First impressions after Day One of Seahawks training camp
Sunday was the first day of Seahawks Training Camp in the Pacific Northwest. 12s experienced music through the speakers and poetry in motion on the field. The atmosphere was exactly how the game ought to be played: electric. Finally, the dawn of 2017 season is upon us.
After watching these men play on Sundays for years, I can say the Seahawks are nearly as impressive in practice as they are in games. The work ethic displayed by each player exudes the mantra we have heard in every interview during the Pete Carroll era, “Always Compete.”
Biggest Takeaways From Day 1 of Training Camp
Running Back Competition
There are three clear-cut favorites to possibly start this fall. A newly acquired Eddie Lacy, Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise. Although Prosise did not take part in practice Sunday due to an illness, the other two front-runners looked fantastic.
Lacy showed the crowd what we have seen him do for his entire career thus far in Green Bay. Find the open hole between the tackle and it is all downhill running from there into the secondary. Considering his weight is always a topic in the media, Lacy did look slimmer than usual at practice.
Rawls was quick and elusive. His ability to hit the lane hard and cut to the outside, similar to his performance against the Carolina Panthers last fall, gave freedom to the offensive line to not necessarily have to hold their block for very long. The energy Rawls brings in a game is identical to the player everyone saw during practice on Sunday.
But there is one player who definitely stood out in the group. It was second-year running back Alex Collins. The Arkansas product was shifty and at a pace that was just a notch above the rest.
This is only the beginning of this valued position being constantly examined but there is a case for Collins in the discussion for playing time.
Legion of Boom
As much as the new L.O.B. is going to assert themselves in the secondary, the original members looked fresh. An important element, whom the team missed last season, was free safety Earl Thomas. For the first time since the injury, the entire cast seemed comfortable.
The unspoken communication between strong safety Kam Chancellor, cornerback Richard Sherman and Thomas is majestic.
The Legion of Boom 2.0 will have their time this season, but there is nothing more spectacular than to see those three out on the field together. Especially if you’re a 12.
Highlight of the Day
The last stage of practice was a scrimmage. The Seahawks offense was pursuing the end zone going towards the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, which was north, and the defense was doing their best to keep them from reaching it.
Quarterback Russell Wilson dropped back to pass with pressure on the edges, looking far more comfortable in the pocket than last season, stepped up and threw a pass up to wide receiver Doug Baldwin. The receiver, wearing a backwards cap, caught the pass with one hand in the end zone over cornerback Sherman.
Related Story: Two position battles will determine Seattle's season
With chatter ensuing as they jogged back to huddle, it was nice to see veterans portraying an image of kids just playing football and having fun.