Seahawks Training Camp Observations: Bobby Wagner, Defense Enjoy Strong Practice
Back on the field after taking Saturday off, following the lead of legendary linebacker Bobby Wagner, the Seattle Seahawks had one of their best defensive sessions of training camp thus far on Sunday.
Looking back at their fourth camp session, who stood out for the Seahawks on both sides of the ball? Starting with No. 54's outstanding day, here are five takeaways from the VMAC:
1. Showing no signs of slowing down, Wagner keeps reminding everyone of his greatness.
Coming off his ninth All-Pro season in 2022, nobody expected Wagner to return to the Seahawks after a year with the Rams and suddenly not be able to play at a high level. But somehow, at 33 years of age, the future Hall of Famer has exceeded expectations through four days of camp and turned in two notable highlight defensive plays in Sunday's session.
During the early stages of a situational team drill, Wagner shot out of a cannon from his inside linebacker spot, chasing down speedy receiver DK Metcalf in pursuit to the sideline on an end around and forcing him to go out of bounds for no gain. It marked the second time in three practices where the 12th year veteran ran down fast wideouts on a sweep or end around, as he met Dareke Young in the backfield on a similar play in Thursday's session, showcasing plenty of burst.
But Wagner's most impressive play of camp thus far happened moments later in coverage during a 7-on-7 period. Fourth-year running back DeeJay Dallas, who formerly played receiver and has great route running skills for his position, ran a sluggo route - also known as a slant-and-go - with the linebacker defending him. Running fast, Wagner stayed right in Dallas' hip pocket as he sprinted downfield fading towards the sideline in perfect position to make a play, as an underthrow from Geno Smith ended up bouncing off the back of his helmet for an incompletion.
2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Dee Eskridge continue to turn in highlight reel sessions in team and 7-on-7 drills.
Day in and day out, receiving depth continues to stand out as a major strength for the Seahawks, as Metcalf and Tyler Lockett both scored touchdowns during the 7-on-7 period. But Smith-Njigba and Eskridge continue to be the stars of camp on offense, with each player making several impressive grabs from Smith and Drew Lock in Sunday's latest camp installment.
Squaring off against fellow first-round pick Devon Witherspoon, who played the majority of his reps with the first-team defense from the slot in his second practice since signing his rookie contract, Smith-Njigba won the first matchup between them on the practice field during the red zone period. Tracking down a bullet thrown by Smith, he boxed out his rookie counterpart and held onto the ball as Witherspoon tried to knock it out, holding onto the contested catch to cheers from the crowd.
During the 7-on-7 session, Smith-Njigba wowed again, this time snaring a bullet from Smith, who had rolled out of the pocket to extend the play to his right, and executing a double toe-tap in the back of the end zone for six points. Only a few plays later, Eskridge struck with his own fireworks, creating separation on a deep corner route and reeling in a missile thrown by Lock for his lone touchdown of the afternoon.
Away from Smith-Njigba and Eskridge, undrafted rookie Matt Landers continues to impress with limited opportunities. The speedy 6-4 receiver from Arkansas earned a reputation as a big play threat in the SEC and that skill has carried over in the early stages of camp, as he scored a long 40-yard touchdown on a post route courtesy of a perfect pass from Lock.
3. In a competitive practice, Smith endures an uneven day with plenty of highs and plenty of lows.
In the first three practices of training camp, Smith's accuracy has been on point with few turnovers as he has lit up the skies throwing to Metcalf, Lockett, Smith-Njigba, and the rest of his talented receiving corps. From a touchdown standpoint, he stayed hot in Sunday's practice, but not without throwing a trio of interceptions that may not have completely been his fault.
On the outset of Seattle's team session, Smith threw a short pass to Colby Parkinson in the flats that the fourth-year tight end turned upfield into a long touchdown. He followed up with a touchdown to Metcalf on a curl during the first drive of the red zone drill and didn't have any turnovers at that stage.
But that quickly changed once Seattle transitioned into 7-on-7, starting with the very first play of the drill. After rolling out of the pocket with no receivers initially open, Smith lofted a ball to Will Dissly towards the back right corner of the end zone and the veteran tight end had the pass bounce off his hands as cornerback Tre Brown sprinted underneath the deflection for a pick in the end zone.
Smith rebounded nicely, throwing four touchdown passes in a five-play sequence after the interception, including a diving score by Lockett and Smith-Njigba's toe-tap theatrics in the back of the end zone. His final drive didn't end near as well, however, as he telegraphed a poor throw to Smith-Njigba and linebacker Devin Bush leaped up for the interception.
Capping off his most inconsistent practice of the summer thus far, Smith's final pick came on the closing play of practice. With Metcalf sprinting down the seam, the quarterback appeared to expect his receiver to settle 20 yards downfield, but he kept running, allowing for safety Quandre Diggs to jump the route for an interception that would have likely been returned for six points and giving the defense the last laugh for the day.
4. Taking his turn in the dominant cornerback roulette, Brown enjoys his finest practice as a Seahawk.
Flexing their depth throughout camp, even without Riq Woolen available on the PUP list and Witherspoon sitting out the first two practices, the Seahawks have seemingly had a different cornerback stand out every practice. On Friday, Mike Jackson earned the star with three pass breakups sparring against Metcalf on the outside, while safety Julian Love made a couple breakups rotating into the nickel spot on Thursday.
Fully recovered after missing most of the 2022 season rehabbing from a patellar tendon injury, Brown turned heads as the left cornerback for Seattle's first-team defense on Sunday, frequently getting his hands on the football. Making one of the best plays of the day that drew praise from Carroll after practice, he stayed in step with Lockett on a deep skinny post route, extending his arm and leaping to swat a potential 40-yard touchdown out of the back of the end zone.
Later during the red zone period, Brown again played fantastic coverage to deny Metcalf a touchdown. After the star receiver initially high-pointed the ball over the 5-10 cornerback, he slapped at the ball and knocked it out of his hands as he went to the ground, forcing an incompletion. Putting a cherry on top of a fantastic practice, he picked off Smith's wild throw to Dissly in 7-on-7, showing he intends to be a factor in the race for snaps in a crowded secondary.
5. With Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet both sidelined, Kenny McIntosh has made a statement with increased reps.
In the bad news department coming out of Sunday's practice, Carroll didn't have positive updates on Walker or Charbonnet, who have each been out for at least the past two practices. Walker currently is nursing a groin injury that could take time to heal, while Charbonnet has a shoulder problem that popped up early in camp that he was getting looked at.
With both of those players out indefinitely, McIntosh has been the biggest beneficiary, impressing Carroll and the coaching staff with his quickness, sharp cuts, and innovative running style. Since defenders can't wrap him up or tackle him right now, time will tell how he looks when the pads come out on Monday, but he has been one of the bright spots on offense seizing an opportunity to play in place of Walker and Charbonnet with the first-team offense.
In Sunday's practice, McIntosh bounced a run back against the grain and exploded through a seam, rocketing past a pair of defenders with nothing but green in front of him for a 60-plus yard touchdown. Moving far better than his athletic testing would suggest, the Seahawks may have found a diamond in the seventh round and at a position with a high injury rate, he may have a chance to factor into playing time out of the backfield early.
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