Bradley McDougald’s chances to play Sunday rise. New Germain Ifedi issue on jumbled O-line
Bradley McDougald is back practicing. That increases the chances he will be back playing this weekend.
But now the Seahawks have a new issue on their already scrambled offensive line.
Right tackle Germain Ifedi missed practice Thursday with a new knee injury. That puts some doubt into his availability for the Seahawks (5-2) Sunday at Atlanta (1-6).
If Ifedi can’t play, the Seahawks could move Jamarco Jones to right tackle. Jones was playing right tackle briefly over Ifedi in early August 2018 during training camp. Then Jones got a leg injury that ended his rookie season.
Jones has been the fill-in right guard the last 2 1/2 games for injured D.J. Fluker. Fluker is healthy and practicing fully this week. But coach Pete Carroll said Monday and again Wednesday Jones, whom the Seahawks drafted last year as a left tackle, has played so well at right guard he is competing this week with Fluker to play there against the Falcons.
Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer talked about that competition between Jones and Fluker following Thursday’s practice.
“The battle at right guard’s been awesome,” Schottenheimer said.
“Whoever is ready to go will go. We are working our way through that right now.”
If Ifedi’s knee injury keeps him out Sunday Jones could be the right tackle and Fluker the right guard. That presumes Duane Brown plays in Atlanta. The Pro Bowl left tackle has missed the last two games with a biceps injury. He’s been limited in practices this week, but has told Carroll he intends to play Sunday.
That would free George Fant to return to his usual place of blocking tight end. Fant has started at left tackle for Brown the last two games.
But Fant has been limited in practices this week by a shoulder injury.
Other than that, the offensive line is ship shape.
McDougald returned to practice Thursday for the first time in more than a week, since he woke up with back spasms nine days ago. That increases the likelihood he starts Sunday at Atlanta.
But where?
McDougald has been Seattle’s strong safety this year. Carroll regards him as one of the team’s best coverage defensive backs, a skill more valued at deeper free safety as the last man back on defense. McDougald has played just as effectively at free safety the last few seasons. The team interchanges the two positions often, sometimes from play to play.
Tedric Thompson’s starting job at free safety is in jeopardy. He gave up his second pass play of 50 or more yards this season in the opening 90 seconds of last weekend’s loss to Baltimore. Carroll called the play “distasteful...I hate to see it.”
Since then, the Seahawks have traded with Detroit for Quandre Diggs. He’s been the Lions’ starting strong safety this season and Carroll noted his aggressiveness and hitting, traits more aligned with a strong than a free safety.
Quarterback Russell Wilson said Thursday Diggs already “flies around” in Seahawks practices and is “looking for things to hit”—in walkthroughs.
Diggs has played both safety positions and nickel defensive back inside on slot receivers. And he was a cornerback at the University of Texas a half-dozen years ago.
Rookie second-round draft choice Marquise Blair impressed Carroll at strong safety in his first NFL start last weekend, when McDougald missed the Ravens game. The coach said Blair will be playing more. But that was a day before the Seahawks unexpectedly were able to get Diggs from the Lions for a fifth-round pick.
Seattle didn’t trade for Diggs to have him sit on Sunday, or any Sunday. McDougald returning to practice increases the likelihood he and Diggs are the starting safeties in Atlanta, with McDougald in more of a free-safety role than he’s been so far this season, before the back spasms.
A fourth player in the safety rotation, Lano Hill, remains out indefinitely with an elbow injury.
Defensive end Ziggy Ansah was limited for the second consecutive day by the ankle injury that caused him to miss last weekend’s loss to Baltimore.
Starting cornerback Tre Flowers was limited again by a neck injury new since the Ravens game.
Defensive end Quinton Jefferson, the most consistent pass rusher on a defensive front that has just one sack in the last three games and 11 all season, missed his second consecutive practice. He appears unlikely to play Sunday. That would increase Branden Jackson’s and rookie first-round pick L.J. Collier’s roles in Atlanta.
And, yes, Wilson practiced again despite remaining on the report with a knee issue. The franchise quarterback smiled at that designation before practice Thursday.
“Yeah, I guess nowadays you’ve got to (list) anything,” Wilson said of league reporting guidelines before he practiced fully again.
“A little ice on the knee. I’m good. I’m ready to roll. Excited about this week, going on the road; we’ve been playing well on the road, so we are excited about it. ...
“I’m ready to roll.”
Wilson has never missed an in-season practice, let alone a game, in his eight seasons in the NFL as Seattle’s starter.
In Georgia, Matt Ryan did not practice again with what is reportedly a high-ankle sprain. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and others there are saying 38-year-old Matt Schaub will make his first start in four years Sunday at quarterback for the Falcons.
This story was originally published October 24, 2019 at 4:59 PM.
