Tag: Benson Mayowa

Pete Carroll hoping for more rotation from Seahawks defensive line

Coach Pete Carroll is hoping for more rotation from the Seattle Seahawks defensive line, giving more players more snaps throughout 2020.

The Seattle Seahawks’ defensive line has been a work in progress in 2020 with a number of new faces coach Pete Carroll had hoped to plug in and play to help with the rotation.

Seattle selected defensive end Darrell Taylor in the second round of this year’s draft and Alton Robinson in the fifth, but both players were unavailable last Sunday. Taylor started the regular season on the Non-Football Injury list and Robinson was inactive.

Seattle also brought back a couple of former Seahawks to help with the rotation as well, Benson Mayowa and Bruce Irvin. Both had more snaps than Carroll would like Week 1, however, and the plan is to spread things out a bit more.

“We want our rotations better than that, more evenly matched if we can,” Carroll said Wednesday. “Sometimes you can, sometimes we can’t. Bruce is double-dipping because he’s playing the outside ‘backer spot, he’s really uniquely qualified to do that. He’s getting a lot of plays there, too. We just got to figure it out as we go.”

The Seahawks did recently sign defensive end Damontre Moore – another former Seattle player – who could join those Carroll plans to utilize in the future.

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Despite losing Clowney, Carroll likes Seahawks’ speed on the outside

Despite failing to re-sign Jadeveon Clowney, coach Pete Carroll likes the Seattle Seahawks’ speed on the outside and pass-rush possibilities.

The Seattle Seahawks lost out on the Jadeveon Clowney sweepstakes when he signed a deal with the Tennessee Titans over the weekend. That being said, Seattle did make some moves over the offseason that coach Pete Carroll hopes will help with the team’s pass-rushing efforts.

In particular, Seattle brought back former Seahawks Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa and drafted rookies Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson.

“I sure like our speed on the outside,” Carroll told reporters during his Monday press conference. “All of our guys have had numbers, they’ve got number to bring with them. To bring 16 sacks to us just in Benson and in Bruce, that’s a real positive. Our guys last year didn’t add up anywhere near that, so that’s a positive, and hopefully we can enhance their play.”

Carroll also mentioned veteran Jarran Reed, who got a late start last season due to his suspension over the first six games of the year.

“We really would like to see J-Reed come back to his number somewhere near what he did a couple years ago,” Carroll said. “He had kind of a stilted beginning last season. Now that he’s back and he’s in great shape and ready to go, if he can get his numbers anywhere near where he was to add to it, we can be in good shape.”

The Seahawks return to practice Wednesday to prepare to face the Falcons on Sunday to open their regular season.

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Pete Carroll optimistic about Seahawks defense for 2020 season

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll recently joined 710 ESPN Seattle and said that the team’s defense has significantly improved.

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll joined 710 ESPN Seattle and stated that the defense has vastly improved over this offseason.

Carroll emphasized that he and his staff have addressed the team’s pass rush issues by bringing in Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa among others and drafting defensive players with their first two picks this year.

“You can see we certainly went after the issues. It didn’t work out right and (defensive end) Ziggy (Ansah) wasn’t able to get to his true form at any time last year because of his shoulder and all that,” Carroll said. “We did not get the production on the edge that we wanted, so we went and addressed it. Getting Bruce Irvin in the program was really important for us because Bruce can play the SAM (linebacker) spot and be the Leo (edge rusher) – he’s done both – so that gave us a sense of security that we had some flexibility from the start, but then to get Benson Mayowa to come in, who had a very solid year with (Oakland with 7 sacks), he’s played the position, the Leo spot, and then in the draft, we get two guys who we really liked and are really pass rush-oriented guys that can help us speed-wise and in the rotations.”

Carroll expressed particular excitement about first-round rookie linebacker Jordyn Brooks.

“We think (Brooks is) going to be a fantastic addition to us,” Carroll said. “We’ll find out how it goes. It’s going to take a little bit of time. We haven’t been on the field for a step yet, so we won’t know until we get out there.”

Brooks has already displayed his knowledge of the game and is a quick learner, according to Carroll.

“Everything that he’s done and how he’s demonstrated his learning ability and taken to the system and all shows us that he should be ready to contribute and that just makes us competitively better, and that’s the whole idea,” Carroll said.

If the 2020 season proceeds as planned, we could soon see if the Seahawks’ supposed defensive improvements manifest on the field.

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Pete Carroll and Bobby Wagner express optimism for Seahawks defense

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and linebacker Bobby Wagner have expressed optimism about the team’s defense for the 2020 season.

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll is fired up about his defense and how they will perform in 2020 . . . if there is even a season.

Carroll went into specifics about the team’s decisions to sign Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa, as well as drafting Jordyn Brooks, Darrell Taylor, and Alton Robinson.

“Pretty pumped up about it,” Carroll said. “Getting Bruce to come back was a big deal. Bruce is such a versatile football player can play Sam and Leo and rush in nickel. That was a really good start to it for the defensive side. To hit it with Jordyn inside, he’s going to be an extraordinary football player for us, and he’s got flexibility to play around – we’ll figure out how to fit him in best. To get both guys on the edges that, I think Darrell and Alton are going to be guys that are going to really give us some juice. We’ve been fortunate, and we needed to get speed on the edge and we got it.”

Veteran linebacker and longtime-Seahawk Bobby Wagner expressed confidence in the team’s leadership and that having safety Quandre Diggs for a full season should serve the defense well if he stays healthy.

“How things look on paper is just paper, but until we kind of get out there and practice together, be around one another and grow, that’s kind of where you get everything,” Wagner said. “Having somebody like Q-Diggs for a whole season will change things, and that’s just one example. I think we have great leadership. I think we’re hungry. Personally, I can’t wait to get back out there on the field and do what we’ve always been doing.”

The Seahawks’ defense may have far less cause for optimism than the offense based on the last few years but fans surely hope that things will be different this season.

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NFL discussing allowing new players into club facilities in June

The NFL and the NFLPA are discussing allowing rookies and free agents who need physicals to return to club facilities by June 26.

COVID-19 may not be at the forefront of our country’s mind anymore, after issues of racial injustice and police brutality have taken over, but the impact it is having on the world of sports is still rampant – even if things are slowly starting to get back to normal.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that, while minicamps are not expected at all this year, there is discussion between the NFL and the NFL Player’s Association to allow rookies, as well as veterans who changed teams and need physicals, to return to club facilities on a limited basis as soon as June 26.

For the Seahawks, this would allow the team an opportunity to get their 25 rookies – eight draft picks and 17 undrafted free agents – into the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Washington – along with veteran newcomers Bruce Irvin, Benson Mayowa and Phillip Dorsett, among others.

There are still hurdles to be overcome, including King County’s rules on gatherings over 50 people, but this could be an opportunity for the team’s newcomers to start bonding with each other in person as the start of the 2020 NFL season continues to draw close.

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Branden Jackson could be cap casualty for Seahawks

Branden Jackson is under contract for $2.13 million, money the Seahawks could look to use elsewhere after making multiple additions at DE.

The Seattle Seahawks have a full 90-man roster and limited cap space remaining after recently finalizing contracts for Bruce Irvin, Carlos Hyde and Geno Smith.

However, that doesn’t mean they are done signing folks in free agency. And with plenty of talented players still available on the open market, the Seahawks could definitely find ways to shed some salary in order to make an addition or two before camp is set to begin in late July.

One way they could do so is by cutting veteran defensive end Branden Jackson. Jackson signed his restricted free agent tender back in April, bringing him back to the Seahawks and paying him $2.13 million in 2020.

While that’s not a huge some of money by any means, it would give the team slightly more wiggle room if they wanted to pursue a defensive tackle like Mike Daniels or Damon Harrison.

Jackson appeared in 15 games last year, recording 20 combined tackles, two passes defended and two sacks as a reserve five-tech. Seattle has yet to make a big signing to bolster their pass rush, but the additions of Irvin, Benson Mayowa and two draft picks: Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson, may be enough to push Jackson out of the rotation.

If Jackson cannot earn a spot over the newcomers, as well as returners like L.J. Collier and Rasheem Green, then Seattle will likely cut ties in order to use that cap space elsewhere.

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Why Troy’s Marcus Webb could make the Seahawks roster

The Seattle Seahawks have a lot of depth at five-tech, but former Troy star Marcus Webb could sneak onto the roster with a good camp.

The Seattle Seahawks brought in a whopping 17 undrafted free agents from the 2020 class to compete for spots on the active roster.

Most years, teams are lucky to get one UDFA to make the squad, as they are primarily brought in to give the team extra bodies during training camp.

However, the Seahawks have had plenty of luck in the past, going all the way back to Dave Krieg, and including Jermaine Kearse, Doug Baldwin and more recently, defensive tackle Poona Ford.

In fact, defensive tackles have been a recent source of success on the undrafted market, with Ford and Bryan Mone both making the team last year.

They have a handful of guys to choose from if they want an undrafted defensive lineman three years in a row, and one of them is former Troy University defensive end Marcus Webb.

Webb was a monster in his final season with the Trojans, leading the Sun Belt conference with seven sacks. His size (six-foot-three, 279 pounds) likely limits him to five-tech duty, as he is too small to line up on the interior and doesn’t have the requisite skills to be a LEO.

Five-tech is a position currently occupied by some combination of Benson Mayowa, Rasheem Green and L.J. Collier, with rookie Alton Robinson and Branden Jackson on hand as well.

While some of those guys will occasionally rotate inside on passing downs, it does appear to be pretty crowded at the moment.

However – the Seahawks will definitely have a close eye on Webb, and considering his performance in college, even in a not-so-great conference, there’s reason to believe he could work his way onto an expanded practice squad in 2020.

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Bruce Irvin told Bobby Wagner he missed being with Seattle last year

Bruce Irvin texted Bobby Wagner after the Seahawks win over the Eagles last year, telling him how badly he wanted to be back on the team.

The Seahawks brought the band back together this offseason, re-signing a pair of pass rushers who used to call Seattle home in Benson Mayowa and Bruce Irvin.

Irvin made it clear just how happy he is to be back with the Seahawks after spending the last four years elsewhere – calling his return “refreshing”.

“At this stage of my career, I felt like going back home with Seattle, I consider it my home, that was the best thing that could happen to me, especially in year nine,” Irvin told local Seattle media on Tuesday. “I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”

Irvin originally joined the Seahawks as the team’s first round pick in the famous 2012 draft, which also netted the Seahawks Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson – but was widely panned as a failure by draft pundits at the time.

He was with Seattle until 2016, and has been in Oakland, Atlanta and Carolina over the past four seasons.

Irvin was excellent last year with the Panthers, posting a career-high 8.5 sacks in just 13 games. His return to the Seahawks gives them a formidable pass rusher and outside linebacker, and it allows Irvin to reunite with former teammates and coaches – including defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr, who Irvin has a lot of respect for.

“Norton is a guy that I consider not only as my coach but as a father figure,” Irvin continued. “The guy took me to Oakland with him, and also he played a major role in bringing me back to Seattle.”

While Irvin said he had some other options this offseason, he made it clear just how badly he wanted to be back with the Seahawks, a feeling he had long before free agency officially opened in March.

“After the Philly game (Seattle’s Week 12 win over the Eagles) I sent Bobby a text message while they was on the plane, I was like ‘damn I wish I was on that plane with y’all'” Irvin continued. “I just wanted to come back man.”

Irvin is back home now, and he gives this Seattle squad a veteran pass rusher who is familiar with the defense and who can come in and immediately contribute, something they sorely need after a disappointing season getting to the quarterback in 2019.

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Seahawks seem content not making a big free agent signing

Despite clearing cap space, the Seattle Seahawks seem content to avoid making any big time free agent signings this offseason.

The first seven weeks of free agency have come and gone, with the 2020 NFL draft sprinkled in between, and while a handful of top-tier pass rushers remain available on the open market the Seattle Seahawks seem perfectly content to roll into the 2020 season with few, if any, more additions.

The recent release of Justin Britt and D.J. Fluker seemed to indicate a move was on the horizon, but those decisions appear to have been made to help the two veterans find a new job (which already happened for Fluker) rather than an immediate need to clear cap space.

With Jadeveon Clowney, Everson Griffen and Clay Matthews still available via free agency, and Matthew Judon and Yannick Ngakoue reportedly still available via trade, it looks more and more likely that Seattle will instead use their additional cap space as insurance during the season, something general manager John Schneider has repeatedly indicated is a priority for them.

“We have to be careful with our budget and our salary cap because as you guys have seen, we take pride in our ability to work with the coaches and try to build our team throughout the season,” Schneider said in a radio interview shortly after the draft. “This thing doesn’t stop when you get to 53. It doesn’t stop after the draft. There will be cap casualty guys out there throughout the offseason. What you don’t want to do is bring yourself right to the point where you’re not able to add players that are all of the sudden available on the market that you didn’t see coming.”

Another wrinkle is the recent report that Bruce Irvin will get paid a base value of $5.5 million in 2020, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson. That figure is higher than many expected, and gives the Seahawks considerably less financial flexibility to pursue a big name pass rusher this offseason.

The team will head into training camp with returners Rasheem Green, L.J. Collier, and Branden Jackson as well as Irvin and fellow free agent signing Benson Mayowa, and the two draft picks: Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson, all fighting for spots on the defensive line.

Whether that is enough talent to piece together an effective pass rush remains to be seen, but those holding their breath for another big addition may want to let go, at least for now.

Of course, this team has also proven time and time again they are willing to make big moves right before, or even during the season, so the door will never be fully closed.

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