The Seattle Seahawks resume training camp practice on Monday. It’s their last full week of practice before preseason begins on Aug. 15 versus the Dallas Cowboys. There will be more padded practices than non-padded practices, and the competition for roster spots will really start to heat up in the days to come.
Field Gulls will once again be at Seahawks this week, providing written and video content over the next several days. Yours truly and Bryce Coutts are set to attend Aug. 5 and Aug. 7 practices
at VMAC, and on Aug. 8 we’ll be joined by Josh Hite to make it a Field Gulls trio for Football Fan Fest at Lumen Field. All of this, of course, is pending the air quality not being completely unhealthy due to the incoming smoke from the horrifying Spokane wildfires. To get prepped for camp, the three of us each listed three things we’ll be paying attention to throughout the practices.
Have a look below!
Mookie Alexander
First thing I’ll be paying attention to is the straight dropback passing game. Obviously, you don’t show your whole playbook in camp, but last year when Klint Kubiak was spamming under-center play-action and getting Tory Horton increased work with the first-team offense, that proved relevant when the games actually happened. An area where I think Brian Fleury can and arguably must improve from Kubiak’s offense is the passing attack without play-action. Seattle’s efficiency wasn’t terrible in non-PA but it wasn’t amazing, and less so when Jaxon Smith-Njigba wasn’t targeted. I’m curious to see if we’ll get a glimpse of more running back targets, three-step quick game, slants, and shallow crossers with YAC potential.
Second on my “What/Who to watch for” list is the young’uns in the secondary, more specifically Julian Neal (who’s injured, so it may be moot on his part), Andre Fuller, Michael Dansby, and Bud Clark. Dansby has been heralded throughout camp, so I’m intrigued to see if he can go from afterthought to a real roster candidate. Clark has had a few splash plays and worked with the starters over the weekend, and he has that nose for the ball that will make him an intriguing and exciting watch.
The last thing I’m looking forward to seeing is how Rylie Mills performs. He excited everyone with his sack in the Super Bowl, and he’s drawn rave reviews in camp already. Mills could be a major part of Seattle’s interior pass rush. I’m curious to see how often he lines up as a 3-tech vs. 5-tech.
Josh Hite
The Seahawks generally keep five cornerbacks on the roster, and Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe are solidly locked in, but the remaining three spots are open for grabs. Will the rookies step up and claim them, or will the veterans like Noah Igbinoghene fight off the rookies? Another area I will be watching is the pass rushers. With the rumors that the Seahawks have interest in another veteran pass rusher, I believe a lot of that will depend on how the younger pass rushers are producing in camp and the preseason games. Can these younger players show the coaching staff that they can take that next step?
Finally, I will be watching the interior offensive line. The Seahawks generally keep 10 offensive linemen on the active roster, Grey Zabel, Jalen Sundell, and Anthony Bradford seem to have the staring gigs locked up, but the backup spots remain in contention. Will Olu Oluwatimi and Christian Haynes make the team once again, or will Mason Richman, Bryce Cabeldue, and Beau Stephens show the coaches that they can step up? These are things I will be looking out for while I am there.
Bryce Coutts
When I’m on location at Seahawks training camp this week, there are three things I’ll be watching especially closely through my coaching lens.
The first is the continued evolution of Seattle’s offense and what it looks like with Sam Darnold running the show. We talk about this constantly: quarterback play is about much more than completion percentage or whether a throw ends up on a highlight reel. I want to watch Darnold’s feet, timing, eye discipline, command of the offense and how quickly he is processing when the picture changes after the snap. I’ll also be paying close attention to how Brian Fleury is putting this offense together the formations, motions, play-action concepts, RPO elements and how Seattle is creating answers for the quarterback before the ball is even snapped. Connected to all of that is my second major focus: the offensive line and protection. I want to see communication, how they handle movement and pressure, whether the run game is creating displacement and how consistently the five-man unit is giving Darnold a clean platform. The Seahawks can have all the weapons they want, but everything offensively still starts with winning up front.
The third thing I’ll be studying is Mike Macdonald’s defense and how much further Seattle can take what has already become one of the defining identities of this team. I’m going to be watching the details that don’t always show up on a camp highlight: pre-snap disguise, safety rotations, communication, leverage, how defenders pass routes off in coverage and whether Seattle can create pressure with its front without constantly having to add bodies to the rush. I’ll also be watching the competition throughout the roster because camp isn’t simply about which player makes the biggest play on a given afternoon it’s about consistency. As a coach, I want to see what happens on the rep after a mistake. Does the player correct it? Does his technique hold up when he gets tired? Does he understand the assignment or is he simply relying on athletic ability? Those are the details I try to bring to my analysis, and being on the ground in Seattle this week gives me the opportunity to evaluate this team beyond the highlights and really see how ready the Seahawks are for what comes next.
And as a final reminder…
The Seahawks Syndicate quarter of myself, Bryce Coutts, Dan Viens, and Brandon Cain (who will be joining our podcasts virtually this year) are back for more training camp podcasts! Our live shows will broadcast from our special recording area at Fast Fashion Brewing in SoDo! Emerald City Spectrum’s Corbin Smith will be a special guest on Aug. 5 at 7:30 pm PT. You’re all invited to all three recordings, but especially our Town Hall style show on Aug. 7 at 7:30 pm, in which there will be a ticket giveaway by Dan for the Seahawks-Cowboys preseason game.
Our last show is 2:30 pm PT before Fan Fest on Saturday. Come hang with us at Fast Fashion and/or meet us at the berm on those two VMAC days.
What are you looking forward to the most in this week’s training camp? Let us know in the comments section below!
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