'Best I've Felt': Longhorns Ex Quandre Diggs Embracing Moment with Seahawks
Entering his ninth season in the NFL and fourth with the Seattle Seahawks, the confidence of safety Quandre Diggs isn’t faltering anytime soon. He's had no other choice since being overlooked as the 200th overall pick in 2015 after four memorable years with the Texas Longhorns.
Even after a gruesome Week 18 leg injury that put the future of the 29-year-old in doubt, the Seahawks re-signed him to a three-year, $40 million deal, showing they shared the same belief that the two-time Pro Bowler has in himself.
It’s certainly been a wild past six months for Diggs. Still, preparation for the season, which seems to go hand-in-hand with his all-world confidence, seemed a part of the typical “business as usual” approach following Thursday's training camp practice.
“I mean, me,” Diggs said when asked who the best athlete on the team is. “What do you mean?”
He credited his newly-extended teammate and Pro Bowl receiver DK Metcalf, who signed a lucrative, three-year, $72 million extension of his own Thursday.
“DK,” Diggs said when asked who’s second-best. “Yeah, he’s behind me.”
Despite ending what was already a disappointing 2021 season for Seattle with arguably the worst injury of his career, Diggs’ play last season spoke for itself on the way to earning his well-deserved extension. Now, he's embracing every moment and "taking it one day at a time."
“I am just right," he said. "I am just where God wants me to be and for me it is important for me to get out here and be out here with my teammates as much as I can, so for me I am just taking it one day at a time and for me just being blessed and living in the moment for the most part. I got a beautiful family and getting a beautiful opportunity to come out here and be around the guys and be back with my coaches, so it’s really dope.”
Diggs was one of the clear leaders on a Seahawks defense that, even with two of the league's top-five leaders in total tackles, allowed the fifth-most offensive yards (379.1) and the second-most passing yards per game (265.5) last season.
He was hardly to blame for a lack of defensive production that ended up being one of the many reasons Seattle limped to a 7-10 record, the second playoff miss since 2017, and the first last-place division finish for the franchise since 1996.
Diggs posted a career-high in total tackles (94) and solo tackles (66) while producing his second-straight five-pick season and having seven passes defended. After such a successful individual season, he never had any doubt that a bounce-back from injury would pose any struggle.
“I mean I knew I would be fine," he said. "I don’t think there was no special day and it was never like me and Pete (Carroll) had a talk and it was beginning of training camp, so it was nothing like that. It has always kind of been when I am ready to go and I have been running, cutting, jumping for the last two months, so for me it’s not like this my first time coming out here and going full speed, so I have been doing this. I feel good and this is probably some of the best I felt for sure, so I am excited about it.”
With the departure of longtime linebacker Bobby Wagner, Diggs is essentially the go-to leader on Seattle's defense. When asked by some reporters how he'll mentor players outside of his position - like linebacker Jordyn Brooks, a fellow Texas native and the league's second-leader tackler last season (184) - Diggs feels his personal role as a leader can also show through the ability to not get over-involved with the younger guys.
“I don’t want to handicap him," he said. "I want JB to learn in his way and you know if I got some tips here or tips there then I’ll give it to him, but for the most part I’m focused on myself and handling the secondary and when that time comes and it gets close to those games and I have to assert myself a little more than I will do that, but at this point I’m just working and playing ball and letting things come to those guys and have fun.”
Along with Diggs and Brooks, the Seattle defense still has talent across the board with guys like safety Jamal Adams, cornerback Sidney Jones, and another former Longhorn in defensive tackle Poona Ford.
But with a handful of new faces, Diggs understands there will be growing pains and doesn't think it's realistic for anyone to say they're comfortable in the defense yet.
"I mean I think it’ll be a time period where we all have to get together and watch more film and study different deals," he said. "You know nobody can say they are just super comfortable in this defense because it is totally new for everybody. It’ll take time, but at the end of the day that’s what training camp is for and I think that’s where guys will lock in on and I think that’s what makes it exciting you know we all learning ... myself included.
The Seahawks will continue training camp practices Tuesday and Wednesday before getting a break Thursday. And for Diggs, each day and practice closer to the season is another chance to soak all the blessings in.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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