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:

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.