Tag: 950 kjr

John Ursua’s quarantine includes workouts on the beaches of Hawaii

Seattle Seahawks receiver John Ursua is preparing for the season with sand workouts on the beaches of his hometown in Hawaii.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver John Ursua, like you and I, has been implementing the new social distancing recommendations into place while he prepares for the 2020 season.

However, thanks to his home in Hawaii being devoid of the usual throng of tourists, the second-year wideout has been able to enjoy his quarantined situation more than most.

“Some of the parks and beaches are open, so you can go to the beach and do a sand workout, then I can go to the park and put on my cleats and get together with a smaller group,” Ursua told Dave ‘Softy’ Mahler and Dick Fain on 950 KJR on Wednesday. “I go meet up with some of the QBs who are out here, so I’m just staying very active, staying anxious for any moment to get back.”

Ursua may get the luxury of working out on the beach, but he made it clear he is more than ready to be back in Seattle with his teammates getting ready for what should be a crucial season for the young receiver.

“It’s tough not having an exact timeline,” Ursua continued. “But in my mind, I just know I’ve got to keep working for any moment, because we might have to return at any time. I’m just excited to get back with everybody.”

Ursua was a seventh round pick by Seattle in 2019, and while he impressed in preseason he spent the majority of the year on the inactive report, only appearing in three games.

He had one catch, an 11-yard gain that nearly went for a touchdown against the 49ers, but otherwise was a non-factor in a crowded receiver room.

Ursua admitted he would have liked to have played more in year one, but acknowledged that his comfort level with the playbook and the team’s comfort in him was a process that took until partway through the season to be completed.

“Where I was comfortable and the coaches and Russ (Wilson) were comfortable with me, that didn’t really come until probably midway through the season,” Ursua continued. “I felt ready at any moment, honestly I felt comfortable if I had to play Week 1, but I think where everyone was on board and was seeing, ‘OK, John is starting to understand his playbook and is starting to get comfortable,’ I think it was probably midway through the season.”

The added comfortability will help, but Ursua will have to fight to earn targets in 2020, now that Seattle added free agent Phillip Dorsett and could add even more bodies during the NFL draft.

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Brian Schottenheimer optimistic about health for Carson, Penny

Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is optimistic about the return of running backs Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny in 2020.

The Seattle Seahawks watched helplessly as three of their running backs suffered season-ending injuries late in the 2019 campaign – eventually forcing the team to turn to rookie Travis Homer and a pair of veterans off the street in Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin.

While Lynch turned in four touchdowns in three games played, the loss of Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny was a big blow for the Seahawks during a crucial point in the season.

However, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer believes Carson (hip) and Penny (knee) are both well on the road to recovery, and thinks they’ll both be back in time for the 2020 campaign.

“I feel really good about both of those guys coming back,” Schottenheimer said in an interview with Sports Radio 950 KJR. “Obviously, they both had significant injuries. Chris has been through some injuries before. I think it was his rookie year before I got here he had the leg fracture. I think he’ll be great. It sounds like they’re doing well when we get our updates from those guys. Rashaad (is) a guy that really hasn’t had to deal with that adversity before but I think that we really saw him mature last year. He was really playing terrific football for us. We saw a difference with just the way he practiced, the way he prepared. Nobody wants to see their players get injured but the injury happened at a time where he was really kind of peaking and feeling great about himself and maturing as a young man and as a football player and I think that’s just going to lead into him having a terrific rehab as well.”

While Carson was the star of the season, rushing for 1,230 yards and seven touchdowns, it was Penny who had carried the load in the two weeks before he got hurt. Against the Eagles and Vikings, Penny rushed for 203 yards and two touchdowns combined before getting hurt against the Rams the following week.

Penny’s recovery is expected to be more challenging than Carson’s, with Carroll indicating he could spend part of training camp on the PUP list.

However – despite the injuries, Schottenheimer doesn’t seem too concerned about the team’s depth in the running back room.

“It’s a good group,” Schottenheimer continued. “We’ll see where those guys come back when we actually come back and have a chance to be together with them but my money is on both those guys to bounce back from those injuries.”

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