Debuting rookie Sataoa Laumea latest rewarded for Seahawks practices; ‘Just how we roll’
First, it was Coby Bryant.
Then, Josh Jobe, Cody White and Ty Okada.
All were reserves. Jobe, White and Okada were not even on the active roster.
All have made major contributions to the first-place Seahawks through 11 games this season.
Mike Macdonald has made it clear to his Seahawks locker room in his first season as a head coach, at any level: You perform consistently well in practices, you will play in games.
Sataoa Laumea is the latest to learn that. After months of impressive practices on both sides of Seattle’s offensive line, the rookie sixth-round draft choice is not only making his NFL debut Sunday, he’s starting. He’ll be the right guard when the Seahawks (6-5) attempt to stay on top of the division playing at the 3-8 New York Jets (10 a.m., channel 13).
This time last year Laumea was primarily a right tackle for the University of Utah. His Utes had just beaten Colorado. He was beginning preparations to play Northwestern in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Now he’s going to be blocking All-Pro Quinnen Williams and a formidable defensive line, the Jets’ strength, Sunday in MetLife Stadium across the Hudson River from Manhattan.
“Oh yeah, this is amazing,” Laumea said this week at his locker before one of his first practices as a Seahawks starter.
“Just to get the opportunity, yeah, this is can’t prepare. This is a dream.
“Yeah, I can’t even compare it. This is a different scale.”
Mike Macdonald’s way
Former coach Pete Carroll championed a mantra of “always compete” in his 15 years as the Seahawks’ coach. But the veteran coach didn’t often change lineups midseason based on practices. That was particularly true later in his tenure that ended following the team missing the playoffs last season.
Coby Bryant was a converted cornerback seemingly without a place on Carroll’s defense. He entered this preseason behind $36 million Pro Bowl safety Julian Love and freshly signed $12 million safety Rayshawn Jenkins on the depth chart. But Macdonald, who designs and runs the defense, saw Bryant kept doing the right things in practices each day against the starting offense.
Now he’s starting. He’s the safety with Love, over Jenkins. Bryant is the team’s co-leader in interceptions. He’s also the most recent NFC defensive player of the week. His 69-yard return of an interception on fourth down was the biggest play of Seattle’s win last weekend over Arizona, the team’s second consecutive division win. That’s vaulted the Seahawks from last place to first.
Jobe wasn’t on the team in training camp. The Seahawks signed him after Philadelphia waived him, onto Seattle’s practice squad Aug. 29. Undrafted out of Alabama in 2022, Jobe kept knocking down quarterback Geno Smith’s passes to starting receivers as a scout-team cornerback. He was always in the right place.
Macdonald elevated Jobe from the practice squad not just to back up, to start. He started his first Seahawks game Oct. 20, a win at Atlanta. He’s played in Seattle’s last five games on defense. Jobe made his second start last weekend against Arizona, when the Seahawks began the game in nickel with five defensive backs.
White bounced on and off Pittsburgh’s practice squad for years. Last January, the wide receiver with size signed a futures contract for Seattle’s offseason practices and workouts. He excelled in those. White was impressive using his size to make dependable catches throughout the preseason.
The Seahawks waived him and Okada, a hard-hitting but smaller safety, at the end of the preseason. They signed both back to the practice squad. White spent two months on that, and continued to impress. He got elevated to the game-day roster to play against the Los Angeles Rams Nov. 3. His catches for 28 and 16 yards late in regulation of his Seahawks debut helped rally them into overtime, in which they lost to the Rams.
Seattle elevated Okada from the practice squad Saturday for the third time, so he can play again Sunday at New York. Third quarterback Jaren Hall also got elevated from the practice squad to the game-day roster, for the first time.
Ask Macdonald about rewarding guys from their performances and preparation in practices, regardless of their background or standing, and the NFL’s youngest head coach looks and sounds surprised.
“It is not out of the ordinary from my perspective,” he said.
“This is just how we roll.
“It’s like, guys, they earn opportunities in practice,” Macdonald said. “And you should be confident that you’ve had all these reps that you’re standing on.
“And we’ll see, again...when (Laumea) is out there, let’s go rock and roll, man. Go do all the things you’ve been doing in practice this whole time. So he should be really excited.”
What does Macdonald look for in the practices that catches his eye and curiosity from a reserve and practice-squad player running on the scout team against the starters during game-prep weeks?
“Yeah, I think there’s a difference in when people say ‘making plays,’” Macdonald said. “People think of making tackles or picks or whatever. It’s just constantly doing the right things all the time.
“So it’s taking the right footwork. The A blocks, the B blocks, all the blocks that we’re doing, all the slips. How he handles one-on-one. His energy. Knowing his assignments. Obviously, you’re looking at the physical capabilities, as well.
“It’s not to add any pressure or anything on anybody, but this is the NFL. It’s the highest level,” Macdonald said. “You have to bring it every day. I think we do a great job of bringing competition to practice where you’re going to sharpen each other if you have that mentality.
“So we’re not just rolling the ball out there. We’re continuously trying to get better. And the best guys that are playing the best should get opportunities to play.”
Sataoa Laumea’s growth
He’s 6 feet 4 and 319 pounds, with a soft-spoken demeanor. So it’s hard to tell. But Laumea has grown since the Seahawks selected him in early May with the 179th overall pick in this year’s NFL draft.
He played right tackle primarily and right guard for Utah. The first half of his rookie season the Seahawks had him at left guard, backing up 12-year veteran Laken Tomlinson.
“I learned a lot over there. I had Laken Tomlinson to learn from. He’s a very experienced vet, an honor to learn from,” Laumea said.
After the Seahawks’ bye week ending Nov. 10, coaches moved Laumea to the right side. That’s where rookie Christian Haynes has had chances for four months to seize the job from Bradford. Coaches alternated Haynes and Bradford for much of the first half of the season.
Bradford is now on injured reserve. This week Haynes, the third-round pick who started 49 consecutive games to end his college career at Connecticut, competed with Laumea to be the right guard.
Laumea beat Haynes, too.
Sunday, Laumea will be the third rookie to play on Seattle’s offensive line this season. Mike Jerrell started two games at right tackle until starting veteran Abe Lucas made his season debut two games ago following his knee surgery last winter.
Laumea’s debut will be the fifth combination of five linemen Macdonald, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and line coach Scott Huff have used to start a game this season.
Laumea credits Bradford for helping him, too, particularly in transferring to the right side this past month.
Now he’s part of the Seahawks’ quest to beat Aaron Rodgers and the Jets to remain in the division lead heading into Seattle’s rematch at Arizona next weekend.
It sure beats practices for the Las Vegas Bowl.
‘Shoot, I feel like I’ve grown a lot,” Laumea said. “There’s a lot of great players in our line room I get to learn from, so I feel I made great strides. And I feel like most of it’s mentally, too.
“The game is much faster, so you got to pick up fast.”
This story was originally published November 30, 2024 at 3:31 PM.
