This is a guest article by Curtis Allen…
Less than a week into camp, things are starting to take shape with this team.
Sam Darnold has the same starting Offensive Line that he had last year. He has weapons galore to work with, including the reigning Offensive Player of the Year. The chemistry he has developed with Rashid Shaheed is undeniable. Cooper Kupp is going to once again be that dagger at just the right time, when defenses have been scrambled by covering the other two receivers.
And Jadarian Price is going to have an impact with this team.
Today, the Seahawks did not force feed him as much as they did on Sunday. George Holani got just as many reps with the ones, and even Emanuel Wilson got some. But Price still had a big impact on the day.
First off, he had another fantastic catch from a ball perfectly thrown by Jalen Milroe. He ran a wheel route and his acceleration made the play easy.
Some run plays also highlighted his special ability. On one, it was a basic wide zone left. Charles Cross was working on Donte Fowler and Fowler was not being moved. Price did not have his edge to turn but the lateral adjustment he made around Cross was done so quickly it appeared that was the play all along. Fowler set the edge. He did his assignment and won the rep. Did not matter. Price was so quick and smooth he made the run work and got yards anyway.
Ditto a run to the other side. Derick Hall had busted through and Price just calmly sidestepped him and accelerated.
Later he had a short gainer that demonstrated his tremendous footwork. It was a standard run behind Grey Zabel and Cross. As he got to the line, there was nothing there. Price hit the brakes on a dime, considered reversing course to the right side, saw Rylie Mills closing on him from the right and that split second of working things out opened a way back on the left for 3-4 yards. Mills had three full steps to build momentum and Price still was able to accelerate away from a near standstill and gain yards.
It is the kind of play we will have forgotten by the end of the game. But ask Brian Fleury how much value there is in turning a potential 3rd and 11 into a 3rd and 6. With the playbook opened up, a conversion of that Third Down could turn the tide of the game.
Price is going to affect some games this year. He may not have the primary role in the Running Back room. But everything the Seahawks have given him he has done and done well and he clearly has the talent to make an impact.
Jalen Milroe’s Great Day
Milroe had several fantastic throws today in camp that featured his strong arm, touch on deep balls and his ability to make throws on the move.
He had a 30-yard throw to the end zone front pylon that Montorie Foster caught for a touchdown. It was in tight coverage and Milroe placed the ball in a way that allowed Foster to go up and get it.
Another throw had Milroe play-actioning to the Running Back to the right side and reversing course and moving left and hitting the receiver while making a throw across his body. It takes technique and control to not allow your momentum to affect your accuracy.
Milroe twice made the throw very effectively. On one, he hit Eric Saubert on a crossing pattern right in stride so he could turn up field without losing any speed. It was a thing of beauty. They ran it again later and he hit Ricky White, this time with a throw a little behind him but on target enough to make the play.
On another play, Milroe was doing a red zone drill. He took the snap and found no immediate options. The end zone was really crowded. He slowly drifted to his right to buy a little time, then fired a bullet to Chris White in the back of the end zone for a score.
He did have an interception to Bud Clark that Michael Dansby tipped. I feel this is more a ‘great defensive play’ than a poor play by Milroe, not unlike Patrick O’Connell’s leaping grab of a Darnold pass on Sunday.
It has been an impressive few days for Milroe. A few weeks back I wrote that his mechanics need to improve for the finer points of being a Quarterback to come to the fore.
It is happening. The mechanics have improved noticeably and now he can focus on making plays and letting the game slow down a bit for him.
Now, the caveats: His plays were against the threes on defense. And the playbook is very limited for him. He needs to keep pushing hard to get where he wants to go.
Look for him to get some reps with the twos in the coming days. The Seahawks know what they have in Drew Lock. They need to challenge Milroe by giving him better talent to work with and against.
But it is safe to say a corner has been turned.
Camp Notes & Observations
— Julian Neal did not practice today after leaving early Monday. Mike Macdonald seemed to indicate it was not that serious.
— Eric Saubert is getting stronger with each practice. He only had four catches last season. He may not explode on the stat sheet this year but the dropoff in capability when Saubert subs in for A.J. Barner is not as big as we might think.
— Leonard Williams was asked by Brady Henderson about a contract extension and he confirmed there have been discussions. Great news, as it seems to indicate he is open to playing beyond this year.
— Bud Clark is fun. After the interception, the play was whistled dead but he blew past the coaches standing on the field and ran it all the way to the end zone with an entourage of defenders. He finished it off with a Marshawn-style reverse dive into the end zone, then punted the ball into the crowd on the berm.
— Rylie Mills is making good progress. Seeing him take Kickoff Coverage reps today was fun. Imagine that big man rumbling toward you with malice in his heart. He also frequently played Defensive End on both sides in scrimmages.
— Derick Hall was impressive today. He had several reps where he just was quicker off the snap and got into the backfield to disrupt.
— Tory Horton appeared to just have gotten a rest day Monday. He looked really good in drills and scrimmages. On a red zone drill, he was running a post pattern and the defender had established the inside position so Darnold threw to Horton’s outside shoulder. Horton leaped and twisted his body to adjust and made the catch look much easier than it was.
— For all the talk of the rising young talent the Seahawks have, I have yet to see anything that is making me think Elijah Arroyo is about to take a big step forward. I do not see him going through drills with quite the vigor his Tight End brethren do. The vast majority of his reps are with the twos and threes and he does not seem to be having an impact on the offense that his skill warrants. At this moment in time, he does not appear to be pushing the coaches to find consistent snaps with the starters for him. Is he just not a good fit for the offense? All the other Tight Ends fit a similar profile: Excellent blockers, good route runners, standout Special Teamers and happy to be put in a Fullback type role on the occasional play.
One Final Thought
I wanted to address something that seems to be quickly spreading across the fandom in reaction to some of the things happening in camp. An opinion that can harden like concrete and if unchecked, can distort our view a bit on the state of the team.
We are in a portion of Training Camp where things need context. What is happening on the practice field will not be what is happening in games. Right now, the players are not wearing pads. Defensive Backs cannot press or get physical with receivers. The Quarterback has a no-touch rule. Defenders cannot hit or really even tackle.
It is in that context we are seeing receivers run free and make spectacular catches regularly. Josh Jobe has often been the defender when these catches are made. Fans are starting to form an opinion that Jobe is the ‘weak link’ on the defense, and that is unfair.
The sessions vastly favor the offense. Jobe is not playing zone. Receivers do not have to think twice about running over the middle of the field or if they will run the perfect route just to have their Quarterback sacked.
Let me give you an example from Sunday. Jadarian Price had a wide zone run to the right side behind Abe Lucas. He was accelerating at an angle toward the sideline and just was about to clear Lucas who was engaged to the defender. Devon Witherspoon was closing like a cruise missile. Had this been a game, Witherspoon would have clocked Price into next week with one of his classic hits. But that is not allowed at this stage. So, he let up, put two hands on Price and let him go. Price kept running and the crowd cheered a 15-yard run that was in real life a three-yard run that Price would be feeling in the morning.
The same thing happened in 2023. Geno Smith was in this early portion of camp spinning passes all over the field and fans were drooling at the thought that he would take a huge step forward into the top echelon of Quarterbacks. Those of us that pointed out that this Offensive Line (particularly the interior) was weak and Smith was only making many of his fabulous practice throws after he would have been sacked in real life were criticized as ‘haters.’ The regular season bore out that Smith would be under constant pressure, a state in which he finds difficult to make good decisions.
The opposite effect is happening with Jalen Milroe. He is a tremendous athlete, a dazzling physical talent. But as I said above, at this stage he has thrown some great passes from a limited route tree, against third string players and with a no-touch order on pass rushers.
Yet I see people overreacting that he is a future starter and star in the making, when he needs to make a tremendous amount of improvement to get there.
Rylie Mills is looking really good at this stage. But do not forget: he is essentially a rookie, having only played 28 regular season snaps last year. He will have moments but very likely 2026 will see him in a support role on defense, used to spell veterans and play when the game is mostly settled.
Both hopes and disappointments need to be tempered at this stage. There will be plenty of time to discuss where players are and what they and the team need to do to get the best results.
For now, enjoy camp and keep these things in mind. We talkin’ bout practice. Not actual game situations at this point.
