Seahawks Camp Observations: Mike Jackson Winning Starting Job?
Simulating a typical regular season week of practice, the Seattle Seahawks wrapped up preparation for Saturday's second preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys with a low-key, walkthrough oriented final training camp practice on Thursday.
While coach Pete Carroll remained coy on whether or not starters such as quarterback Geno Smith will play against Dallas this weekend, the second dress rehearsal remains a critical one for Seattle. With the regular season now less than a month away, he's hoping to see his team take a positive step forward on both sides of the ball while bringing the same intensity as they did in a 24-13 win over Minnesota in the exhibition opener last week.
“I would like to see us play really hard again," Carroll told reporters after Thursday's camp practice. "I was fired up about the efforts, and the lack of loafs that we look forward to count and add up. The effort from the first guys that played to the last guys that played was really consistent. We tackled a lot better as the game went on. I hope that we can start tackling well.”
Here are five quick takeaways from Thursday's practice and Carroll's press conference heading into Saturday's matchup with the Cowboys:
1. The race at left cornerback is far from over at this stage, but the incumbent may be emerging as the clear favorite.
Among several competitions still playing out with training camp wrapping up, the Seahawks have yet to name a starter at left cornerback opposite of Riq Woolen, who took all of the first-team reps at right cornerback on Thursday. Battling for the other starting spot, Mike Jackson and Tre Brown have each had excellent camps to this point, but one veteran looks to be gaining the edge.
Throughout Thursday's practice, Jackson, who started all 17 games for Seattle opposite Woolen a year ago, received all of the first team snaps. Meanwhile Brown, who sat out Wednesday's practice due to an undisclosed injury, was back in action but only played with the second defense across from Artie Burns, a potential sign that the team is trending towards last year's starter keeping the spot.
With that said, Carroll wasn't ready to declare a winner at the spot on Thursday and isn't in a rush to do so with rookie Devon Witherspoon still sidelined due to a hamstring injury. The Seahawks hope to get him back on the field next week and the fifth overall pick from April's draft still has a chance to win that job if he can come back healthy before the regular season.
“We got to get Spoon back in the action," Carroll commented. "We got to get him back out and see where he fits in the role. When he’s out here, he fits in, so we got to get back on track and see where he is.”
2. In the trenches, the center competition may be close to wrapped up as well due to Olu Oluwatimi's uncertain status.
While Jackson and Brown will both see plenty of action as they continue to battle for an undecided starting spot in Seattle's secondary, an elbow injury to Oluwatimi could be the final death knell on a center competition that hasn't been much of one since the first week of training camp.
Shortly before the Seahawks faced the Vikings in the exhibition opener, Carroll told reporters Brown had the edge over his rookie counterpart due to prior starting experience with the Lions. Since that point, he has received the vast majority of first-team reps snapping to Smith, and after Oluwatimi banged his elbow up in the win last Thursday night, he's been very limited at practice this week with the team taking care of him hoping he can still play against the Cowboys.
When asked about Oluwatimi's chances of suiting up after sitting out Thursday's practice, Carroll wasn't able to provide a definitive answer. He remains a game-time decision and even if he is able to play, his comments and the fact Brown has been exclusively working with the starters suggests the battle may already be won.
“I don’t know about that yet, let's wait and see. We’re going to take every day to make sure he’s okay. We held him out of action today, we’ve got to get him back going again so, I'm not sure about that yet. If he’s capable he’s going to play, we need him out there.”
3. Gradually getting back into a full workload, Riq Woolen light years ahead of where he was a year ago.
A surprise starter as a fifth-round draft pick out of UTSA, Woolen enjoyed a historic rookie season with the Seahawks. Named to the Pro Bowl, he led the league with six interceptions, setting a new franchise rookie record in the process. Finishing third in Defensive Rookie of the Year balloting, he also recovered a pair of fumbles and produced nine passes defensed, emerging as one of the NFL's best young cornerbacks.
Still only in his fourth season playing the position after converting from receiver after his sophomore season in college, however, Carroll sees Woolen as an unpolished talent with an incredibly high ceiling. From a raw athleticism and skills perspective, with 4.26 speed at 6-4, the 71-year old says he has never coached a player quite like him.
"I’ve never coached anybody that has as many skills as he has. He’s got everything you could want. He doesn’t have to know everything to play well. When he was playing last year, learning how to do and all, he had a terrific season for his first time out. We just think about it, if we could clean up this and clean up that he would just be so much more difficult to deal with. He’s totally on board, we’re all in it together to get that worked out.”
Recovering from knee surgery since May, Woolen dedicated his time working back towards the mental side of his game and Carroll said it was obvious from the moment he returned to the field from the PUP list earlier this month how much he has grown compared to his rookie season. That could be scary news for the rest of the league as one of the best corners in football may be barely scratching the surface of his potential.
4. Injuries continue to throw wrenches into a suddenly intriguing competition at receiver behind DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Since the start of camp, the Seahawks have received their usual big plays from Metcalf and Lockett, while Smith-Njigba has been a running highlight reel to start off his career in the Pacific Northwest. With those three players catching passes from Smith, few teams can match such talent and production at the receiving position, and there's not any drama atop the depth chart.
But behind Smith-Njigba, Seattle has undergone significant attrition at the receiver position due to injuries over the past few weeks, changing the dynamic in the race for the final two or three roster spots at the position. In addition to being suspended the first six games of the season, third-year wideout Dee Eskridge sprained his knee against Minnesota, while Cade Johnson was sent to the hospital for precautionary reasons before being diagnosed with a concussion.
Further depleting the group, undrafted rookie Matt Landers tweaked his quad after catching a 55-yard touchdown pass from Drew Lock in Wednesday's practice, bringing an excellent practice to an abrupt end. The former Arkansas star was held out on Thursday and his status for Saturday remains up in the air, while former Washington State receiver Easop Winston also was inactive for a third straight practice.
“I think he’s got a groin thing that’s bothering him," Carroll said of Winston. "He practiced with it, but we felt like if he goes again, it’s going to be something that is ongoing. We pulled him out. It’s not bad at all.”
Assuming Landers and Winston can't go on Saturday, undrafted rookie Jake Bobo could cement his status as a lock to make Seattle's final roster. Second-year receiver Dareke Young will also be back in action after missing the preseason opener and should receive extensive snaps along with Cody Thompson, Tyjon Lindsey, and John Hall with a wide open competition opened up even more.
5. Bringing consistency and intensity, Mario Edwards remains on track to start for revamped defensive line.
This offseason, with the goal of building a more "dynamic" defensive line, the Seahawks made a pair of splashes signing former Broncos defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones and bringing back long-time starter Jarran Reed in free agency. Both of those players are expected to start, but they won't be the only newcomers solidifying a unit that underwent a full-scale overhaul in the spring.
Signed as a late addition in May, with Jones at one defensive end spot and Reed playing nose tackle, Edwards has been working with the first-team defense at the other 3-4 end spot since his arrival at mandatory minicamp. The former second-round pick has brought a different level of physicality and toughness to the group, especially in the run defense department, an area where he has excelled throughout his eight-year NFL career.
“He’s been really consistent. He’s a real intensity dude," Carroll said of Edwards. "He really plays hard, tough, physical, and throws his body around. The mentality really fits. I love what he’s brought to us and he’s doing a nice job. Putting him in different spots and moving him around some. We are really zeroing in on how to play him for passing down situations, but he’s going to be a part of it.”
At 280 pounds, Edwards has a similar build to Jones being an undersized interior defender and he has never been known for his pass rushing, as evidenced by the fact he has never had more than four sacks in a season. But he has ample experience playing defensive tackle in his career and has played significant snaps in a similar 3-4 scheme, making him an ideal fit to open the season as a starter for a Seahawks squad aiming to be much better against the run in 2023.
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