Seahawks Pete Carroll Regrets Not Playing Rookie Ugo Amadi Sooner
Pete Carroll isn’t typically one to regret decisions, but if there’s one thing he could change about the 2019 season, it would revolve around his handling of the nickel cornerback position.
Specifically, the Seahawks head coach wishes he would’ve inserted rookie Ugo Amadi into the lineup sooner.
“He did well, he’s doing a good job,” Carroll said of Amadi’s performance in a 17-9 win over the Eagles on Sunday. “I’m really glad we made the commitment a few weeks back to get him in there, allow him to grow. I wish we would’ve done that a little earlier just because we would have seen him develop faster. He’s really just kinda blossoming.”
Though he played only 17 defensive snaps as a nickel cornerback against the Eagles, Amadi blanketed receiver Greg Ward Jr. on a third down pass attempt by Carson Wentz to force a punt on the first drive of the game. He also brought Philadelphia’s next drive to an end by pushing running back Boston Scott out of bounds seven yards short of the first down marker on a third down reception.
Carroll has lauded Amadi for his instincts and versatility since arriving as a fourth-round pick out of Oregon in May. Right away, he started working at free safety and nickel cornerback, throwing himself into a four-player competition against Akeem King, Jamar Taylor, and Kalan Reed seeking to replace former starter Justin Coleman.
But after winning the positional battle for the nickel spot in camp, he was quickly replaced by Taylor in Week 2 and didn’t play a single defense snap in Seattle’s next 11 games. Even after Taylor was jettisoned on November 20, King took over as the primary nickel in his place.
Biding his time until the Seahawks gave him another opportunity, Amadi emerged as one of the team’s best special teams contributors, downing several Michael Dickson punts deep in opposing territory and making a few tackles on kick and punt coverage teams as a gunner.
Just as fellow rookie Travis Homer turned his stellar special teams play, coupled with injuries, into snaps on offense, Amadi’s impact hasn’t went unnoticed by the coaching staff. After releasing Taylor and playing the bigger King in the nickel spot for a few weeks, the rookie has played 72 snaps in the slot over the past four games.
Seeing how Amadi has played in recent weeks and the instability Seattle has dealt with at the position, it’s left Carroll remorseful about not turning to the gifted rookie earlier. A capable blitzer, a willing tackler, and steady in coverage with ample ball skills, he believes the jack-of-all-trades has finally carved out a long-term role defensively.
“He understands the position well, he understands the disguises of it,” Carroll stated. “There’s a lot of intricacies in the nickel spot and he’s a really bright kid and he’s handling it really well, so he’s in a good place to make plays.”
Seattle has relied heavily on its base 4-3 defense this year, limiting the number of opportunities for a fifth defensive back to see the field. But with Mychal Kendricks suffering a season-ending torn ACL, defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. may need to mix in more nickel looks against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers next Sunday.
After struggling to find a replacement for Coleman in the slot, Carroll and the Seahawks hope to have found the answer in Amadi. Coming off a stellar playoff debut, he will have another chance to show off his well-rounded game and impress at Lambeau Field.
