On schedule: Quinton Dunbar debuts in Seahawks’ starting defense during red-zone drill
The Seahawks are beginning to unveil their Quinton Dunbar Indoctrination Plan.
The cornerback’s long-awaited debut in the starting defense came Thursday, in his fourth practice with the team since arriving after prosecutors in Florida dropped armed-robbery charges against him. Dunbar was the starting right cornerback against Russell Wilson and the starting offense in a red-zone scrimmage.
Dunbar was opposite Pro Bowl cornerback Shaquill Griffin, with Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs the safeties. For about a half-dozen plays inside the 20-yard line, Seattle’s new, lengthy number 22 in white worked press coverage and his new step-kick technique coach Pete Carroll has been personally teaching him.
Thursday was the first time Seattle had its projected starting secondary for 2020 on the field at the same time in this training camp, on the seventh day of practices.
Tre Flowers, the Seahawks’ starting cornerback on the right side the last two seasons, began the team scrimmaging and ended it with the first-team defense. Dunbar mostly watched the scrimmaging his defense did against the offense in the middle of the field.
It’s on schedule per Carroll’s plan to ease Dunbar into added responsibilities in the dozen full-pads practices that remain until the opener Sept. 13 at Atlanta.
“It’s gone the way the trainers have planned it,” Carroll said, “so we’ll see where he is.”
Dunbar reported to camp last week. He had four days of COVID-19 testing then one day for a physical examination. His first practice was Sunday.
“This will be the first time he’s moved full speed since he’s arrived,” Carroll said before Thursday’s practice.
“We’ll see how that goes. I’ll let you know more when I get it.”
If Dunbar doesn’t start the opener — after the Seahawks traded with Washington to get him in March then stood by him throughout May, June and July during his criminal case stemming from a house party in Florida — something is amiss.
Dunbar started 11 games last season for 3-13 Washington. He had a career-high four interceptions before a hamstring injury sent him to injured reserve. He had 27 starts in five years with the team. He asked for a trade this offseason rather than endure Washington’s coaching change with new head man Ron Rivera and his staff.
Dunbar has the urgency to get going.
This is the final year of his contract, at a salary of $3.25 million. He intends to prove in 16 games he’s worthy of a big-buck extension with the Seahawks, or his first chance at riches in NFL free agency.
“It’s a perfect fit,” he said this spring.
That was the day after the house party in Miramar, Florida, May 13 at which he was implicated in robbery of cash and jewelry.
The 6-foot-2, 202-pound Dunbar has arms longer than 32 inches — 32 5/8, to be exact. That’s the well-known standard coach Carroll wants in rangy cornerbacks covering receivers outside.
Carroll talked this winter into spring of Seattle’s need to increase competition with Flowers. Offenses exploited Flowers in 2019, the second season of Carroll converting him from being a college safety.
Dunbar’s delayed push to seizing Flowers’ job has begun.
“I know what I do when I’m on the field,” Dunbar said in May. “So I mean, I believe in me. So all that other stuff is going to take care of itself.
“The situation with Washington is different, because it was just a respect thing and situation. I don’t have no worries in Seattle. I’m happy to be in Seattle. And I’ll just play ball.”
This story was originally published August 20, 2020 at 4:40 PM.
