At least one Brown is practicing for Seahawks; rookie corner shows up big on camp day 16
At least one Brown is on the field for the Seahawks.
Welcome to Seattle, Tre Brown.
Yes, the rookie cornerback and fourth-round choice from Oklahoma has been on the team since Seattle drafted him in April. But he truly joined the defense Thursday, on the 16th practice of training camp.
Brown made his best, most eye-opening play of his first NFL camp. During a 2-minute drill late in practice, Russell Wilson had DK Metcalf — called “the superstar of the world” by rookie receiver Dee Eskridge Thursday — sprinting down the left sideline on a double move. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Brown bodied up with the 6-4, 235-pound Metcalf when the receiver ran into him. Then Brown ran nearly chest to chest with him down the sideline.
As Wilson’s line-drive pass arrived before safety Quandre Diggs could get there, Brown reached with his left around Metcalf without contacting the receiver and deftly batted the ball away. It was an exquisite play.
His defensive teammates on the field and along that sideline roared and mobbed their rookie.
Pro Bowl veteran Duane Brown continues to skip practices wanting a new contract. That Brown hasn’t been on the field the last two practices.
Until this week, the other, rookie Brown has been on the second and third units, behind Akhello Witherspoon at left cornerback. This week, he’s been more with the starters, opposite Tre Flowers. His most work yet with the ones was Thursday, apparently in preparation for Brown playing with the starting defense Saturday night when the Seahawks host Denver in the second preseason game, with the Broncos having a starting-quarterback competition.
The final series of Thursday’s practice was a highlight reel for the defensive backs.
On the next snap, Flowers poked Wilson’s pass away from John Ursua after the receiver had both hands on it.
Then on the final play of the day, Wilson tried to throw a quick slant to Metcalf, the route we will be seeing a lot this season in play caller Shane Waldron’s new offense. Nickel defensive back Ugo Amadi sure has seen it a lot this month. He was waiting on the pattern and pass as if assured it was coming. It was, right into Amadi’s hands in front of Metcalf for an interception.
The defensive players rejoiced like it was the last day of school.
In fact, Amadi’s been seeing those routes from Metcalf since high school.
They attended the same summer football camp in Alabama about a half-dozen years ago. Amadi got recruited to Metcalf’s University of Mississippi but ultimately chose to leave home in Nashville, Tennessee, to sign with Oregon.
“That camp was hot. I remember we drove from Nashville to Huntsville, Alabama,” Amadi said. “I was a DB MVP at that camp. I don’t think anybody ever talked about that.
“I had the little ‘Honey Badger’ mohawk. I went against DK. I went against some other receivers, too. There were some other top receivers there, too, and some top DB’s there, too. I remember talking to DK after that camp. It was a fun little experience for us.
“We was both skinny. We had a little bag of bones on us.”
Amadi continues to work as the first nickel back because Marquise Blair remains out with a sore knee cap, Carroll said. Blair had reconstructive knee surgery 11 months ago.
Reed has been out two weeks, giving Flowers the opportunity to reclaim the starting cornerback job he had as a rookie in 2018 and again in ‘19.
“Early next week, for sure,” Carroll said of Reed’s return to practicing.
Metcalf, back to normal
It wasn’t as if Metcalf got blanked Thursday.
It rarely is.
The Pro Bowl and record-setting receiver took a quick, play-action screen pass from Wilson earlier in the scrimmaging and ran untouched past the defense for a touchdown catch and run of about 50 yards. It was the biggest gain of the day for the offense that otherwise had spotty success against the secondary.
Wednesday, Metcalf did this:
The most impressive aspect of Metcalf’s touchdown play Thursday: rookie left tackle Stone Forsythe. The 6-8 Forsythe, who alternated on the starting offensive line with Jamarco Jones Thursday, got out of his stance so quickly he was in front of Metcalf ready to block on the screen even before Wilson completed his fake and before the ball arrived to the receiver.
It was an athletic and encouraging play, for the coaches — and for Forsythe. The sixth-round pick from Florida acknowledged his start last Saturday in his first NFL game, Seattle’s preseason opener at Las Vegas, “was a little rough start for me.” Forsythe didn’t communicate or pick up a blitzing linebacker who on the fifth play concussed quarterback Geno Smith. Then Forsythe committed a holding penalty to negate a long catch by Cody Thompson deep into Raiders territory.
Wilson to play Saturday?
Jones was out injured for two weeks. He returned to practice Tuesday, missed Wednesday, and practiced Thursday. It appears he will play Saturday against Denver.
That increases the chances Wilson will. Wilson didn’t play at Las Vegas while four starting offensive linemen didn’t play, either.
Lockett returns
Tyler Lockett participated at the start of 11-on-11 scrimmaging. It was his first practice in a week.
Lockett, who set the Seahawks record with 100 catches last season, had a groin injury. He had spent days working with a trainer on a side field.
Smith still sidelined
Smith returned to the field wearing a cap instead of a helmet, after being away the previous two days in concussion protocol. He threw a couple passes at the start of practice, then watched Alex McGough be the second-team QB again.
Also on day 16 of camp...
*Cornerback Damarious Randall, a former starter with Green Bay, has returned from injury to practice the last two days. He remains a backup.
*Free-agent Travis Toivonen from the University of North Dakota continues to have a noticeably good camp. The 6-3, 247-pound wide receiver keeps leaping over defenders to catch passes seemingly out of the sky. He did it while twisting in the air and keeping his feet inside the right sideline boundary of the end zone for a touchdown pass from Sean Mannion, over a surprised Randall.
*Wide receiver Cody Thompson, on Seattle’s practice squad the last two seasons, continues to get long, productive runs with Wilson and the first-team offense. He’s been good as a slot receiver and outside. Wilson throws to him often in scrimmages, and they’ve usually been complete — though Bobby Wagner reached across him to break up a short pass to Thompson Thursday.
*Rashaad Penny ended a 2-minute, hurry-up drive with a short touchdown run inside.
*Wagner playfully shadow-boxed with defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., son of the former heavyweight champion of the world, during the beginning, special-teams portion of practice.
Norton looked bemused and let Wagner carry on.
This story was originally published August 19, 2021 at 4:55 PM.
