For the first time since the 1991 season, the Seattle Seahawks will be participating in joint practices later on this summer. Last week the team announced that they will be holding a pair of practices with the Tennessee Titans on August 14 and 15 ahead of their preseason game on Saturday the 17th.
When head coach Mike Macdonald was asked about his decision, he said there’s a lot to like about joint practices, having done it every year he was with the Baltimore Ravens. Here’s everything he said, per Ari Horton at the official team website.
“They did it just about every season that I was there. Again, you’ve had some great experiences when it’s handled the right way and then some not as great to put it politely. So it’s really about controlling the environment. Guys understand what the spirit of the whole thing’s about and I believe we will be able to get that done… We know a lot of the coaches over there, how they operate and it’s an opportunity to put it in a setting where you can control the tempos, control the drills, get some high intensity [workouts] for the guys so they’re ready to roll. It’s just easier, a little bit controlled than true game reps… It’s hard to go against yourself all the time, especially all the way through OTA, so it’ll be good to see another offense. And for our offense, it’d be good to see what they’re running on defense. It’s just good to see different styles.”
There definitely is a lot to like about joint practices. The downside is the potential for scuffles to break out and pretty much every offseason we see two teams get into a serious full-blown brawl. That comes with the risk of players getting seriously injured or suspended multiple games for the coming season.
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