Observations From Seahawks Fourth Training Camp Practice
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RENTON, Wash. - Practicing without coach Pete Carroll for the first time since he arrived in 2010 after testing positive for COVID-19, the Seattle Seahawks returned to action with the defense dominating throughout their fourth training camp session on Monday.
What went down at the VMAC? And how did the quarterbacks perform? Here are six quick takeaways:
1. Drew Lock makes his best case yet for more first-team reps moving into the second week of camp.
Coming off a strong practice on Saturday, Lock wasn't quite as sharp after a day off and didn't throw any touchdowns during the red zone period. But overcoming a couple of drops, including one by tight end Noah Fant on a seam route, the fourth-year signal caller made clear ground on Geno Smith, who finished with one touchdown to Will Dissly. Albeit while only seeing snaps with the second-team offense, he comfortably outperformed his competition during 7-on-7 to close the gap under center.
Along with showing off his underrated athleticism extending the pocket a handful of times to pick up first downs with his legs, Lock lofted a perfect strike to receiver Penny Hart for a touchdown after the veteran receiver executed a beautiful double move to separate from his defender. On the very next play, after looking off a defender to the right, he fired a missile to Dissly on an out route for six points, putting enough mustard on the pass to prevent the corner from getting a hand on the ball. He wouldn't find the end zone again, but he didn't throw any picks and threw with good accuracy and touch while leading the second-team offense. If the Seahawks want to make this a real competition, it's time to see what he can do playing with the 1s.
2. Two practices in, DK Metcalf and his quarterbacks have some kinks to work through.
Although he's fully recovered from offseason foot surgery and looks explosive as ever on the field, Metcalf has had a quiet first two practices, at least in terms of receptions. He has yet to make any catches downfield during team or 7-on-7 sessions, while red zone work has been an adventure. On Monday, Smith tried to get the ball to his star wideout on goal line fades multiple times inside the 10-yard line, but the two couldn't connect with two passes fluttering out of the receiver's reach over his head and another one being thrown too far inside, allowing Artie Burns to get a finger on it.
At times, Metcalf's frustration was evident on the field. He and Burns playfully jawed at each other after a couple of plays, while the receiver could be seen barking at a teammate after the two appeared to get crossed up with their routes during 7-on-7. Cooler heads prevailed as practice continued, but No. 14 has yet to find his groove just yet and getting back in sync with Smith as well as Lock may take some time.
3. Comfortable as ever playing in space, Uchenna Nwosu flashes his chops in coverage.
As has been advertised all offseason rolling into camp, the Seahawks will transition into a more 3-4 oriented defense under coordinator Clint Hurtt with two overhanging hybrid outside linebackers who must be able to rush the passer and drop back into coverage. After thriving in a similar system with the Chargers last year, Nwosu has shown on the practice field that he can pin his ears back and hunt down quarterbacks as well as drop back and execute his coverage responsibilities at a high level.
Case in point? During 7-on-7 drills, Nwosu went into stealth mode, dropping into his hook responsibility without Smith taking notice. With the quarterback expecting his receiver to cut back inside, he unloaded the football from the pocket with the veteran defender sitting underneath the route, extending his arms and plucking the ball out of the air for an interception. Drawing roars from the sideline and the crowd, he took off for a few yards before the whistle was blown, turning in the highlight of the afternoon and making an emphatic statement about his versatile skill set.
4. Cody Barton's coverage speed and safety background evident at the second level in base and nickel packages.
Without Bobby Wagner manning the middle for the first time in a decade, Barton won't be expected to replicate all of the future Hall of Famer's production and he has much to prove if he wants to be a long-term successor. But if there's an area where he may give Seattle a clear upgrade jumping into the lineup, it's his natural coverage skills and foot speed, an area where Wagner has declined in recent years. Last year, opponents worked the Seahawks at the second level with crossing routes, capitalizing on No. 54's diminishing athleticism.
During Monday's practice, Barton made a couple of plays in coverage, but one in particular stood out. With the Seahawks in nickel with five defensive backs on the field, Barton came on a blitz pursuing Lock. Running back Travis Homer initially stepped up to block, then slipped out of the backfield on a crosser. Showing off impressive recovery speed against a speedy back, Barton vacated his blitz and swung his hips open, eventually sneaking his hand in front of Homer for an outstanding pass breakup to the delight of a fired up Hurtt. If he can consistently make such plays on Sundays, Seattle's pass defense should be better by default.
5. Sporting cast on broken finger, Jamal Adams jumps back into the fray headfirst with aggressive coverage.
After missing two practices receiving a second opinion on a broken left middle finger, Adams returned to the field wearing a thick black cast on his hand to protect the injury. But the All-Pro safety didn't show any limitations on Monday, partaking in all of Seattle's team sessions and flying all over the field. During the red zone period, he played tight coverage on Metcalf, teaming up with cornerback Justin Coleman to force a high throw from Smith that was nearly intercepted.
Then in the team period towards the tail end of practice, Adams undercut a quick out route by Metcalf, getting a piece of the football before cornerback Sidney Jones also got a hand on it. Making sure his teammates knew that he tipped the pass, he celebrated by pointing to his injured hand. Playing fast and excited to be back with his teammates, fans should breathe a sigh of relief as the highest-paid safety in the sport looks like he should be able to play through the injury without a hitch.
6. Minus Carroll, Seattle will employ a by-committee approach until he returns.
As indicated through an official statement from a team representative, the Seahawks won't give any of their assistants a temporary interim head coach tag while Carroll recovers at home. Everyone will help pick of the slack, including associate head coach Sean Desai. With that said, long-time assistant Carl "Tater" Smith handled many of Carroll's practice duties on Monday, including spotting the ball and relaying the down to both the offense and defense in team drills. He wasn't spotted throwing passes before practice, however.
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