Chris Carson rejoins Seahawks, D-tackles Jarran Reed, Poona Ford ailing, defense wins day
Welcome back, Chris Carson.
The Seahawks’ lead running back got the first carry of the first full-team scrimmage in his first practice of training camp.
A couple plays later, Carson got another kind of welcome. His starting defensive teammates smacked at and into him trying to dislodge the ball from his rather sizable arms. They somewhat playfully patted at him until they knocked him to the ground, a no-no in no-pads practices such as Sunday’s.
“We missed you, three-two,” cornerback Shaquill Griffin bellowed at Carson, a little facetiously.
Number 32 had been away from the first three practices of Seattle’s camp. Coach Pete Carroll announced last week Carson had “family stuff going on that he’s had to take care of. Our hearts go out to Chris. He’s going through some really big stuff with family members that he is looking after and taking care of.”
Carroll said Wednesday Carson was dealing with a death in his family, among other issues at home.
Carlos Hyde replaced him as the lead back for the first three practices. Hyde, whom the Seahawks signed this spring after his first career 1,000-yard season last year with Houston, got the second carry of Sunday’s team scrimmage.
Carson’s return and one other signing Friday boosted the number of healthy Seattle running backs by 40%. When Carson was away the team initially had just Hyde, 2019 draft choice Travis Homer and impressive rookie fourth-round pick DeeJay Dallas healthy at the position. Then Friday the team signed back undrafted rookie rusher Patrick Carr. The Seahawks had released Carr earlier this month.
Defense wins the day
Griffin got beaten off the line by hulking, zooming receiver DK Metcalf. But then the cornerback recovered, running step for step with Metcalf on a double move and deep go pattern. When the pass from Russell Wilson arrived, a bit underthrown, Grifffin was right at Metcalf’s shoulder and in position to knock away the pass. He didn’t, so Metcalf got what appeared to be a long reception.
But defensive passing game coordinator Andre Curtis, standing behind the play, roared his approval at Griffin’s position and defense of the play. Curtis, wearing a mask, gave his cornerback a socially-distant fist bump. Carroll jogged from the line of scrimmage about 20 yards to Griffin to bump fists.
Carroll and Curtis coach their defensive backs not to leap and contest balls over their heads this early in training camp, to avoid injuries. It’s similar to the prohibitions on contesting passes in the air during organized team activities and minicamp practices in the spring of a normal, non-pandemic NFL year.
A few moments after Griffin’s play, opposite cornerback Tre Flowers did the same effective work against Metcalf on other side. Flowers stayed as the first-team right cornerback even though Sunday was the first day new acquisition Quinton Dunbar practiced with the Seahawks.
Coaches are getting Dunbar, who passed his physical examination Saturday, acclimated before allowing him to practice fully.
Ugo Amadi had a strong coverage day as the second nickel defensive back, again behind Marquise Blair.
“Keep gettin’ wins,” coaches kept telling their defense.
D-line shuffled
Starting defensive tackles Jarran Reed and Poona Ford watched practice wearing sneakers. Ford wore a blue bucket hat on the 98-degree afternoon.
Both left the previous practice Friday with lower leg injuries. Ford’s appeared to be to his left calf. He missed one game last September with a strained calf.
Without them, 2019 undrafted rookie Bryan Mone and 2019 draft pick Demarcus Christmas were the starting defensive tackles Sunday. The only other healthy defensive tackle on the 78-man roster: undrafted rookie Cedrick Lattimore.
It remains the team’s thinnest position.
The rest of the starting defense Sunday: Benson Mayowa and Rasheem Green as the ends; Bruce Irvin the strongside linebacker, Bobby Wagner in the middle, K.J. Wright weakside linebacker; Griffin and Flowers at cornerback, Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs at safety.
When the Seahawks went nickel for the first time Sunday, rookie first-round pick Jordyn Brooks joined Wagner as the linebackers, Blair was the fifth defensive back; Irvin and Mayowa were the rush ends with Green and 2019 first-round pick L.J. Collier as the tackles on a speed defensive line.
Branden Jackson and rookie fifth-round pick Alton Robinson were the second-team rush ends.
The dime defensive back was Lano Hill, in for Brooks. Hill had that role as the sixth defensive back at the end of last season. He is a strong safety, and is entering the final year of his rookie contract he signed in 2017 as one of the team’s third-round picks.
Veteran linemen rest day
Two of the five starting offensive linemen watched practice Sunday.
Pro Bowl veteran left tackle Duane Brown watched team drills from behind the huddles wearing sneakers and holding a mask in his hand. Brown turns 35 this week. He is coming off knee surgery last winter.
Cedric Ogbuehi was the fill-in left tackle. Seattle signed Cincinnati’s former first-round pick this spring.
B.J. Finney was wearing his helmet but watched Ethan Pocic work as the first-team center.
It appeared to be rest for both veteran starters. Monday is scheduled to be the first full-pads practice of camp.
Each NFL team gets 14 full-pads practices before the season openers next month, per the special COVID-19 training camp protocols to which the NFL and its players’ union agreed last month.
This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 6:59 AM.
