Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner, vets skipping Seahawks OTAs--with Pete Carroll’s support
As expected—in fact, as told—Russell Wilson is in San Diego.
He recently hosted some teammates at his offseason training home, and will continue to.
Backup Geno Smith is also away, working out on his own.
That leaves as the Seahawks’ quarterbacks on the field in practices during organized team activities...um, Alex McGough and Danny Etling?
You don’t need any more evidence of how little OTA practices mean in May than that.
Coach Pete Carroll said Thursday following the third of his team’s 10 OTA practices that about 35-40 players have been present for the closed workouts. That means 50-55 on Seattle’s 90-man offseason roster are absent.
That fits what the Seahawks’ players stated this spring through their union: They aren’t coming to any voluntary workouts at the team’s facility in Renton this offseason.
Asked about his NFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals San Francisco 49ers having their starting quarterbacks and almost all other veterans participating at voluntary OTAs right now, Carroll said he didn’t care.
“I don’t manage anything what’s going on around the rest of the league,” Carroll said. “We are just doing what’s best for us and what we need to do.
“We are making terrific progress. We have been here before in what we need to get done in virtual, and again it’s going great.”
In other words: if the 49ers win in December, it won’t be because of exemplary voluntary OTA attendance in May.
The coach said he has no doubt about the professionalism of his veterans and their ability to take care of their football business at this time of year, while still in the coronavirus pandemic.
“Our guys are dedicated, and are working their butts off everywhere, all over the place,” the coach said.
“We don’t have that many guys living in the area, so it’s a little more of a challenge to get guys in here early in the offseason.”
Last month, the Seahawks and Denver Broncos were the first teams to say through the league’s players’ union they weren’t doing any voluntary offseason training in 2021. The players saw last year after the pandemic canceled all offseason workouts and minicamps the league could conduct a successful, highly competitive season after offseason Zoom work—and without the normal workouts for players at team headquarters in the spring into summer.
The precedent has been set. The players want to keep it the 2020 way. Team owners want to return to pre-pandemic norms of offseason OTAs and minicamps throughout May into June. Those have always been “voluntary.” But have always been essentially mandatory for those not fully set in their status, contracts and starting jobs on teams. In the nothing’s-guaranteed NFL, that’s a lot of players.
Now even those non-guaranteed guys are banding together to stay away from all offseason workouts, except Seattle’s only mandatory three days between February and July.
Carroll reiterated Thursday that he is more than OK with that.
“No, I support these guys,” he said. “I support the decision that they made.”
Carroll said the 35-40 players in OTAs “are from the rookie class, primarily. We are catching those guys up so that when we get to (training) camp those guys can hold their own.
“We have guys working out all over the country,” Carroll said. “We’ve got guys here working out locally that are doing their stuff.”
New cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, signed from San Francisco this offseason, is one of the few non-rookies at team headquarters this week during OTAs. He’s the only veteran cornerback present.
He said that’s because he’s taking advantage of the Seahawks’ medical and training facilities to rehabilitate from “a minor” knee procedure he had this winter.
Wilson, Smith, All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner and the veterans are participating in Zoom meetings four days each week to install new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s up-tempo, quick-passing system.
Carroll emphasized it’s the same way the Seahawks learned in the 2020 offseason.
“We are making good progress,” the coach said.
The only time this offseason the Seahawks expect to see Wilson, Wagner and just about all the veterans on the field before training camp begins is during the team’s mandatory minicamp. That is June 15-17. Carroll said he expects close to 100% participation in that.
“We expect pretty darn good attendance for minicamp,” the coach said. “There are a couple guys (who) have some special situations, but for the most part we expect our guys to be there.
“The week before is a really important week as well (of OTAs), in preparation for it. So we will see more guys coming through as we get closer to that, to the middle of June there.
“These (younger) guys are the ones that are getting the work on the field right now.”
Carroll said he’s been talking to Wilson and Wagner, his team captains, about this unusual offseason and the players’ stance on it.
“The conversations have been open. I’ve talked to a bunch of guys. ...I’ve talked to Bobby and Russ, for sure,” Carroll said. “And so, we are communicating on a good level about it.
“It hasn’t been a negotiation. It has been a good conversation about it. We are trying to partner in this thing, to put it together, so we can get done what we need to get done. Right now, what we are doing is we are preparing to get ready for (training) camp. That’s what this is, you know. It’s a voluntary time for us to take advantage of our opportunities.”
Carroll said Wilson, wide receivers Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, running back Chris Carson and the veteran starters on offense are taking particularly well to getting “connected” with Waldron’s teaching newer concepts. Those are based on running the ball and a passing game that gets the ball out of the quarterback’s hand more quickly.
Carroll said the offense’s Zoom sessions have “a real eye on tempo.” Waldron wants Wilson and the Seahawks to play with a faster one in 2021.
“We are off and moving,” the head coach said.
“I love the way our guys are learning. I know where they are going to be mentally, based on what we did last year—without any offseason work. So anything we get done here will be a bonus to that.
“We plan to do this very well.”
This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 4:10 PM.
