Jimmy Graham and Thomas Rawls are expected to start on PUP.
A few storylines to watch, from the P-I.
Players and positions to watch, from The Seattle Times.
This is Russell Wilson’s offense now.
A quick look at the entire offense entering camp.
John Schneider explains why the offensive line has no marquee players.
Moving Garry Gilliam to left tackle is a big leap of faith.
The Seahawks are expecting to compete for a second Super Bowl title this year, and they’re planning to do it with a completely revamped offensive line.
That scares a lot of fans who view the line as the one thing that could keep this team from winning it all — kind of like it did last year.
But, anyone who thinks they can’t overcome that concern probably forgot what happened in 2013.
The Seahawks’ defense has put together an unprecedented run — becoming the first modern NFL team to go four straight years as the No. 1 scoring unit.
After Seattle shut down Arizona 36-6 in the 2015 season finale to clinch the top spot again, a beaming Pete Carroll said, “I don’t know if there is a record that I could be more proud of than to see our guys go for four straight years and lead the league in scoring defense. I think that is a remarkable accomplishment by a bunch of guys dedicated to the program and what we are doing.”
Carroll’s defense also has given up the fewest yards over the last three years, ranking first in the 2013 and 2014 Super Bowl years and second last season.
That’s a pretty darn good run of defense — and yet the Seahawks know they can become more consistent if they can cover their Achilles’ heel.
Because they have so many veterans on the unit now, the coaches apparently are finally planning to address the soft underbelly of their defense, which has been prone to giving up big chunks of yards and too many touchdowns to tight ends, running backs and slot receivers.
Their plan to fix that issue figures to be one of the big stories of training camp, which begins Saturday.
It took Christine Michael a long time to figure out how not to be a “knucklehead.” But is it too late now?
The 2013 second-round pick never cared enough to try to unseat Robert Turbin as Marshawn Lynch’s backup. And then, last year, he lost his roster spot to undrafted Thomas Rawls, who was such a revelation that he is expected to replace Lynch permanently as Seattle’s No. 1 back.
It took injuries to Lynch, Turbin (waived injured last summer) and Rawls for Michael to finally get some playing time in Seattle. And that happened only after he was traded to the Cowboys, released, picked up by the Redskins and released again.
Michael did well in his return to Seattle, averaging 4.9 yards per carry in the final three games of the season and rushing for 70 yards in the playoff win over Minnesota (Lynch returned for the loss to Carolina, so Michael did not get a carry in that game).
Michael recently told USA Today that he started taking the game more seriously.
Continue reading Not a ‘knucklehead’ anymore, but is it too late for Michael?
With training camp starting in one week, let’s look at some pre-camp player reports:
Michael Bennett is griping about his contract yet again. But don’t believe him when he says, “Just get rid of me.”
Russell Wilson, who now looks almost as hulked up as Robert Turbin, told Q13 Fox: “We’ll try to bring back Super Bowl 51 if we can. We’ll do everything we can, every day. That’s a promise.”
Justin Britt’s switch to center is one of the major camp stories to watch.
Pete Carroll reminds us why the Seahawks think J’Marcus Webb will succeed with them.
Can Thomas Rawls take over for Marshawn Lynch — even if he doesn’t play in the preseason?
John Clayton projects Rawls to get 16-17 carries a game, with the other backs getting six or seven.
Christine Michael — among those trying to replace Lynch — admits, “I was just being a young guy, just being a knucklehead.”
Like last year, all eyes will be on Jimmy Graham — from camp through the season.
The countdown is well underway, with camp starting in about two weeks. Let’s look at some pre-camp player reports from some of the local outlets:
Bob Condotta looks at the importance of first-round pick Germain Ifedi working out.
Thomas Rawls said he is aiming to be ready for the start of camp.
John Clayton thinks Alex Collins could challenge Rawls for carries.
Collins is among 710 ESPN’s 25 Most Intriguing Seahawks.
Others on that burgeoning list include Jeremy Lane, Jordan Hill and rookie Tyvis Powell.
It should be no surprise that Thomas Rawls is fighting hard to be ready for the start of training camp: After all, he has a lot of competition to stave off.
Sure, Pete Carroll said Rawls remains the main man replacing Marshawn Lynch — a right Rawls earned by the way he played as a rookie last season (830 yards in 12 games). But the Seahawks drafted three running backs, and Carroll has said they have big plans for third-rounder C.J. Prosise.
Carroll’s overarching theme is ComPete, and Rawls knows it is entirely possible that he loses the No. 1 job if he is slow to get back on the field and Prosise and fifth-rounder Alex Collins excel in his absence. There are only so many carries to go around — even in Seattle’s run-heavy offense.
While everyone else is taking a few weeks off before camp, Rawls is working hard to come back from the broken ankle he suffered against Baltimore in Week 14.
Continue reading Rawls knows he needs to get back ASAP or risk losing the No. 1 spot
Some observations from the final official day of camp from those who were there (and other features):
Former Seahawk Marcus Trufant skydived into camp before practice.
Jermaine Kearse needed a good camp to stave off challenges from among the deepest receiving corps the Hawks have had under Pete Carroll, and he apparently continues to impress.
Kevin Smith has had a good camp and played well vs. Denver, but will it be enough to beat out Ricardo Lockette or B.J. Daniels?
Russell Wilson says he is clicking with all of his receivers and he is not concerned about the offensive line.
Hawk Blogger says the starting line looks fine with Justin Britt at left guard and Garry Gilliam at right tackle. But he also asks what we all are wondering: What happened to Alvin Bailey?
The P-I offered five takeaways from camp.
Richard Sherman supports Tom Brady in his appeal of his four-game suspension.
Darrell Bevell told Peter King he wouldn’t change the Super Bowl play call but it “will always be there to drive me.”
Some observations from Day 14 of camp from those who were there (and other features):
Earl Thomas returned to the field in pads for the first time since the Super Bowl.
“Just don’t go feelin’ sorry for me, people!” Nate Boyer said after the Hawks released him Tuesday.
Boyer was cut because the Hawks needed to add a quarterback: Tyler Lockett’s Kansas State QB, Jake Waters.
Anthony McCoy, who in the preseason opener showed his old habit of dropping easy catches, tried to make up for it in practice with a couple of great catches.
Field Gulls broke down all of Frank Clark’s big plays from Friday — and there were a lot of them.
Undrafted DT T.Y. McGill played well vs. Denver and remains motivated to keep impressing Pete Carroll and the coaches.
USA Today goes over old territory on the Chancellor holdout: the price of success, Kam still being a team player, etc.
The Sporting News ranks John Schneider as the best general manager in the NFL.
Jimmy Staten, waived by Seattle because of depth problems at cornerback, was picked up by the New York Giants.
Just over two weeks into camp, the Seahawks have even fewer cornerbacks than they started with — as impossible as that might seem.
They were so thin at the position in the first 10 days that they traded for Mohammed Seisay and converted Doug McNeil from wide receiver. And now those guys are hurt — Seisay with a groin and McNeil with an ankle, joining Richard Sherman (hip), Will Blackmon (groin), Jeremy Lane (ACL, arm) and Tharold Simon (shoulder).
With only Cary Williams, Marcus Burley, Tye Smith and Triston Wade healthy, the Hawks needed some bodies at the position, so they added two guys just to get through practice.
“We need legs at corner right now, so we’ll give these guys a chance,” Pete Carroll said of Jeremy Crayton and Keelan Johnson. “We’re a little bit behind with Sherm not being able to make it back and Will not making it back right away and Seisay gone, too, so we just need them for legs right now. But they’ll get a chance. They got tested today pretty good.”
