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This is a guest article by Curtis Allen covering training camp on the 26th July

The last camp practice before the pads come on and the hitting becomes real was a spirited one.  As with most training camp days there were things to like, things to be concerned about and open questions that only time will settle.

The Quarterbacks

There is no shortage of arm talent on the roster.  All three quarterbacks had impressive moments today.

One thing to note from my untrained eye:  Watching their throws in warmups and in scrimmages it does appear that all three put a similar arc on the ball when they throw.  That can be a nice asset if the team ever needs to swap out quarterbacks during a game.  Receivers may not have as big an adjustment to make.

They delivered performances today that unfolded exactly as their positions on the depth chart.

Sam Darnold had an impressive day.  How he speaks on the podium, with a calm confidence and clarity of purpose?  That is how he practices.

He was as expected in warmups and drills — crisply distributing the ball to his receivers and keeping them in-sync.  You can see the chemistry building in real time with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp and the Tight Ends.

The Red Zone drills were a highlight as Darnold was decisive and made connections often.  The Seahawks had tremendous struggles in that critical part of the field last season, so it is good to see some progress there.

However, those drills are receivers vs defensive backs only.  No pass rush.  Darnold really differentiated himself later in the session with 11-on-11 scrimmages.  He had several accurate throws that evaded the pass rush.  When called on to execute a quick action, he was masterful.  Take the snap under center, play-action to the back, plant his foot in the ground and throw a hard slant.  Two of his incompletions in this session were drops by Jake Bobo and Smith-Njigba.  They were on slants and they were absolutely on the money.

Drew Lock had a similar performance although slightly less effective.  He seems to be showing some of his experience in other systems.  He had several throws that highlighted his arm strength and accuracy, and was very good in the Red Zone drills as well.  Occasionally, he hesitated in the pocket and waited a bit to make his throws.

This became more of an issue in the full scrimmage.  With the Offensive Line still a work in progress, Lock had very little time to scan the field.  When he was executing his first read quickly or pivoting to his checkdown he was effective.  If he hesitated he was in trouble.   If the running game is working as we hope, Lock can come in for a stretch and provide effective Quarterback play with an adjusted game plan.

Jalen Milroe is still an exceptionally talented, unpolished project.  He had a couple of throws that had the crowd oohing and aahing, including a 35-40 yard beauty to Smith-Njigba in the end zone in drills that he could not quite come down with in-bounds.

The arm talent is absolutely there.  The rest of the package still needs developing.

In the scrimmage, Milroe had a simpler playbook than the other two Quarterbacks (they called a run to start of his series each time) and in the passing game struggled to get his reads and progressions worked through before the pass rush closed in.  More than once, he made poor, desperate throws to try to make something happen from the pocket.

Here is what I loved about Milroe though – as his offense rotated to the sideline, instead of standing there watching the other offenses work (he can watch the video later), he got right back to throwing the ball on the side.  Not a moment of practice time wasted.  Little things like that demonstrate the work ethic that Mike Macdonald has talked about.

Other Notes

— The team is using all kinds of interesting combinations along the Offensive Line in practice.  John Benton is working hard in the drills to keep his players focused on fundamentals.  I saw him stop drills more than once and give instruction.  He also has drills with two players lined up next to each other.  Seeing how they mesh together and build chemistry.

— When will the Seahawks settle on their starting Offensive Line?  Mike Macdonald wants it locked sooner rather than later.  My guess would be we will know much more when the pads come on this Monday.  That is the true test there.

— The Tight End group is looking very promising.  Elijah Arroyo today looked especially good.  He spent a bunch of time with the starting offense and had some athletic catches.  It would seem they feel very comfortable without Noah Fant.  It also appears that trying to convert Brady Russell to a Fullback is over.  He worked with the Tight Ends and had several good catches in the Red Zone drills.

— Robbie Ouzts had great lead blocks on a couple of scrimmage runs.

— The defense looks fantastic.  Several players made impact plays in scrimmage.  Boye Mafe easily got around Charles Cross and chased Darnold until he threw the ball away.  Julian Love exploded through the line on a running play and blew it up for a loss.  The Offensive Line was regularly overwhelmed and if the Quarterback did not have the ball out in 2.5 seconds, he was in trouble.

— Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon regularly traded spots on each side of the defense.  Seeing Woolen at Left Cornerback after his entire career on the Right side takes some getting used to.

— Steven Sims took every kick return rep with explosion and purpose.  He is out to win a job.

Rob, Robbie & Adam did a live stream discussing a variety of Seahawks topics today. You can watch it below:

I jumped on with the guys ahead of training camp. Check it out…

Starting tomorrow I will be taking part in a new weekly Seahawks live stream/podcast called ‘Seahawks Collective’. It also features Brian Nemhauser from HawkBlogger, Michael-Shawn Dugar from the Athletic and Annabelle Hasselbeck. The first show is tomorrow and if you want to watch live they’ll take place every Tuesday at 5pm PT. I’ll post the YouTube embed on the blog every week. I hope you’ll check it out.

“I would draft a player for what he could become but I wouldn’t give him a second contract for what he could become.”

This was a comment I read in the comments section yesterday by a chap called Mick, relating to Charles Cross. I think it’s the ideal way to sum up his current contract situation.

I wouldn’t pay him a big extension this summer. It’s not a hill I want to die on or anything and if the Seahawks do give him a new deal, I won’t be rushing to write a critical article. I appreciate both sides of the argument.

I don’t think Cross has kicked on despite being three years into his pro career. The same issues we highlighted and discussed as he entered the league pretty much remain. He still lacks the core power to dominate and control blocks once engaged and you still see him lunge when pass rushers reach the arc first, as they straighten around his set and he struggles to seal.

He gave up nine pressures in a game against the Lions last season. His 47 total pressures for the season were fifth most in the league — the same amount as Titans rookie JC Latham who was switching to left tackle for the first time. His 36 hurries conceded were fourth most too. In true pass-sets he gave up 25 hurries — again fifth most. His 34 pressures were eighth most.

There are clearly mitigating circumstances here. The Seahawks’ offense last year was a mess — putting way too much self-inflicted pressure on a struggling offensive line. It won’t have helped Cross that the offensive systems he’s worked in so far have been fairly hopeless. For the first time in 2025, he may experience competency.

That said, I still think he has something to prove before the Seahawks pay him.

I get the sense that he has a bit of an undeserved reputation among fans and media — perhaps due to the range where he was drafted. It’s almost assumed, not by all but certainly by many, that he’s one of the few ‘sure things’ on the O-line. I still think he’s in the prove-it stage. I think he needs to show progression this year, the kind we’ve been waiting for every year since his rookie season. I want to see him take a step in 2025.

If that means he’s a bit more expensive next year as a consequence, so be it. I’d rather pay a player who has shown he can be one of the best at his position in the NFL good money, rather than pay a player a little less money now for perceived potential. If the 2025 season is very much like his 2024 season, I don’t think he is someone who is necessarily worthy of a big new deal.

This was the case with Russell Okung previously. He played an important position. He was decent but not great. He never took the next step and ultimately, once his contract expired, he moved on.

That experience, I think, plays a part in the thought process with Cross. I get the impression what happened post-Okung (an utter mess until they traded for Duane Brown) is creating a fear-factor. If you don’t keep Cross, will you be left in the lurch at a vital position again?

I never think this is a good way to decide who you will or won’t give an extension to. Players have to be given contracts because they warrant them, not because it might be tricky to find a replacement. If Cross deserves to be one of the highest paid tackles in the league based on his performance, so be it. He doesn’t deserve to be one of the highest paid tackles in the league because you worry about having to draft someone else.

In a piece by Jeremy Fowler for ESPN, league sources (executives, coaches and scouts) were consulted to determine the best tackles in the league. Cross wasn’t listed in the top-10 and wasn’t even noted among Fowler’s five ‘honourable mentions’.

For me, Cross needs to justifiably be on this list to get a big extension.

You have two years of contract control and the option of the franchise tag in the future. There is no rush to commit to a big new salary over multiple seasons.

I would challenge Cross to take a big step forward in 2025. If he does it, reward him with a new contract next off-season. If it’s more of the same, you aren’t committed beyond 2026.

This is a guest article by Curtis Allen…

One of the most important parts of the offseason is upon us.

The Scouting Combine, Free Agency and the Draft are in the rearview mirror.  The hay is in the barn and training camp and the preseason are next on the calendar.

This is typically the time that successful teams are working on extending their core players.  While Free Agency is the “drive for show” portion of the offseason, extending proven draft picks often proves to be a time to “putt for dough.”

Do the Seahawks view Charles Cross or Abe Lucas as the type of player they want to give a second contract to?  Very likely they do.  They took advantage of Cross’ fifth-year tender option as a first-round pick, and there has been nothing but positiveness about Lucas coming from the organization.

Both have concerns.

For Cross it is a question of growth.  How close is he to his ceiling?  If we have seen his best football, is continuity alone something the team would like to pay a healthy contract for?  Can he develop a physical edge to his game to complement his athletic feet?  Put another way, will he ever become a top-10 Left Tackle?

Lucas’ concerns are obvious.  There are serious questions about whether he can physically endure through a second contract without missing large amounts of time.  The organization will have to lean hard on their medical staff for a proper assessment.  The last couple of seasons, the information available to the public on the extent of his health has been wildly inconsistent.  What we do know about Lucas is that he brings a ‘heart and soul’ mentality to the Offensive Line that Cross lacks.  His physicality and demeanor are something the offense can build around.  Also, as much as the team struggled with the interior of their line last year, it could be argued that the offense suffered just as much from losing Lucas (and then George Fant) at Right Tackle.  Is it worth handing out a handsome contract and then holding their breath every time they see Lucas wince in pain or slow to get up off the ground?

Consistency is one of the most important traits on an effective Offensive Line.  With the middle of the line still an open question, there will certainly be more incentive to solidify the edges of the line.

Another factor involved may be the team’s post-Pete Carroll mentality.  They may be more inclined to be aggressive to address their biggest team weakness than they have in the past.

A Proposal for Charles Cross

All outward signs are pointing to extension talks being underway already.  Cross has hired an agent and is talking very positively about staying in Seattle.  His comments indicated he has a good working relationship with the organization and not merely that geographically he likes Seattle.  That is a good sign.

Why?  Among the reasons successful teams spend cap on their own players are: You know what you are getting and you can get ahead of the market.  If you can position your player for even greater growth and success, what seems like an excessive contract can quickly get left in the dust by the market.

By the time Cross reaches the Free Agent market in 2027, these are the established starters that might be available: Ikem Ekwonu (27), Broderick Jones (26), Jaylon Moore (29), Orlando Brown Jr (31), Laremy Tunsil (33) and maybe Trent Williams (39).

That’s not exactly a windfall.  Very likely, we will see some outrageous overpays like the $20m AAV for Dan Moore Jr by Tennessee and the $15m AAV for Jaylon Moore by Kansas City this offseason.

Why should Cross not just be patient and cash in on a weak market in 2027?  It is a route he could take.  Yet given his young age (he will be 25 in November), if he signs this year he can get back into the market at a prime age like 28 or 29 and reap another top contract, and then maybe a third if he is back at 32 or 33 with a good track record and good health.  He also would tap into the wealth due him earlier than if he decided to wait.

For the Seahawks, extending Cross now locks down a critical position while allowing them the cap flexibility to pursue other improvements.  It also mitigates some of the risk if Cross does not ascend any further up the league’s hierarchy of top linemen.

A three-year $60 million extension with $37 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $18 million might get the job done.  Here is how it would look on a cap table:

The details: we fold in the last year of his rookie deal and rip up the fifth-year option of $17.56 million.  The $5 million guaranteed in 2027 is guaranteed for injury and becomes fully vested in February or March.  A roster bonus in 2028 helps spur a decision on extending or cutting him free.  New guarantees are $33 million with $28 million in new full guarantees at signing.

Benefits to the Seahawks: They spend about $2.6 million in cap this year and recoup about $2.4 million to their cap in 2026.  It is essentially cap-neutral for the first two years.  They have a nuclear option in 2027 if they want to exit the deal – a $10.26m dead cap hit and just under $7 million of cap savings.  If Cross is performing great, they can convert most of his 2027 salary to a bonus and pick up about $8 million in cap room.

Benefits to Cross: Right now, his cash income for 2025 is $3.6 million + 2026’s guaranteed salary of $17.56 million for a total of $21.18 million in the next two years.  Under this new contract he brings in $20.5 million in 2025 + a $10 million guaranteed salary in 2026 for a total of $30.5 million.  The math checks out.  $30 million is more than $21 million, and it comes sooner.  Even if Cross waits and signs an extension next year it won’t change his 2026 number very much, it will just be paid out differently.

Cross might be tempted to go the Lamar Jackson route. Play his contract all the way out and force his leverage.  That is a perfectly acceptable idea.  However, he runs the risk of getting only one top contract in his career.  This way, he will have banked $40 million on this contract before turning 28 and the Free Agent market that is so barren will still be there for him.

An Abe Lucas Proposal with an Asterisk

Lucas has only played 13 of 34 games in the last two seasons.  Likely, it would be premature to sign him to an extension before the season starts.  The team needs to see that he can hold up under the strain of training camp, the preseason, weekly game prep and the games themselves.

My guess would be that the Seahawks love everything about Lucas and if he were healthy, would probably be a bit ahead of Cross as a priority to sign.

The only thing holding them back is something out of their control; you can project all you like about medicals, but only until the rubber meets the road can you know whether a previously injured player is worth investing in a second contract.

A logical comp for the methodology of a Lucas extension might be what Miami did with Austin Jackson in 2023.  Jackson was a first-round pick in 2020 and started 28 games in his first two seasons.  In 2022 he was sidelined by an injury for all but two games.  The Dolphins rightly declined the fifth-year option in the summer of 2023, and when he proved to be fully back from injury, signed him in December 2023 to a three-year $36 million extension with about $21 million guaranteed.

A similar course might be wise for the Seahawks.  Lay the groundwork for an extension in camp, and if he plays like he can and appears recovered – and testing confirms his long-term health does not contain a high chance of catastrophic breakdown – they can work on getting him locked down.

I added about 17% on Jackson’s contract for inflation:

Details: The Seahawks fold in what is left on his 2025 contract, give him a $10 million signing bonus and fully guarantee his salary for 2026.  There is $17 million new money fully guaranteed at signing and $22 million in total new guarantees.  They set up a decision point in 2027 to see if moving forward with him on the roster is feasible.  If not, they can cut him with a $5 million dead cap hit and save $10 million on the cap.  2028 is also a year with a lot of flexibility.  They can move on or extend him and lower the cap hit in a big way.

Their extra cap outlay this year is $2.5 million.

Cap Impact

These contracts are just sketches.  The Seahawks could add incentives or be creative in other ways to make this work.

For a moment, assume those are the contracts they sign.  The added cap impact this year is just over $5 million.  Next year, it will be a little over $7 million (the Cross $17.56m is already on the books, so call it $24.6m to pay those two).

They would secure their bookend tackles and still have the flexibility to extend other players from the 2022 draft class or pursue another expensive piece to upgrade their roster.

ESPN put a piece together last week looking at the most surprising player on each team during the off-season.

Brady Henderson named Anthony Bradford for the Seahawks:

“When the Seahawks hired offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, a popular reaction was that Bradford may have a hard time winning back the starting job at right guard. After all, he’s a big, powerful blocker who doesn’t seem like an ideal fit for an outside zone scheme that suits more athletic linemen.

“It’s time to press pause on that notion after a trimmer-looking Bradford shared first-team reps with Christian Haynes during OTAs and minicamp. “A.B.’s done a great job this spring,” coach Mike Macdonald said. “His body comp has really improved, which speaks to his work ethic. I think he’s made strides … It’s time to go prove it consistently. He knows that, but he’s right in the thick of it with the battle at right guard.”

I’ve tried to caution people against writing Bradford off. He was a player who did impress for LSU and had a physical profile that suggested a degree of upside. He’s not really been helped that in his two years in the NFL so far he’s had two different offensive line coaches, two different offensive coordinators and the system in both instances flipped between mediocre and awful.

I’ve always thought there was a player in there. Not necessarily a top guard destined to become an elite performer — but certainly someone who can start and do a job at right guard.

The key thing to consider is despite his size, he is an athlete. People have suggested that he’s too big for the zone blocking scheme but look at his combine testing. At 332lbs he ran an outstanding 5.08 forty yard dash. On top of that, his 10-yard split (1.74) was better than Charles Cross’ (1.75). He’s only 0.01 seconds slower than Jason Peters as a rookie and 0.02 seconds slower than Trent Williams. He can move for his size.

He’s also an explosive tester. His TEF score of 3.17. Here’s a list of names to compare that score to:

Grey Zabel — 3.23
Donovan Jackson — 3.19
Chris Lindstrom — 3.18
Anthony Bradford — 3.17
Alijah Vera-Tucker — 3.16
Trent Williams — 3.11
Tate Ratledge — 3.10
Will Fries — 3.10
Quenton Nelson — 3.07
Tyler Linderbaum — 3.05
Erik McCoy — 3.05
Penei Sewell — 3.04
Joe Thuney — 3.04
Joe Alt — 3.02
Elgton Jenkins — 3.01
Cody Mauch — 3.01
Garrett Bolles — 3.00

Considering their selections this year included Grey Zabel and Bryce Cabeldue — both quick, explosive testers — it’s seems this is the profile type the Seahawks are looking for. If Bradford has slimmed down as suggested by Brady, he could become even quicker and more athletic.

Mike Macdonald mentioned consistency and that’s the key. He has to find a level of performance and take his opportunity in training camp. With a far more experienced offensive coaching staff and a proven system, he’s likely getting the best coaching he’s received at the NFL level.

Bradford has a chance to make the right guard spot his own. The physical talent has always been there. Now he’s got to take to the new scheme, win the job and be consistent.

Suggesting a team try to emulate the Carolina Panthers isn’t a common occurrence yet here we are.

I’m talking specifically about the 2022 Panthers, late in the season. Sam Darnold was the quarterback after replacing Baker Mayfield. Steve Wilks replaced fired Head Coach Matt Rhule in October.

A struggling 3-8 team finished the season on a 4-2 run with Darnold under center. They were arguably the most physical team in the league during that period. Their running game was king, ably supported by a strong defense. Darnold just had to manage the game and he did it well.

It’s this spell of Darnold’s career that I think is significant and not talked about enough from a Seahawks perspective. His year in Minnesota has been dissected. The positives — his touchdown numbers and team record. People have discussed his favourable environment — playing for Kevin O’Connell and with Justin Jefferson. Then there are the negatives — the way his season capitulated in the final two games.

By looking at his short spell at Carolina you can judge a period of six games where he didn’t play for a top offensive Head Coach, didn’t throw to a talent like Jefferson, didn’t play on a good team and had a job to do to bring everything together.

In the first five games of this spell, he threw seven touchdowns and only one interception. Darnold had just three turnover worthy plays compared to 10 big time throws.

Consider that he did all this in a non-ideal situation — coming in as a late-season starter for an offense that wasn’t necessarily quarterback friendly. These are good results and show that he’s very capable of being a facilitator.

It’s not all positive. His completion percentage in those five games was only 61.5% and the sixth and final game of the season — a lacklustre 10-7 win in New Orleans — included a 5/15 passing performance with only 43 yards and two awful interceptions. It is worth noting he was sacked twice and faced a season-high 14 pressures in the game.

Even then there’s some context. Curtis Allen pointed out to me that in his first five starts Darnold threw the ball away 15 times (three per game). The league average in 2022 was 1.24 throwaways per game. His mediocre completion percentage was, arguably, a sign of a quarterback protecting the football.

The Panthers ran for 166 yards per game during the six Darnold starts and that undoubtedly helped. He ended with nine total touchdowns and three picks. That feels like the route to success for Seattle in 2025.

It’s not going to be about Darnold throwing it around the yard for massive yardage and loads of touchdowns. It’s going to be about putting him in a position to succeed. The running game will be critical, complementing Mike Macdonald’s defense. Then, Darnold’s just got to read his keys and execute. He’s got to get the job done in the red zone. I think he’s going to be more like a Shanahan quarterback this year, with a Seattle team far less dependant on their quarterback in a way they haven’t been since the 2014 season.

He’ll probably benefit from having a full, proper pre-season as the expected starter — not to mention genuine familiarity with the offensive play-caller. Therefore, he might not have to be quite as restrained as he was in Carolina.

If the Seahawks do play like the late-season 2022 Panthers, they’ll win a lot of games. I’d argue they have far better personnel on both sides of the ball — so if they just manage to emulate their physical style of play — and if they can run the ball — they’ll have a great chance to be a serious player in the NFC this year. Darnold will also have a good opportunity to play a solid brand of football — which might be all the Seahawks need.