Albert Breer’s Five Biggest Seahawks Training Camp Takeaways: Expect More From Rashid Shaheed

Seattle is building a role for the playmaker similar to a former wideout with the 49ers. Plus, how the defense could replace Coby Bryant and Riq Woolen.

Rashid Shaheed is poised for a big role in his first full season with the Seahawks. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

SEATTLE — And away we go, with five takeaways from the Super Bowl-champion Seahawks’ camp …

• Hopes are high for fifth-year receiver Rashid Shaheed, who arrived in Seattle at the trade deadline last year and, as such, had to work to find a role as he jumped on a moving train. With a full offseason, the staff has seen his confidence build. And having Brian Fleury come over from San Francisco—which is where 2025 OC Klint Kubiak migrated from as well—has helped, in that he’s getting some continuity after working in a bunch of different schemes early in his career. The staff loves Shaheed’s elusiveness in addition to his elite straight-line speed. There’s a chance now, with some time, to build a role for him on gadget plays like you’d have seen years ago with Deebo Samuel Sr. What’ll be interesting is how Shaheed helps the team to preserve Cooper Kupp a bit, with Kupp also likely to be battling tight end Elijah Arroyo and fullback Robbie Ouzts for snaps as the team works through different personnel groupings.

• The installation of Fleury as offensive coordinator, who came over from the same San Francisco staff that Kubiak was on three years ago, is allowing for a bunch of other guys to make a Year 2 jump, too, that otherwise may have been affected by a system change. Almost everything Kubiak put on tape last year is easily translatable for Fleury, and that’s allowed for Sam Darnold to build off 2024, with Fleury giving the quarterback ownership he believes Darnold has earned. Which has led to conversations about growing the offense and even installing some elements Darnold liked two years ago in Minnesota. And another player who has used the continuity effectively is Grey Zabel, who played at an All-Pro level as a rookie and has come back confident and positioned to be a leader for the group around him.

• The defense brings a lot of experience back with Uchenna Nwosu, Derick Hall and Dante Fowler all putting together solid offseasons, Julian Love returning with intention in everything he does (indicating they’ll be able to do a lot with him at safety), and guys such as Leonard Williams and Ernest Jones IV looking steady. Where the difference this year could come is with a couple of younger guys taking another step. And that conversation starts with Byron Murphy II, who is just scratching the surface as a pass rusher, and has the ability to emerge as a Geno Atkins-type of game-wrecker in the middle of the defense. Another name to watch, along those lines, would be 26-year-old linebacker Drake Thomas, who’s become a true starter, no longer a backup fighting for snaps, and looks like a real playmaker after running off a lot of tackles in the backfield last year.

• If there’s a question on defense, it’s in the secondary after the defections of Coby Bryant to the Bears and Riq Woolen to the Eagles. The Seahawks drafted TCU safety Bud Clark in the second round and Arkansas corner Julian Neal to replace them. Both are in the mix, as you’d expect, to play right away, with the hope that the team’s depth will create spirited competition at each spot in the coming weeks. Ty Okada’s first up in Bryant’s spot, and Clark will have to beat him out, while Rodney Thomas has the versatility to play there, too. Meanwhile, Neal will fight with Nehemiah Pritchett and Noah Igbinoghene to line up with Devon Witherspoon (that he’s practicing at least opens the door for a new contract for him in the coming weeks) and Josh Jobe on the first defense.

• Finally, there are a couple of guys returning from injury worth watching. Zach Charbonnet’s readiness for Week 1 looms as a potential close call—and the Seahawks are going to be smart with him, in the hopes that they get his best when it matters most. As such, first-round pick Jadarian Price, who’s proven himself hungry to show what he can do after playing as a complement to Jeremiyah Love at Notre Dame, is a pivotal figure. And while there is competition at the position, the staff’s looking harder at what each guy can do so they can get the guys in the right roles. Then, there’s Nick Emmanwori coming back from ankle surgery, with similar uncertainty surrounding his status for Week 1. The silver lining is Emmanwori’s injury is allowing the staff to see some good signs in the roles linebacker Tyrice Knight and safety D’Anthony Bell can play (since Emmanwori effectively plays both positions).