4 position clashes to watch at Seattle Seahawks training camp in 2023
By Lee Vowell
The Seattle Seahawks begin training camp on July 26th. Players report on July 25th, but there won't be much activity other than them checking in. The real fun begins the next day and in the week ahead.
Seattle plays its first preseason game on Thursday, August 10th at 7 pm PT. This means there is a quick turnaround between when training camp begins and the preseason games start. Whatever impression the players made in minicamp in June is likely going to roll over into training camp as well.
Seattle still has several starting spots likely open for players to fight for. At times, whoever doesn't earn the starting gig might not even make the active roster. But besides just who earns starting spots, there are other battles to watch for in training camp, too. Here's what to watch.
Seahawks WR4 battle
We can assume, if all are healthy, that Seattle's top three receivers will be Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Among the top four targets for Geno Smith in 2023 will probably also be tight end Noah Fant. Fant is entering the final season of his current deal so he is going to want to have a highly productive season to earn big dollars for his next contract.
But whoever wins the WR4 spot for Seattle is clearly going to be important. Expecting the top three receivers to stay healthy every game of the season is probably asking too much. Even if that happens, every team uses a rotation of receivers. And WR4 is going to see almost exclusively one-on-one coverage so if they can beat their guy, they can have explosive plays.
Dee Eskridge and Dareke Young will probably be the two guys most likely to earn this spot. But can Eskridge stay healthy enough and run his routes efficiently enough to earn the trust of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and receivers coach Sanjay Lal? Can Young use the experience he gained in the NFL in 2022 after making a jump from a small college and turn that into earning lots more offensive snaps in 2023? Whichever player is the most consistent throughout training camp and the preseason will be WR4 and the other may not make the roster.