5 Observations from Seahawks Seventh Training Camp Practice
Following a day off on Wednesday, the Seahawks returned to the field for what turned out to be a lively, entertaining seventh training camp practice.
Emotions were high at the VMAC from the start, and though it was a non-padded session, the defense brought their hard hats and dominated most of the afternoon. Here are five takeaways from Thursday's practice.
1. Even without pads, this session took on a new level of intensity, particularly for Seattle's defense.
With only helmets on and no shoulder pads, the Seahawks couldn't tackle on Thursday, but a strong argument can be made this was the most competitive practice since camp opened on August 12. Both sides were jawing at one another after seemingly every snap during team drills, including coaches such as defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. When Jamal Adams shot off the edge for a would-be sack on Russell Wilson, he made sure his teammates heard about it. When Jarran Reed split a double team to blow up a run play, other defenders swarmed around him to celebrate. All in all, despite being in just shells, it was a spirited session from start to finish and the Seahawks displayed the type of energy and enthusiasm coach Pete Carroll expects every time they take the field.
2. Aside from being really, really fast, Phillip Dorsett is an underrated route runner and Wilson already seems to have figured that out.
Having only surpassed 500 receiving yards once in a season in his NFL career, Dorsett has struggled to live up to his first-round pedigree to this point. But Carroll told reporters on Thursday prior to practice he's "the fastest guy we've ever had here," and he's displayed those track-caliber wheels through camp thus far. As one of the few bright spots for a Seattle offense that struggled to get on track until playing against backups, the former Miami standout used his speed and route running ability to split two defenders in coverage on a deep over route. Wilson threaded the needle and delivered a strike right into Dorsett's hands, and in a real game situation, he might have been making a house call with no defenders in front of him. While other receivers have had strong camps, he looks to have locked up the No. 3 spot behind Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.
3. Seattle's depth at the offensive tackle positions may be better than anticipated.
After losing Germain Ifedi and George Fant in free agency and choosing not to draft a tackle in April, questions have persisted about the Seahawks options at the tackle positions behind starters Duane Brown and Brandon Shell. But along with Shell looking every bit the part of an NFL starter on the right side, Cedric Ogbuehi has played quite well with extensive practice snaps filling in for Brown on the left side. A former first-round pick out of Texas A&M, Ogbuehi has consistently displayed light feet in pass pro and has been surprisingly effective as a run blocker in camp. On Thursday, he had three straight plays during a team session where he thwarted a speedy edge rusher, including neutralizing Shaquem Griffin on an upfield rush attempt. He also made a key down block to spring DeeJay Dallas on the only explosive run play of the afternoon.
4. With Darrell Taylor still out, fellow draftee Alton Robinson looks to be growing up fast in his first NFL training camp.
Robinson didn't get off to the best of starts after reporting a little bit heavier than expected, according to Carroll. But he quickly has turned things on over the past three practices, including making several impressive plays on Thursday with the second-team defense. On one particular play, he slanted inside hard to the "B" gap and rocketed past the tackle, surging into the backfield for a tackle for loss. Moments later, realizing he wasn't going to be able to get to the quarterback, he threw his hands up into the passing lane and knocked down a pass attempt by Wilson. Even in individual drills, when Robinson was pressed about poor technique, he proved to be a quick learner and made significant improvements on the next rep, drawing compliments from multiple coaches.
5. If Gregg Williams is wondering how Adams is doing, well, he's certainly not bored with the Seahawks.
There's no denying Adams' overall talent. He's a rare talent for a safety blitzing off the edge and as demonstrated by his hand work in individual drills alongside defensive ends and linebackers, he takes his pass rushing seriously. His speed has been evident throughout camp pursuing ball carriers sideline to sideline and his versatility on display daily playing all over the formation. But just as much as his physical skills, his intense personality has brought an edge to Seattle's defense that was missing last year. From the first whistle to the last on Thursday, Adams constantly chirped at offensive players and the rest of the defense fed off of his contagious energy. To go with his All-Pro football skills, his charisma and passion for the game make him a perfect fit for Carroll's defense and he's having too much fun with his new team.
Bonus: Playing limited snaps, Quinton Dunbar finally jumps into a team session at right cornerback for Seattle.
During his first three practices with the Seahawks, Dunbar was limited to participating in individual and 1-on-1 drills as he eased back into football activities. Finally on Thursday, the veteran defender progressed to playing in team sessions, rotating in at right cornerback with Tre Flowers. During his limited snaps, he surrendered a completion to DK Metcalf on an intermediate curl route and wasn't targeted again downfield. Expect as he continues to get acclimated that he will cut more and more into Flowers workload and the true competition to start on September 13 will be on.
