods. Maybe he is older and finds it a little bit harder to stay out there? He wasn’t that expensive though. Put him on the roster today and that D-line looks a lot better. You buy time to find a long term solution. Instead they’re left trying Jarran Reed at nose and hoping for the best, with Cam Young clearly needing a bit of time.

I know I run the risk of people groaning in the background but it still seems incredible to me that this team is committed to giving Jamal Adams $18.1m this season when there’s no clear evidence of when (or if) he’ll be able to play. If he does get back on the field from the horrifying injury he suffered a year ago, nobody knows how he’ll play or if he can stay away from further injuries.

He is the most expensive player on the team and a complete unknown. Given their difficult cap situation in 2024, a parting next year seems fairly inevitable short of a miracle turnaround in his Seahawks career.

For the price of a post-June 1st cut this year, they could’ve afforded to keep Woods and Ryan Neal. To me, that feels a much better use of resources than continuing to have $18.1m tied to a player who has become a bit of a meme in Seattle.

Even if you don’t cut Adams, there surely had to be a way of working with him to reduce his cap hit? He was never going to get $18.1m on the open market. He might get nothing as a free agent this year, given his injury situation. It’s hard to imagine there wasn’t the possibility of getting a deal done to save some money in Seattle. If Adams was so opposed to that at a time when the team desperately needed wiggle room, surely that just makes the cut option more acceptable?

After all, plenty of players take pay cuts in similar situations. And as I mentioned, it might not even be a pay cut for Adams if the alternative was being let go.

The Seahawks now retain a player who may be available at some point this season but have an Al Woods-sized hole at the heart of their defensive line.

While the last two drafts have thoroughly warranted A+ grades —- Seattle’s cap management continues to leave a lot to be desired.

What’s with the injuries?

We can all appreciate that the NFL is a sporting war of attrition. Injuries happen. Yet to not even be a week into camp and be hearing of Seattle’s growing list of absentees is a little concerning.

Zach Charbonnet is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury. Ken Walker has a groin problem. Noah Fant has just come off the PUP list. Olu Oluwatimi has a wrist problem. Damien Lewis is sick. Then there are the longer term issues.

They haven’t even put the pads on yet.

The biggest concern has to be at the running back position. It was supposed to be an area of depth and strength this year (and that could still be the case). Losing RB1 and RB2 early in camp is far from ideal. Hopefully it’s a precautionary thing for now.

Uchenna Nwosu signs contract extension

July 25, 2023 /

Uchenna Nwosu has committed his future to Seattle

It feels like there are a few layers to this news.

On the one hand, it’s perfectly understandable to extend the contract of a player who won’t even turn 27 until late December. He’s a good age, appears to be emerging as an influential contributor and he produced 9.5 sacks last season.

The other side of it though will be the timing and the raw numbers. $32m in guarantees and $59m total over three years looks steep but we’ll need to see what the reality is. If we’re being honest, Nwosu is a good not great player at a position where they’ve heavily invested through the draft.

Having spent three second round picks on his position recently, this further investment is interesting. Nwosu will presumably tie up one of the outside linebacker/EDGE spots now at this cost. He will need to justify the salary — and the Seahawks will need to find a way to get the most out of their investment particularly in Boye Mafe and Derick Hall if both are set to be rotational cogs.

The timing, too, is notable.

At the start of the year his 2023 cap hit looked like a clear lever to create more cap space through an extension. However, coming off a productive 2022, it also felt like the player had all of the leverage.

An extension now feels slightly odd for both parties. The Seahawks will probably get some cap relief but without any obvious ways to improve their biggest flaw (interior D-line). A deal done in March, however, could’ve provided much needed money to spend.

Nwosu, meanwhile, doesn’t get to feel the benefit of reaching free agency and testing the market. Another productive year could’ve sky-rocketed his value even further.

It’s possible both parties have simply reached a happy medium. Nwosu eliminates the risk of having a down year and reaching free agency with a reduced market. The Seahawks retain a player they like now without any chance of him going somewhere else next March.

This will significantly impact the Seahawks’ cap space for 2024. They only had a projected $23.1m available before this deal was announced. There are ways to make savings (Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs, Geno Smith, Will Dissly) but it’s worth noting that, already, they’re going to be up against the cap next year.

If there is a decent financial saving in 2023, it will open up the possibility of a roster move over the coming weeks. It’s just really difficult to identify a hulking defensive tackle who can solve what is clearly Seattle’s biggest need — a veteran nose tackle presence. That makes me think the Nwosu extension is simply a sign the team really rates him and sees him as part of their core group moving forward, with the timing of the deal being an irrelevance. It happened when it happened — and it’s not likely to be a precursor to anything else.

If you’ve enjoy the blog and want to support the site via Patreon — (click here)

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2025 Seahawks Draft Blog

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑