The Mike Macdonald era is officially underway, and it got off to a running start. NFL practices are never slow, but the pace and execution for day one of training camp stood out. There are not official stats that track plays per practice. What I can say was that I never struggled to keep up with my notes after each play in the previous years, and definitely had that happen a few times today.
Macdonald comes to Seattle with a reputation for being detailed in his preparation. Early returns indicate that will transfer to his approach as a head coach. Of course, it was not only his success. Ryan Grubb was running his first NFL training camp practice on offense, and you would never know it.
It was roughly halfway through the practice before it occurred to me there was no telltale signs of a first time NFL offensive coordinator. Macdonald has been an NFL defensive coordinator for two years. Aden Durde has been in the NFL for years. There was no discernible difference between the defense and the offense in terms of execution.
It is customary for there to be a lot of false starts, confusion on routes or blocking, and just ugly play early in any camp. For Grubb to come in here and have his offense ready to go toe-to-toe with the best defensive coordinator in football on Day 1 speaks volumes about his own attention to detail and readiness to step into this role.
Geno Smith deserves plenty of credit as well. He was slinging the ball around without hesitation. He reached all parts of the field, including the middle, which was sometimes a forgotten part of the field under Shane Waldron. Smith has put in the work to learn this offense, and had his guys ready each and every snap.
The only false start I witnessed all practice happened with PJ Walker and the guys further down the depth chart. In that case, it looked like guys did not quite hear the play in the huddle.
Overall the offense stood out to me because of how many times I’ve witnessed bad offense early in camp. There were deep throws to D.K. Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and more. There were quick check-downs to Zach Charbonnet and Noah Fant. All skill players were utilized. All parts of the field. All with decisiveness.
Trying to assess the run game in an unpadded practice is silly. It is clearly an emphasis for Scott Huff and the offensive line. They spent a lot of time working on hand placement and moving defenders down the field.
Curtis to right tackle
McClendon Curtis was a bit of a surprise in OTAs and minicamp getting snaps as the first string right guard. He moved to right tackle in this practice, and looked at home. Macdonald mentioned after practice that Curtis has moved around a bit but he has stood out.
I had not seen Curtis in person before today. He’s a massive man. George Fant towers over most of the lineman. He’s huge. Curtis might be bigger. He also caught my attention as one of the more physical blockers among the lineman, showing good drive and a violent punch. Count me as intrigued.
Rookie report
Byron Murphy is among the most anticipated rookies in recent Seahawks history. Everyone talks about how big his legs are. My very first impression was, “Damn! He’s short!” That’s not news, but his body is considerably different than the typical NFL defensive lineman. It is hard for linemen to stand out in non-padded practices, but Murphy acquitted himself well when on the field. He got in the backfield a time or two. This was not a dominant display, but nothing to worry about.
Christian Haynes is also a shorty (says the guy who is 5’9″). My first impression was pretty neutral. I did not see anything notable one way or the other with Haynes. I was expecting a little more violence and power. Again, no pads and early, so nothing to worry about.
The rookie corners, Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James were activated off the NFI list and practiced. There was nothing notable for their first days.
Tyrice Knight looked good and athletic. He seemed to be in the right place on his coverage rotations and was quick to the ball.
Mike Jerrell looked more athletic than I expected. He moves well and seems to have some power. Sataoa Laumea was stiffer and seemed less powerful. They are playing different positions, but are competing for some of the last few spots on the offensive line.
Garrett Greenfield, the highly recruited undrafted free agent, is quite the athlete. He set the combine record for vertical leap (38″) by an offensive lineman. That athleticism was on display during position drills. He was on the wrong end of a bull rush from Derick Hall, however, that knocked him on his can.
Nelson Ceasar, another undrafted free agent, had a would-be sack during team drills.
George Holani, the running back from Boise State, has an NFL lower body with thick calves and strong thighs. He looked elusive and quick. He also showed up as a good receiver out of the backfield.
Jack Westover is thicker in the lower body than I remember him at University of Washington. He did not have any notable plays.
Other player notes
Sam Howell is a loooong way behind Smith. He held onto the ball for what felt like ages compared to Smith. Even when he found an open guy, as he did downfield with Dareke Young on once big completion, he was late to see him and deliver the ball. He was also high on a lot of throws.
Howell is short, which can contribute to overthrows in getting the ball over the line. There is absolutely zero quarterback competition at this point.
It was nice to see Grubb and Smith laughing during warm-ups. That bond is critical to the team and seems to be right on track, or even ahead of schedule.
Lance Boykin had a great pass breakup that had the defense hopping with excitement. He had a nice day, and has a lanky build that makes him an interesting corner prospect. He’s a guy I will be watching more closely, and could spell trouble for the rookie CBs who are trying to make the roster.
Mike Morris had some nice pressure. It was great to see him back on the field.
Metcalf looked as sharp as I have seen him. He had a fantastic touchdown catch in the red zone period despite blanket coverage from Tre Brown. He had a number of other big catches on the day, and just looked more like a professional than I remember. There was no emotion. He just made big plays and handed the ball to the ref. It was a small thing, but felt notable given some of his challenges in past years.
Smith-Njigba was a common target at various parts of the field and made the plays thrown his way.
Noah Fant was used a lot, especially in quick game.
Boye Mafe beat George Fant for what would have been a sack.
Hall had that bull rush on Greenfield and his legs will haunt my dreams. The dude looks like a super hero.
Connor Williams and Abe Lucas news loom large
Macdonald acknowledged after practice that the team had Connor Williams in for a visit and it, “went well.” He also offered that he would likely play center “if he were here.” That left me with the impression they plan on getting this done. That would be a massive addition to this line, offense, and team. He is an All-Pro level offensive lineman. If healthy, he would be the best player on that line.
The only reason he is available was a serious knee injury he suffered in December that some thought would cause the 27-year-old to retire. Instead, he passed the Seahawks physical and is reported to be in negotiations with the team about signing.
On the flip side, Macdonald was pretty noncommittal about Abe Lucas and his injury timeframe. He admitted he had hoped there would be more progress by now. He also said he could not put a timeframe on a return.
Lucas was at the practice and looked strong. He was walking with no limp and Macdonald said he was running full speed. People are going to worried about this until he is back on the field. My best guess is this will clear up in the next couple of weeks. The team is well positioned to handle it taking more time with Fant and now Curtis at right tackle.
Should the team get Lucas back and add Williams, the quality of this line dramatically leaps. We shall see.
Closing thought
You could feel the freshness of this new regime. It was evident in the staff, the coaches, the players. As much as everyone loved Pete Carroll, there was one thing he could not do, and that was be a breath of fresh air after 14 years in charge. Macdonald and crew have breathed new life into this franchise. Yes, it is one day, but that is evident already.