Seahawks training camp has begun. Who will win the defensive starting jobs?
The mantra of the Seahawks is “Always Compete”. Who will compete for the starting roles on defense for 2017?
Ah yes, it seems that it was only yesterday that I wrote “Someone is going to get hurt, and it’s going to make 12s unhappy.” In fact it was just yesterday. And today we have the news that the Seahawks will be missing Malik McDowell indefinitely. Not great news at all. Hopefully he can return soon.
But this isn’t about McDowell. Just click the following link for more on that situation. Nor is this about the first day of training camp. No, it’s time for a quick breakdown of who I think will win starting roles on the Seahawks defense. Unlike the offense, more positions on this side of the ball are inked in. Really, there are only two spots open. Then again, you do have to “Always Compete.”
Related Story: How the Seahawks can fill the void left by McDowell's injury
The defensive line applies the pressure
The defensive ends are solid, featuring Pro Bowl bookends Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril. Frank Clark is practically a starter himself, as he rotates in so often. In fact, he had over 100 more snaps than Bennett last season. So let’s call him the co-starter.
On the interior defensive line, Ahtyba Rubin and Jarren Reed should again get the lion’s share of snaps. Quinton Jefferson and rookie Nazair Jones should provide ample relief when needed.
The linebacking corps is stable, but expect changes
So what on Earth do I mean by that? Two spots are as indelible as any on the team, with two more Pro Bowlers, Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright. So how can there be changes? Well, last year’s SAM backer, Mike Morgan, is gone. Michael Wilhoite is the favorite to take his place. But considering Morgan only saw 138 snaps last season, the strongside linebacker isn’t exactly a starter. We’ll address who will most often fill this 11th spot on the defense in the next section.
Starting safeties are of course the true beasts of the team, Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas III. Joining this group as a quasi-starter will be Bradley McDougald, who I think will see about 600 snaps. That’s about five times the snaps the SAM linebacker will see; hence McDougald is the true 11th man on the field. Not as cool as being the 12th, of course, but I’m sure he’ll take it. As our brilliant (this endorsement non-compensated) Lee Vowell wrote last week, either McDougald or the nearly lethal Chancellor could creep up and fill the big nickel role.
As for cornerbacks, we know All-World Richard Sherman will lock down the left side of the field. As for the right side – finally, we have a competition. While the consensus on our staff is that Jeremy Lane will win the job, I think rookie Shaquill Griffin will overtake him in camp. After all, Griffin is the highest draft selection by the Seahawks at corner since – Richard Sherman. And once DeShawn Shead returns, hopefully just before mid-season, we’ll have some amazing competition for the job on a weekly basis.
And that’s a wrap for now. We’ll keep bringing you news from training camp every day. Hopefully, no more like the news about Malik McDowell. Hope to see you back soon, sir!