Devon Witherspoon’s status for Seahawks opener iffy. And the latest plan for Jamal Adams
Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Darrell Taylor are back.
Edge rusher Taylor was limited in parts of practice Wednesday, but, like Smith-Njigba, is on track to play Sunday in the Seahawks’ opener.
Devon Witherspoon was limited in practice. The rookie first-round draft choice’s status for the opening game against the Los Angeles Rams remains murky.
Coach Pete Carroll said now that Witherspoon is back on the field, the team doesn’t need more time to determine whether the fifth pick in this year’s draft is going to play inside as a nickel slot defender as he was in training camp or outside at left cornerback. Outside is where he starred at Illinois.
He could alternate with Coby Bryant, the team’s primary nickel back last season, upon his return.
Whether that’s Sunday or the following week at Detroit for Witherspoon’s debut is still to be determined.
“It’s just is he suited to play, physically? Can he endure?” Carroll said. “It’s a hammy that’s had two shots at it over the last few months. We have to be careful with it and make sure that we get him back and he can trust that he can go.
“He’s a really fired-up kid. He’s not going to hold back, and he’s not going to measure how he goes. We have to make sure that he’s right. We’ll see how the week goes, and we’ll determine it later on.”
Carroll said Tre Brown and Michael Jackson continue to compete to be the starting left cornerback Sunday against the Rams. That’s opposite 2022 rookie Pro Bowl right corner Riq Woolen. Brown had the lead there at the end of the preseason games.
Smith-Njigba was full go in practice for the second time this week. Wednesday’s work with a protective device over his surgically repaired left wrist came 14 days after the wide receiver’s surgery in Philadelphia.
Carroll said before the practice he expects his rookie first-round pick to be his slot receiver inside DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett Sunday.
Carroll also said Taylor, the team’s co-leader in sacks with Uchenna Nwosu last season, is ready to play against the Rams.
“He’s fired up,” Carroll said. “He’s ready to go.”
Yet Boye Mafe figures to continue starting at outside linebacker opposite Nwosu. Taylor would be a situational, third-down pass rusher — the role he had to end last season with 9 1/2 sacks.
Jordyn Brooks was also full go. He’s set to start next to Bobby Wagner at inside linebacker Sunday, remarkably just eight months after he torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.
So Seattle’s only injured regular who remains sidelined and out for the opener is Jamal Adams.
The three-time Pro Bowl safety is still practicing only in morning walk-throughs that are scheme-based without much running this week. Adams is slowing returning from a torn quadriceps tendon he got rushing quarterback Russell Wilson in Seattle’s 2022 opener 12 months ago.
“He’s really pumped up now. I was with Jamal today, this morning, and he was talking about how close it’s getting and how much he’s ready to get rolling,” Carroll said.
“But yet, we’re still on it and there’s still a process to it. Not quite there yet. He’s really positive.”
Carroll said Adams, 27, is “in maybe the strongest and best shape he’s ever been in, because he’s worked so hard throughout this process.”
Carroll said the team’s plan is to have Adams try participating next week in the main afternoon practices for the first time since his injury.
“(He’ll) get a lot of work next week,” Carroll said, “and we’ll start the process.”
The fact the team took him off the physically-unable-to-perform list, which he’d been on since July 26, before the preseason ended instead of keeping him on PUP to begin the season says the Seahawks think Adams will return for either the second, third or fourth games. Players on the PUP list to begin the season must miss a minimum of the first four games.
Seattle plays at Detroit in Week 2. It hosts Carolina in Week 3 and plays at the New York Giants in Week 4, Oct. 2.
Carroll was asked if Adams has been anxious to trying to buck the team’s conservative path back to practicing.
“No, not really. We’ve been on the same page for months now and during the process,” Carroll said.
“This is a really important time to demonstrate patience — on his part and ours, as well. We’re doing it and getting it done.”
Jamal Adams restructure
The Seahawks restructured Adams’ contract to save $6.6 million against this year’s salary cap, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. His base salary went from a scheduled $11 million to the veteran minimum of $1.08 million. Adams gets the difference now as a signing bonus instead of salary, to improve Seattle’s cap situation.
Restructuring contracts for one season is kicking the can down the road on cap charges in future years. Seattle’s $6.6 million saved this year gets spread in cost over the final two seasons of his $70 million contract, 2024 and ‘25. Adams’ salary-cap charge for next year is now $26.9 million, with a prohibitive $20.8 million dead cap hit if the team decided to release him in 2024.
Kenny McIntosh still out
Rookie running back Kenny McIntosh, the team’s seventh-round pick, remained out with the knee he sprained Aug. 4 plus a hamstring issue.
“He’s doing much better. He’s getting closer in his workouts to be able to be freed up to run,” Carroll said, “but not yet.”
Kenneth Walker, the 1,050-yard rusher as Seattle’s lead back last season, will be the first running back against the Rams. Rookie second-round pick Zach Charbonnet will get carries on early downs, too. Veteran DeeJay Dallas figures to get most of his work as the third-down back.
This story was originally published September 6, 2023 at 4:49 PM.
