We’ve reached the beginning of Seattle Seahawks preseason. The primary exhibition of the Mike Macdonald period can be towards Pete Carroll’s outdated rival, Jim Harbaugh, and his debut as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. This can be a street recreation however I wouldn’t be shocked if Seahawks followers outnumbered Chargers followers in Inglewood.
Earlier this week I requested on your questions concerning coaching camp and preseason after I attended Seahawks follow at Lumen Area. Let’s get to the perfect ones!
Mike Macdonald
That he’s adaptable to his gamers primarily based on the state of affairs. The skirmishes at Wednesday’s follow is what led to Thursday being a glorified walkthrough and never a standard set of scrimmages and drills. I feel it’s established at this level that he’s a stickler for element, however all the tussling was most likely his first minor little bit of battle to take care of and it was most likely for the perfect that they took it simple on Thursday given the precise recreation on Saturday.
Connor Williams
Now that Williams is all however formally signed, he’s going to be the beginning middle. Harris is already a guard/middle hybrid so they may slide Harris to backup proper guard and Oluwatimi stays the backup middle. There’s no want to maneuver Williams to proper guard. They signed him for a motive, which is to say “Different” received the beginning middle competitors.
I’d reasonably take my probabilities that Williams can get well from his torn ACL and return to being a top-level middle than financial institution on Oluwatimi making some outrageous second-year leap.
Dareke Younger and DK Metcalf
I’ll get to Eskridge in a second, however Younger is forward of Eskridge on the depth chart. I feel the projection of Younger has been manner overstated when it comes to what he can do as a large receiver. What I do worth in Younger is his particular groups work and what he can do as a blocker.
As for Metcalf, he’s nonetheless bodily totally different than AJ Brown within the sense that he’s not as clean together with his motion as Brown. I feel that’s a serious motive why he struggles with contested catches in comparison with his friends. His physique positioning and talent to “Moss” dudes is just not on the stage of the opposite big-bodied elite skills. Metcalf’s strengths are allotted towards getting open and shielding defenders out of the way in which for bullet passes versus soar balls. I additionally imagine Metcalf’s arms are higher than his popularity suggests, however situationally he doesn’t look like somebody who at all times performs to his bodily presents, so to talk.
Dee Eskridge
In the future isn’t a whole coaching camp however he’s not getting constantly open and he’s had some drops. He’s obtained virtually no shot given the receiving expertise in entrance of him. There was one good play he had in final week’s Lumen Area that led to the Marquise Blair skirmish, however that’s about it. He’s not an distinctive route runner, and regardless of that one kick return, doesn’t seem remarkably NFL quick.
We’re in Aaron Curry territory the place the concept he’ll magically enhance with a brand new teaching workers is extra of a hope and never the fact. The Seahawks have been investing at broad receiver for a motive, and Eskridge’s accidents and lack of improvement are partly to clarify. Perhaps he hangs on as a particular groups man nevertheless it’s time to surrender the ghost on Eskridge the receiver.
The corners
We’re weeks away from discovering out if everybody concerned will even play—not hypothesis, however simply the character of the NFL and the way accidents can occur—so I’m not going to reply that instantly. I’ll observe that the touring I noticed with Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen specifically at follow (normally on DK) signifies that we’re going to see some main variations with how the cornerbacks are used below Macdonald in comparison with Carroll. We all know how lengthy it took simply to let Richard Sherman go together with the opposition’s primary receiver. Macdonald’s demand for versatility and unpredictability virtually necessitates that the corners received’t have
New kickoff rule
It’s nonetheless very a lot an open competitors for returner. Dee Eskridge can be one of many choices, however I noticed Laviska Shenault Jr, Dee Williams, Tre Brown, Easop Winston, and Dareke Younger among the many different choices. I’d anticipate the Seahawks to experiment simply as a lot as everybody else. What I don’t envision is anybody aside from Jason Myers doing the kickoffs.
Roster longshot
Dan Viens talked about this in his recap video, and I feel he’s persuaded me on Jalen Sundell. He’s curiously listed as a sort out (which is what he did play in faculty, to be truthful) though he’s been a middle in coaching camp. Watching the reserves was not notably nice leisure, besides noting Sundell seemed comfy and powerful towards everybody besides one 1-on-1 rep with Byron Murphy II. Having the uncommon middle/sort out versatility might give him a slim likelihood on the roster.
I’m additionally giving one among Jack Westover or Brady Russell an actual shot to be on the roster as a reserve tight finish. Regardless of the native ties and Ryan Grubb ties, I feel Russell has the within observe to be the potential fourth TE on the group. Definitely haven’t heard lots about AJ Barner, so tight finish is an fascinating roster battle.
Ryan Grubb’s offense
The unlucky half about Geno Smith not working towards final weekend is the truth that the playbook clearly shrinks with Sam Howell and PJ Walker, as you’d think about with backup QBs. Even within the prolonged 11-on-11 periods it was stored very near the vest. Assessing the working recreation was near pointless because it was largely primary calls in any playbook, and the shortage of dwell tackling till the third-team got here in meant there wasn’t an excessive amount of you could possibly conclude.
By way of misdirection, fancy motions, tremendous inventive route combos, the entire shebang we noticed at Washington, that’s possible not going to be seen a complete lot till the common season. Seeing all the tight ends positioned in-line, slot, and outdoors was intriguing if you would like some perception in how they had been used. There was a play the place Pharaoh Brown was cut up out broad and caught a move for a number of yards and I didn’t see that coming.
There’s simply not sufficient info to go off of when it’s the backup quarterbacks competing, the offensive line misplaced quite a lot of reps towards the defensive position, and downfield passing was most prevalent in 1-on-1 drills as an alternative of simulated recreation state of affairs.
Roster high quality
I’ll get again to you on that after cutdown day. In the intervening time, I see a barely above-average roster when accounting for the query marks at guard, linebacker, inside offensive line, and even tight finish. There’s extra potential on this roster than, say, 4-5 years in the past when the veterans had been disproportionately conserving the group afloat.
Seattle may turn into probably the greatest rosters within the league very quickly if their key draft picks (e.g. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Charles Cross, Riq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, Boye Mafe, Byron Murphy II, and so on.) all make strides towards being among the many greatest at their respective positions. In Abe Lucas’ case, I’d reasonably he simply be wholesome after which we will go from there.
A part of the Seahawks’ latest struggles with making the playoffs/profitable playoff video games is just not having sufficient draft picks who had been something higher than a stable contributor. There’s an actual chance the final three drafts may change the route of the franchise for Seattle, such that even in a world the place Geno Smith isn’t the QB in 2025, the cabinet is just not barren for his rookie alternative.
Because of everybody who submitted their questions! We’ll do that once more after roster cuts.
