The good, bad and ugly from Seahawks training camp

Pete Carroll gave the Seahawks training camp update recently. He spent some time outlining where the players are at so far in training camp.

Coach Carroll gave his typical Seahawks weekly update recently. He dipped and weaved between questions to give his prototypical coach speak. I spent some time cross-examining what we know, compared to what Coach Carroll said, to give you an update on where the players are at.

It is incredibly important that the Seahawks get some players to stand out. Considering Russell Wilson has been holding the ropes keeping the team in playoff contention for several seasons single-handedly. He just can’t get it done all by himself. He needs help.

For every additional player that comes into their own, the closer the Seahawks get to the Super Bowl. Considering how much talent is in the NFC West, the Seahawks can’t afford to have many misses. Let’s go over what we have heard so far from training camp.

Positive notes from Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll’s press conference:

• Brandon Shell was praised for his physicality and athleticism. This is crucial considering he isn’t facing much opposition for the right tackle starting spot. Coach Carroll went as far as saying Shell might be his ‘favorite acquisition of the off-season.’
• Benson Mayowa is looking like the real deal as the starting LEO. His technique and speed is burning offensive lineman left and right. He has 7 sacks in 8 games for the Raiders last year. Don’t be surprised if he gets 10+ sacks this year.
• Rookie defensive end Alton Robinson is starting to turn some heads in pass rush sets. Too early to put too much weight behind this, but something to keep an eye on.
• Quinton Dunbar is already very familiar with the Seahawks patented kick-step technique. This is crucial considering how much time he was forced to be away from the team.
• Coach Carroll is very high on second-year defensive tackle Bryan Mone. He will likely be the next man up behind Poona Ford at the 1-tech. This likely means if the Seahawks bring in another defensive tackle it will be a 3-tech DT.
• Shaquem Griffin may finally be settling into a pass rush role as a situational defensive end. Thus far, he had been used primarily as a linebacker. In drills, it looks like he has spent some serious time trying to master Vonn Miller’s ‘ghost’ speed rush move. This could be huge.
• The linebacker room absolutely stacked. It’s not just Wagner, Irvin, Wright and Brooks that are showing out either. Both Cody Barton and Ben Burr Kirven have been impressive. There are going to be some very tough decisions come the roster cuts.
• LJ Collier showed up to camp in phenomenal shape. He has been impressing players and coaches with his quickness and explosiveness off the line. He was always going to be a developmental player. If he can develop and do it quickly, he could be a real force bouncing between the 5-tech (DE) and the 3-tech (DT behind Jarran Reed) this season.
• Cody Thompson has been quietly productive. He spent most of last season on the practice squad. Thus far, he has made some decent waves with the second team and first-team offenses. He has received a lot of targets and made some impressive catches. He is one of those low-key guys to keep an eye on come roster cuts. He could be a surprise.
• DeeJay Dallas has impressed nearly everyone. Players and coaches have raved about his intellect, drive and work ethic. Seeing him in pads, it’s obvious why everyone is so high on him. He is an absolute beast. His contact balance and ability to take a hit is very impressive. He is going to be special for the Seahawks.
• Rookie guard Damien Lewis is nearly a shoo-in for the right guard starting spot. He has been a monster shutting down defensive lineman after defensive lineman in drills. The Seahawks appeared to have hit on this draft selection.
• Jamal Adams may be new to the team. He has already made quite the impression. The team is feeding off his energy. He has displayed consistent leadership. He is also making plays including intercepting Russell Wilson in the end zone.

A couple less positive takeaways for the Seahawks:

• 2nd round pick Darrell Taylor is likely out for a while. Three things we know to be true; death, taxes and Seahawks early-round rookies being held out for unknown injuries. It sounds like this will be a very similar circumstance to LJ Collier last season.
• 1st round pick Jordyn Brooks was held out of practice. It was cited as a rest day. However, there is some concern his shoulder could be acting up. He has injured his shoulder twice in the last 3 years.
• BJ Finney is in no way shape or form a shoo-in for the starting center spot. Its been relatively quiet on his front, which is typically not a good thing. Ethan Pocic has been taking the majority of first-team snaps. This is disappointing. Many media outlets (including myself) have been very high on Finney this off-season.

• Rasheem Green was less than impressive in 1v1 drills. Considering many (again, including myself) have pegged Green as a breakout candidate, it is disappointing to see him shut down multiple times by third-string offensive lineman Kyle Fuller.