Nick Emmanwori is a key part of the Seattle Seahawks defense, of course, and what he did as a rookie last season was incredible. He not only adapted and adjusted quickly to what head coach Mike Macdonald needed, but he also excelled.
In Year 2 and beyond, he could be even better, but he needs to be healthy enough to do so. Last season, Emmanwori hurt his ankle in Week 1, returned in Week 5, and continued to play. This past offseason, the safety's ailment wasn't going away as quickly as hoped, though, and he had surgery in July. The hope was he would return for the first game of the season.
But, according to Seahawks insider Brian Nemhauser, forget Week 1. Think sooner, like possibly a return to training camp this week.
Nick Emmanwori seems set to return to practice for the Seattle Seahawks
Nemhauser tweeted after the team announced that Emmanwori had passed his physical, a necessary step to return to play, "I have confirmation that this means Nick Emmanwori is off PUP. We will see if he is back on the practice field today or this week."
That, obviously, is terrific news, but even if the defensive back doesn't return for two weeks, all the world will be right again. He doesn't need lots of practice to be brilliant, of course, and he already knows how he fits in the defense. He doesn't have to practice right now to be good for the beginning of the season when Seattle plays the New England Patriots on Wednesday, September 9.
For instance, when the Seahawks play the Dallas Cowboys in each team's first preseason game, one shouldn't expect Emmanwori to play, even if he had been completely healthy for all of training camp. Preseason games are for backups trying to prove they deserve a roster spot. Emmanwori has already proven he should start.
The fun part with the second-year player is where he will start. He could line up on the first play in Week 1 at slot corner, safety, or outside corner. His versatility allows Mike Macdonald to be even more creative and have the opposing offense constantly guessing at where Emmanwori will be.
The same can be said of cornerback Devon Witherspoon, too. In the two players, the Seattle Seahawks have two elite defensive backs who offer excellent positional flexibility. Macdonald is amazing at what he schemes, of course, but having players like Emmanwori and Witherspoon maximizes the system. Now fans know that Emmanwori will be back soon. Thankfully.
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