Vallos moves to the head of the O-line for Seahawks
ERIC D. WILLIAMS; The News Tribune
RENTON – With an offensive line that finished with every projected starter on the injured reserve list last season – and now dealing with similar, injury issues in training camp – Steve Vallos has become a glue guy for the Seattle Seahawks.
The 25-year-old Wake Forest product has worked his way up from a little-known draft pick taken in the seventh round by Seattle three years ago to a versatile reserve for the offensive line with the ability to play both guard and center.
“Steve Vallos is a different player this year,” said offensive line coach Mike Solari. “He’s really improving his techniques and leading us on the offensive line. And you can just kind of sense that confidence because he’s done it.
“So now he has that feel. So that’s the key thing is the confidence. The hardest thing for the young players is to get them on the field so they can execute a winning performance and develop that confidence and say ‘Hey, I can get this done.’”
Vallos earned that confidence by starting at center for the last five games of last season when center Chris Spencer went on the injured reserve list with a back injury.
In the Dallas game on Thanksgiving Day, Vallos struggled in his first career start, lining up opposite Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff, who made the Pro Bowl last season.
“It was fun,” Vallos said about his first start. “Not a great game, but I’m not going to forget it – Thanksgiving.”
Vallos steadily improved, helping lead the Seahawks to a 2-3 record over that period. He helped anchor an offensive line short on experience but which managed to move the ball surprisingly well during that stretch.
“There’s been a lot of carryover from last year from just being able to play,” Vallos said. “Last year, I felt like I did a lot better than I thought I could do at that point. I just got so much experience from those last five games, and I’m just trying to carry that over into this season.”
With offensive tackle Walter Jones unable to practice because of back spasms, and Spencer and tackle Ray Willis also periodically missing time to rest their injuries, Vallos has been an invaluable stop-gap at both guard and center for the Seahawks, adding quality depth to the team’s interior line.
“(He’s) critical,” Solari said. “Because again Steve Vallos gives us that versatility at center and guard, and again Steve Vallos is always well prepared. He works hard, on and off the field, and we’re really counting on Steve Vallos.”
Vallos played left tackle his final season at Wake Forest, but at 6-foot-3, 312 pounds, he didn’t have the size to play tackle at the next level, and was drafted as an interior line prospect.
He spent his first season with the Seahawks on the practice squad as the scout team center, learning the intricacies of the position.
That experience helped him earn the backup center position in his second season – leading to a starting job at the end of 2008.
“Any time you can work with the first unit, everything’s a lot more crisp,” Vallos said. “Just the speed of it and making the calls – it almost comes more natural when you’re with the first unit and everything slows down. It’s just being with the older guys, just knowing more and being in that first huddle is a huge difference.”
Vallos said the switch to the zone blocking scheme has been an easy transition because he ran a similar blocking scheme at Wake Forest. At center, Vallos is responsible for making more line calls in the new scheme, but he said the job has been made easier by the experience he got running the show last year.
“Last season, I was more worried about my assignment than anything,” Vallos said. “Now it’s a lot easier to get your assignment, so you can work on technique and where you’re putting your head and your hands.”
Extra points
The Seahawks break training camp on Friday and host their first preseason game Saturday night at Qwest Field against Denver. ... With four offensive linemen out with injuries, the Seahawks only had nine to work with during practice Tuesday.
Na’Shan Goddard worked at offensive tackle with the first unit and right guard with the second unit, and was fatigued at the end of practice. The first unit O-line on Tuesday consisted of
Sean Locklear at left tackle,
Rob Sims at left guard,
Steve Vallos at center,
Mansfield Wrotto at right guard and
Goddard at right tackle.
Max Unger worked at center with the second unit. ... The Seahawks held a public practice, free to the public, Tuesday evening at Husky Stadium. The team practiced twice on Tuesday, going with just helmets and jerseys in the morning practice and suiting up in full pads at Husky Stadium for the evening session.
Eric D. Williams: 253-597-8437
eric.williams@thenewstribune.com
Seahawks training camp
Curry’s hard work noticed
Linebacker Aaron Curry made a couple of plays on Tuesday that showed why the Seahawks drafted him fourth overall. He did a nice job of reading Seneca Wallace’s eyes during a 7-on-7 passing drill from his linebacker position, picking off a pass over the middle and taking it back for an easy score.
And during two-minute drills at the end of practice, Curry had a nice deflection while rushing the passer.
Curry continues to play linebacker and defensive end during practice, and also has done some individual work with the rest of the defensive linemen and coach Dan Quinn.
“The first thing you notice with Aaron is that he’s got initial quickness,” Quinn said. “And as a good pass rusher that’s one of the first things you want to look for, a guy who has initial quickness and can transfer some of that initial speed into power. And that’s really what we’re working with now. He’s working hard on it.”
Injury report
The Seahawks had 14 players sit out the morning practice. For most, it was a preventative issue, as the Seahawks give veteran players an occasional break.
Players sitting out included Matt Hasselbeck (rest) Walter Jones (back), Marcus Trufant (back), Julius Jones (rest), T.J. Duckett (rest), Grey Ruegamer (elbow), Lawrence Jackson (leg), Cory Redding (rest), D.D. Lewis (knee), Deion Branch (knee), Nate Burleson (knee), Olindo Mare (knee), Chris Spencer (ankle) and Ray Willis (knee).
Walter Jones did not return to practice after asking out of a drill and leaving midway through practice on Monday.
Offensive lineman Cory Withrow returned to practice but did not participate in team drills.
Quotable
“It was nice to be able to go out there and get yourself into a little bit of a rhythm. When you’re the third guy on the depth chart in practice you don’t really get many reps. You’re in for two plays and then you’re out. And you’re trying to get mental reps. So it’s tough to get yourself into any rhythm.”
Third string quarterback
Mike Teel on his performance against San Diego on Saturday.
Eric Williams, The News Tribune
