Observations From Seahawks Second Mandatory Minicamp Practice
Hitting the field for the second of three practice sessions amid the final phase of their offseason program, the Seahawks continued their annual mandatory minicamp on Wednesday.
What went down at the VMAC in the second session? Here are five observations from Wednesday's practice.
1. Now the elder statesman, Tyler Lockett continues to ball heading into his eighth NFL season.
With Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner now in Denver and Los Angeles respectively, Lockett stands out as the most decorated player remaining on Seattle's roster with two All-Pro selections and three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to his name. Not surprisingly given his resume and reputation, the veteran wideout has impressed throughout the offseason program, showing off his dynamic route running savvy and pristine footwork along the sidelines on numerous occasions.
On Wednesday, Lockett only had two receptions during 7-on-7 drills and most of his catches came courtesy of a JUGS machine in individual period, but he made those opportunities count. First, as he's done so many times on Sundays over the years, he played the role of acrobat tight-roping the sidelines and dragging his toes on a 20-yard catch from Lock. Then with the Seahawks running a two-minute drill simulation, Geno Smith dropped back on a three-step drop and lofted a strike to the reliable receiver on a fade route, placing the football perfectly for him to run underneath it for a touchdown reception. It's a good sign that Lockett is developing more chemistry with Smith, who told reporters after practice they started to feel more comfortable with each other in his third start last season.
2. An underrated tight end group keeps flexing its muscles and showing off quality depth.
Over the past four seasons, Seattle hasn't had a single tight end surpass 500 receiving yards and while it remains unclear if that streak will continue into 2022, the position group has impressed throughout the third phase of the offseason program. Even with Will Dissly absent due to an illness, Lock, Smith, and Jacob Eason continued to feast on the defense in 7-on-7 targeting tight ends.
Enjoying his best practice as a pro so far, undrafted rookie Cade Brewer reeled in a touchdown catch from Smith with a defender draped all over him and later added another reception from Lock where he displayed some toe drag swag along the sideline. At the tail end of practice, Lock and Tyler Mabry hooked up on one of the signature plays of the day, as the quarterback bailed out of the pocket to his right and fired a missile 35 yards across his body to the third-year tight end, who secured the catch with Tanner Muse in coverage to close out the session with a touchdown. Every day, someone new is making big plays, illustrating the underrated depth Seattle has amassed at the position.
“I think I've had some pretty awesome tight end rooms in my lifetime of football, but this room is special," Lock said after practice.
3. Putting film study to perfect use, Ugo Amadi executes the perfect robbery for a pick six.
Revealing an interesting factoid, Lock told reporters that he and Amadi trained together in California preparing for the 2019 NFL Draft. Close friends, they spent time together watching film this week away from the practice field, with the quarterback advising him to be cautious flipping his hips when playing with outside leverage, as he would target the sideline in those situations.
Amadi apparently listened and to the quarterback's detriment, promptly put Lock's advice into practice against him. Reading the route perfectly and playing with adequate leverage, he jumped a curl thrown towards the sideline during 7-on-7, intercepting the pass and returning it nearly 70 yards for a touchdown. After getting burned by his teammate, with a starting job up for grabs, Lock may not be quite as willing to offer up tips and advice in the future.
"I told him after today, I'm like, 'Dude, no more watching film together. We're done. We're done with that. Keep that. That is for the birds and we are not doing that anymore,'" Lock joked.
4. In a rarity for offseason workouts, Seahawks' defensive backs enjoyed a pass breakup frenzy.
This time of year, playing defense can be extremely difficult due to strict limitations set by the collective bargaining agreement. In particular, aside from not being allowed to press or make contact with receivers, corners and safeties are discouraged from making plays on the football. But inevitably, sometimes instincts kick in, as evidenced by Amadi's pick six and the bevy of pass breakups accumulated by the secondary on Wednesday.
From the outset in 7-on-7, Smith, Lock, and Eason had a tough time finding open receivers and the windows to complete passes were tight most of the afternoon. Taking advantage of extra reps with Ryan Neal absent, veteran safety Josh Jones got his hands on three passes, including knocking away a pair of passes thrown by Smith to the middle of the field. Battling for a starting job at cornerback, Sidney Jones also had a pair of breakups, including deflecting a pass in the end zone from Smith to Marquise Goodwin to erase a potential touchdown. Overall, it was a strong day for the entire secondary group, helping limit Smith to eight completions on 15 attempts.
5. Several rookies remain banged up and didn't participate in Wednesday's festivities.
While it's certainly not time to panic in early June and airing on the side of caution is the only way to go this time of year in the name of player safety, Seattle already has had significant issues with incoming rookies missing practice time. Running back Ken Walker III sat out for a second straight practice, while linebacker Tyreke Smith also did not participate. In addition, receivers Bo Melton and Dareke Young missed their fifth consecutive practices with undisclosed injuries. With a long break coming up after the conclusion of OTAs on June 15, the good news is that all of these players should be ready for the start of camp next month.
