Seahawks camp day four: Aldon Smith, Ahkello Witherspoon, defense dominate; Blair hurting
Good thing for Russell Wilson and his mates on the Seahawks’ remade offense that they weren’t wearing pads — and that it was still only July.
Otherwise they would have been hurting Saturday.
The defense steamrolled new coordinator Shane Waldron’s offense for much of the fourth day of Seattle’s training camp, particularly in red-zone drills inside the 20-yard line.
Ahkello Witherspoon, on an inside track to be the team’s new starting left cornerback after signing a $4 million guaranteed contract for 2021 from San Francisco, made three lockdown plays near the goal line. He stayed with Tyler Lockett coming out of the receiver’s break on a flag route to the left corner of the end zone. That ruined Lockett’s route. Wilson’s throw sailed 5 yards over both of them out the side of the end zone, incomplete.
Later at the other end of the lakeside field with about 2,000 fans watching and screaming, Witherspoon jumped around and in front of DK Metcalf on his inside route. Witherspoon broke up Wilson’s pass with his left arm, without contacting the hulking receiver. The defensive players roared at that.
On the next play, Wilson again tested Witherspoon, with a back-shoulder throw to versatile tight end Gerald Everett outside. The 6-foot-3 Witherspoon out-jumped the former basketball player and track high jumper for the ball at the goal line and knocked that pass away, too.
Witherspoon flexed with both arms above his head as he hopped to a sideline full of celebrating defensive teammates roaring at him. Jamal Adams, the All-Pro safety still watching instead of participating in practices while he awaits his new contract, led teammates mimicking Witherspoon’s flex—including at Everett.
“The best that he’s showed was today,” Carroll said of Witherspoon, a prototypical Carroll cornerback in height and length.
The coach noted how difficult it is at this stage of training camp: players are restricted by the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement from any contact between defensive backs and receivers, making it difficult for cornerbacks to make plays on passes in flight.
Aldon Smith, trying to revive his career after four years out of the NFL on suspensions, then being released by Dallas after last season, broke into the backfield almost with the snap on the first play of a 2-minute drill. He would have sacked Wilson had it been a game. Smith, the former All-Pro pass rusher with the 49ers, angrily punched at the air after coaches and the officials for the day allowed Wilson to continue the play and get off an incomplete pass.
Smith says he’s down in the 260-270-pound range.
“I was kind of fat last year,” with Dallas, Smith said.
He laughed.
Waldron’s new system is designed to get the ball out of Wilson’s hands more quickly, a scheme to improve the offensive line’s years of porous pass protection: shorter, quicker routes by receivers, after a heavier reliance on a more varied running game.
The new offense had a new offensive line Saturday.
It looked like it.
Kyle Fuller was starting again at center while Ethan Pocic (hamstring) did only individual drills. It was Pocic’s first practice of camp.
Jamarco Jones was again the left tackle. Pro Bowl veteran Duane Brown watched again instead of practicing. Coach Pete Carroll is preserving Brown, who turns 36 in three weeks, for later toward the regular season.
“This is a long camp,” Carroll said. “He’s reported in fantastic shape.
“I’m not worried about Duane’s football. ...I’d like to buy him some time here, and start him down the road.”
Brown wasn’t wearing a mask for the first time in four days while on the field for practice in camp.
Carroll said this week 90 of 91 Seahawks players are vaccinated with at least one shot. NFL rules for COVID-19 this year say players who are not vaccinated must wear masks on the field when they are not practicing.
Cedric Ogbuehi was the right tackle for the second straight day over Brandon Shell. Ogbuehi had a false start during a 2-minute drill.
Carroll said he has promised Ogbuehi he could compete with Shell for that job this preseason. Carroll said he “messed up” last year, Ogbuehi’s and Shell’s first with Seattle, in not letting Ogbuehi compete at right tackle. Carroll had Ogbuehi as Brown’s backup at left tackle. The former number-one pick by Cincinnati told Carroll he wanted a shot at right tackle.
On the first play of that middle-of-the-field scrimmage, Smith again would have sacked Wilson after beating what appeared to be Jones off the ball and the edge. Smith again reacted angrily that coaches or the officials didn’t blow the play dead; Wilson continued the play by throwing the ball away.
“Put me anywhere on the field, and I feel like I can make a play,” Smith said.
On the next play, defensive tackle Poona Ford broke free up the middle between Fuller and the guard. He would have sacked Wilson.
On the snap after that, Ford again romped through the middle of the offensive line as free and joyful as a third-grader at recess for another would-be sack of Wilson.
After that three-play mess by the offense, Carroll sent the starters off the field and brought the second-team offense and defense onto it.
And to think: Carroll said after practice the coaches really haven’t been able to see truly what they have in the pass rush, because the pads aren’t on yet.
All good with Adams
Carroll said there was “no news” on Adams’ pending rich, new contract. His current deal expires at the end of the 2021 season.
“Other than talks are ongoing, amicable,” Carroll said.
“Amicable” has been the coach’s pet word since June for these contract talks.
Adams, 25, is seeking to become the league’s highest-paid safety, at least $16 million per year.
The Seahawks have known that since they traded two first-round draft picks to the New York Jets for him 12 months ago.
It’s been not a matter of if Adams will get his new mega deal from Seattle, but exactly which day of camp.
All negative is a positive
The Seahawks completed a fifth consecutive day of COVID-19 testing. That’s four more than the NFL requires. The league mandates tests once every two weeks for vaccinated players, coaches and staff members.
Carroll wanted five consecutive days of testing to begin camp to ensure no one contracted the coronavirus while traveling to camp last week. About 45 of Seattle’s 91 players flew in from out of state to report to team headquarters.
All players tested negative all five days, Carroll said.
“Really proud of that,” he said.
Ninety of the 91 players have had at least a first vaccination shot, Carroll said Wednesday.
“We are very much in control of where we are” on COVID-19, Carroll said Saturday.
Blair hurting
Marquise Blair missed practice a day after getting kicked in the heel, Carroll said.
The team’s second-round pick in 2019 is poised to get back the primary nickel, fifth defensive back role he had into last September, until he had season-ending knee surgery.
Ugo Amadi was the nickel back Saturday with Blair out. The 2019 fourth-round pick ran with Metcalf to the left sideline and immediately forced him out of bounds short of the goal line on a catch during a red-zone drill. Carroll jogged into the defensive huddle after that play to congratulate Amadi for it.
New Beavers quarterback
The Seahawks have agreed to a contract with veteran NFL backup quarterback Sean Mannion, as first reported by Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic Saturday evening.
Mannion, the 29-year-old former Oregon State quarterback, was in Waldron’s system with the Rams in 2017 and ‘18. He spent 2019 as Kirk Cousins’ backup in Minnesota.
Danny Etling and Alex McGough have been the third and fourth quarterbacks behind Wilson and Geno Smith. McGough has taken very few scrimmage snaps so far in camp.
Also seen on day four...
▪ Witherspoon on the left and D.J. Reed on the right were the starting cornerbacks again Saturday. Thursday it was Damarious Randall starting on the left and Tre Flowers on the right. All in the name of full competition, Carroll said—just like Shell and Ogbuehi at right tackle and Fuller versus Pocic at center.
▪ It appears to be L.J. Collier versus Robert Nkemdiche for a leading role as a hybrid defensive end playing inside at defensive tackle in passing situations. And so far Nkemdiche has done far more. But, again, we’ll see when the pads come on.
Nkemdiche, the first-round pick by Arizona in 2016 who has flamed out with the Cardinals and the Miami Dolphins, remains the life of the camp party. During practices he routinely exhorts the fans to yell more as the defensive linemen do their drills. He’s constantly yapping with and at his teammates and coaches, too.
After practice, Nkemdiche remained the liveliest dude in a lively setting.
“He’s a beautiful spirit, now,” Carroll said.
▪ Top rookie draft choice D’Wayne Eskridge “ran well, ran hard” Friday testing his injured big toe, Carroll said. The test went well, but the Seahawks don’t know when the speedy wide receiver will practice for the first time in camp.
▪ Former Seahawks Super Bowl-champion and Pro Bowl defensive end Cliff Avril watched practice from the players’ family and friends section on the berm.
▪ Next: the players have their CBA-mandated day off Sunday. They return to practice Monday afternoon. It’s expected to be the first day in shoulder pads.
This story was originally published July 31, 2021 at 6:26 PM.
