Tag: Jake Heaps

Russell Wilson working with personal QB coach in California

Before reporting for the start of the Broncos’ offseason program, Russell Wilson worked with his personal QB coach in California.

As the Denver Broncos prepare to begin their offseason program on Tuesday, quarterback Russell Wilson is busy gearing up for a comeback season after his 2022 debacle.

Wilson is expected to report to the team’s UCHealth Training Center this week. Before that, Wilson recently shared photos on Twitter showing him working at his home in California. Wilson’s personal quarterback coach, Jake Heaps, also shared a picture on Twitter with Wilson’s offseason workout crew.

Heaps tweeted that this is the pair’s seventh offseason together, which means their relationship goes back to the 2017 NFL offseason during Wilson’s time in Seattle.

New Broncos coach Sean Payton has kicked Heaps out of the team’s facility — Nathaniel Hackett let him in last year — but Wilson is still welcome to work with the coach on his own time.

Before reporting for the start of offseason workouts, Wilson got some work done with Heaps in California, which Payton has allowed.

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Broncos young QBs coach Davis Webb has an intriguing resume

Davis Webb was a player-coach of sorts, helping Josh Allen and Daniel Jones improve as QBs. Now he’s a full-time coach for Russell Wilson.

The Denver Broncos have brought in Davis Webb as their new quarterbacks coach. Webb is an intriguing hire given that he was playing in the NFL just last season, but he already has experience in a player-coach type of role.

Webb started his NFL career as a backup with the New York Giants in 2017, then he spent the 2018 season with the New York Jets before joining the Buffalo Bills in 2019 behind Josh Allen.

With Webb as a backup, Allen threw for 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns in 2020 and 4,407 yards and 36 touchdowns in 2021. Maybe that was a coincidence, but the Bills seemed to like what Webb brought to the quarterback room, and they wanted to hire him as QBs coach last year.

Webb decided against a transition to coaching in 2022 so he could continue his career as a player, opting to re-join the Giants last spring. Daniel Jones then posted career highs in completion percentage (67.2%) and passing yards (3,205) in 2022, leading New York to a 9-6-1 record.

Allen and Jones both showed improvements as QBs with Webb working alongside them. Maybe that was a coincidence. Maybe it wasn’t.

Webb is now set to work with Russell Wilson in 2023, but he’s no longer a player-coach of sorts — Webb will be a full-time QBs coach this year.

Webb is 28 years old — six years younger than Wilson — but having a coach younger than him won’t be a foreign concept to Wilson. Last year, Wilson had a personal QBs coach, Jake Heaps, who is three years younger than him and had a brief career in the NFL, similar to Webb.

Heaps was in Denver’s facility last year alongside Klint Kubiak, the team’s actual QBs coach. Sean Payton has since kicked out Wilson’s personal staff. Webb will now serve as Wilson’s QB coach and judging from his time with Allen and Jones, Webb should be a good addition to the QB room.

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Broncos coach Sean Payton kicks Russell Wilson’s personal coaches out of facility

“Just know that we’re working, but with a little bit less visibility on social media and all those other things,” Sean Payton said.

When quarterback Russell Wilson arrived at the Denver Broncos’ UCHealth Training Center last spring, he brought an entourage with him.

Wilson was accompanied by Jake Heaps, his personal quarterback coach, and other members of his personal staff. Nathaniel Hackett, who served as Denver’s head coach at the time, allowed Wilson’s personal crew in the facility.

New head coach Sean Payton is now kicking them out.

“I’m not too familiar with that,” Payton said Monday when asked about players having their own personal coaches in the building last year, via ESPN. “That’s foreign to me — that’s not going to take place. I’m unfamiliar with it. Our staff will be here, our players will be here and that will be it.”

Wilson can continue working with his personal coaches on his own time, but they won’t have a presence in the team’s facility anymore.

It’s clear that Payton will be running the show going forward, and he hinted that Wilson’s celebrity, social media persona might be tamped down a bit as well.

“I kind of use this term, ‘A little bit more anonymous donors this season,’” Payton said. “Just know that we’re working, but with a little bit less visibility on social media and all those other things. We’re going to get to work, and ultimately, it’s how we do in the fall. We kind of go from there. We have to earn it with our fans. We’ve got fantastic fans that will appreciate that.”

There’s a new sheriff in town, Broncos Country. Payton wants players to do their talking on the field, and they’ll be coached by the in-house staff. Fans can probably expect less visibility from Wilson and his crew going forward.

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Drew Lock’s personal coach: New Seahawks QB ‘really respects this game’

Here’s what he told Jake Heaps and Stacy Jo Rost about Lock’s game.

The Russell Wilson trade was tough to swallow for a lot of Seattle Seahawks fans. For some the deal may be irredeemable, but it would certainly help salve the wound if they are truly getting the best version of Drew Lock from the Denver Broncos.

For what it’s worth, Lock’s personal quarterback coach Justin Hoover believes that’s the case. He was a guest on ESPN 710 Seattle earlier this week. Here’s what he told Jake Heaps and Stacy Jo Rost about Lock’s game.

“I just saw him last week and I think he’s kind of rejuvenated and feels great mentally and physically. I think you’re going to get the best version of Drew Lock moving forward… He really respects this game and loves this game. For him, the respect of the game and recognizing the best version of himself… he just needs to get back to that point kind of between the ears, as a confidence part.”

Statistically, the best we have seen from Lock at this level came late in the 2019 campaign. After Denver’s starter Joe Flacco went down with a neck injury, Lock closed out the season as the team’s QB1 over the final five games. He posted a 4-1 record, totaling a 64.1% completion rate, seven touchdowns, three interceptions and a 50.2 QBR.

Lock followed that good work with a rough 2020 season, when he led the NFL with 15 interceptions. He also struggled in his three starts in 2021 when Teddy Bridgewater was injured, going 0-3 and totaling a 23.4 QBR. Ball security has been an issue for him throughout and he has 13 fumbles in just 24 games.

While the numbers aren’t pretty, there’s undeniable athletic potential at work, here. If Lock can cut down on his turnovers and the Seahawks embrace what he does well – mostly play action – he may yet become a solid starter.

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Jake Heaps: Seahawks acquiring Sean Desai was ‘no easy feat’

Desai had been courted by several teams around the NFL for numerous different positions, according to former Seahawks quarterback Jake Heaps.

The Seattle Seahawks are revamping their defensive coaching staff and have recently hired a highly-regarded prospect in Sean Desai as their associate defensive head coach. 

Desai had been courted by several teams around the NFL for numerous different positions, according to former Seahawks quarterback Jake Heaps.

“This guy was very much in demand across the NFL. Let me be very clear about that,” Heaps said on 710 ESPN Seattle. “So getting Sean Desai here to Seattle was no easy feat. Not only was he interviewing for other defensive coordinator positions and didn’t get them as time went on, but he was very sought after in terms of being a guy that everyone wanted him to be a part of their staffs, whether it was (to run the) secondary, whether it was passing game coordinator, you name it. And Pete Carroll identified him through that process early on and wanted him badly.”

Seattle ranked dead last in time of possession in 2021, largely because their defense could not get off the field on a consistent basis. They are hoping that new defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt and Desai can assist in mitigating those situations. Desai will have a prominent role in the formulation of the Seahawks’ defensive game plans that will hopefully allow players to thrive and execute in 2022.

“No. 1, the autonomy in which the game plans and the overall coaching structure would work,” Heaps said. “… Sean Desai wanted to not just be a member of the staff but to have a say and to have a clear working relationship in terms of putting together game plans, how all that’s going to come together. He got the assurances he needed on that end. Very big.”

However, coaching is only one part of the equation. Seattle will need to upgrade their defensive unit with all the pieces they can acquire in free agency and the 2022 NFL draft to produce the desired on-field results.

In the aftermath of the Los Angeles Rams winning Super Bowl LVI and the San Francisco 49ers making the NFC Championship, the pressure for Seattle to hit on their acquisitions this offseason is considerably high. 

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Lost 2021 season could be what Seahawks need for necessary change

A lost season could force the hand of Seahawks management to make major changes around the organization, and it is clear that they must be made.

The 2021 season will not be fondly remembered by Seahawks fans for obvious reasons, but perhaps it is exactly the kind of season they needed. The team currently holds a 5-8 record and have little to no chance at the postseason unless they win out and get some help from their conference rivals. A lost season could force the hand of Seahawks management to make major changes around the organization, and it is clear that they must be made.

Former Seattle quarterback Jake Heaps stated on 710 ESPN Seattle that if the team makes the playoffs, the organization could get complacent and refrain from making necessary changes.

“What is the best thing for this team?” Heaps told his co-host Stacy Rost on Friday. “Honestly – is it making the playoffs by being able to win out and sneak into the playoffs? Or is it at this point for this team, I’m not saying lose every game, but for them to not be in a position where they can ride high, go undefeated through the rest of the way and say, ‘Hey, we can make all the excuses as to what happened in the season and not make any changes moving forward,’”

“There are things within the franchise that are currently broken, there are things in practices going on right now and it’s just very clear, just very open,” Heaps continued. “From a player acquisition standpoint, that’s broken, it’s not working. A drafting perspective, that isn’t working. From an overall play standpoint, we’re running into the same issues, the same conversations for multiple, multiple years now. So to me, that is something that I look at and I say there needs to be change, there needs to be serious change in terms of the way that either the power dynamics are set or getting in new eyes, making a concerted effort to make sure that you’re improving rather than staying stagnant.”

But what changes should be made in particular? It starts with the two in charge of football operations.

Numerous fans and analysts hold the opinion that Seahawks coach Pete Carroll should be fired as well as general manager John Schneider to a lesser extent. This is not to discredit Carroll and Schneider’s contributions to the franchise’s sustained success over the past decade, but the team has not advanced to an NFC Championship since the 2014 season despite making the postseason nearly every year since 2012.

While Carroll’s teams have nearly always been competitive, they have consistently played down to inferior competition for years now. His philosophy of winning by running the ball extensively seems dated in today’s pass-heavy NFL and his offense’s lack of creativity has been on display for some time.

As for Schneider, a good number of his decisions regarding trades and drafting have been disappointing. While one cannot expect anyone to hit on every trade and pick in a given year, one could also argue that too many of his decisions in recent seasons have harmed the organization, most notably the Jamal Adams trade for two first-round picks and a third-round pick. The roster as currently constructed is not talented enough to make a championship run and Schneider has played a large role in that.

For a long time, these Seahawks have been too good to force ownership to make drastic changes, but also not good enough to truly contend for a Super Bowl.

“My fear is that if you win out and you get into the playoffs, you’re going to fall into this trap of being content and being complacent and saying, ‘We were fine all along and we’re not going to make any legitimate change to progress the franchise forward,’” Heaps said. “And here we are next year having somewhat of the similar conversations, again.”

Heaps makes a lot of good points, but it will be up to owner Jody Allen to make the right personnel decisions for the franchise moving forward. This disappointing 2021 season could be what Seattle needs for change to come and this upcoming offseason will be very intriguing, to say the least.

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Jared Allen regrets not signing with Seahawks in 2014 free agency

Former NFL defensive end Jared Allen stated that he regrets not signing with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014 when he hit free agency.

Former NFL defensive end Jared Allen joined 710 ESPN Seattle and revealed that he strongly considered joining the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent back in 2014, the year after they won Super Bowl XLVIII.

Allen confessed that he had a desire to wear the blue and green because of the organization’s reputation and the feeling that he would enjoy himself in the Emerald City, but the two sides ultimately could not come to a contract agreement. He stated that not signing with Seattle remains his lone regret in his playing career.

“You know what? It really was (that) we just couldn’t come together on the contract,” Allen told Jake Heaps and Stacy Rost. “And it’s no disrespect to anybody, that organization was phenomenal, my wife and I really wanted to be there. I still today say that’s probably – if I have one regret in my career, it was not just signing with the Seahawks and finishing it up there. Everything they said I loved, and the organization was phenomenal. It seemed like fun, and that was the biggest part. I was really looking to try to have fun in my last couple years … we were trying to get the deal to work, it didn’t really come together.”

Allen decided to sign with the Bears on a four-year, $32 million contract, which fit his financial demands and then some.

“Chicago came in last minute and kind of, (it was) the one time I took the money,” Allen said. “They made me an offer I couldn’t say no to. That’s kind of what happened there. But yeah, it was all but a done deal. I think my wife was still mad at me for not getting that one done, especially when (the Seahawks) were playing in the Super Bowl that year in Arizona. One of my dearest friends Kevin Williams was on the team and watching him I was like, ‘Aw man, we just had a miserable season in Chicago and here’s Kev playing in the Super Bowl. Should’ve signed with Seattle.’”

Allen ultimately put together an accomplished career, achieving five Pro Bowl selections and four First-Team All-Pro nods, as well as 136 sacks over 12 seasons in the league. Who knows what could have been if he had chosen to sign with the Seahawks in 2014.

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Seahawks must improve offensive line to contend in 2021

Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jake Heaps stated that the team must improve the offensive line to contend in the 2021 season.

After the Seattle Seahawks’ 2020 season ended abruptly at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams, calls for change were directed towards all areas of the organization.

Coaching, schematics, Russell Wilson, run defense . . . all were blamed for the loss. However, former Seahawks quarterback Jake Heaps pinpointed another area in need of improvement – the offensive line.

“There’s only one that is abundantly clear, and that is your offensive line. You have to improve in that area,” Heaps said on 710 ESPN Seattle’s Jake and Stacy.

Heaps elaborated that the best quarterbacks of the modern era have all had solid offensive lines throughout their careers, and this has consistently allowed them to work their magic on opposing defenses.

“What have Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, all these great quarterbacks in this league had?” Heaps continued. “They’ve had tremendous protection, top-line protection.”

Wilson has never had a top-tier offensive line, but the big guys up front have not always been to blame for his struggles, as we saw from Wilson’s play in 2020. Additionally, Seattle currently suffers from a dearth of draft picks in 2021 and a few other areas to be concerned about. We can only wait until free agency and the draft to see how the Seahawks will address their situation.

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Jake Heaps expects Josh Gordon to have immediate impact in return

Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jake Heaps expects Josh Gordon to have an immediate impact in his return against the Los Angeles Rams.

Josh Gordon has been reinstated to the NFL and can join the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16 provided he tests negative for COVID-19. His return could not have come at a better time since that is when they take on the Los Angeles Rams, a team they have suffered several losses against in recent years, for the second time this season.

Former Seahawks quarterback Jake Heaps stated on 710 ESPN Seattle’s Jake and Stacy that he expects Gordon to excel as soon as he hits the field despite not playing in 14 games in 2020 and missing the last two games of 2019 due to his suspension.

“Josh to me is one of those players that when you look at how he has handled this particular suspension, the one thing that you have to commend Josh Gordon for is he has continued to work out through all of it,” Heaps said.

Heaps pointed out that Gordon has relentlessly prepared himself for the time he sees the field despite his personal issues and not knowing the length of his suspension, which showcases his dedication to both the team and the game itself.

“I’m very impressed by him being able to go through the situation that he has had, the battles he has had, and try to be as ready as possible for this team because as we have wondered as Seahawks fans (when he would return), so has Josh Gordon,” Heaps said. “He has had no idea how long the NFL was going to suspend him, when they were going to take him off the suspension list, so he has been getting himself ready to play each and every single week.”

However, Gordon is returning from his fifth NFL suspension, so the calls to keep himself in line have never been louder, despite him being restricted to two regular-season games and the postseason if the Seahawks make it there.

Gordon may be present at meetings and can work out on his own as early as December 9, but he cannot play or be in close proximity to his teammates until December 21.

“I believe that the way they allowed him to come back – he starts the (COVID) testing protocol, next week he gets around the facility and he’s allowed to work out – it gives him enough time to really ensure that he is mentally and physically ready to go once he is allowed to play in Week 16,” Heaps said. “So I have zero hesitation saying you should see Josh Gordon play without any lingering physical issues. I think he’ll be able to contribute.”

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Why Seahawks DK Metcalf will be a Pro Bowler his sophomore season

Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jake Heaps stated that wide receiver DK Metcalf will be a Pro Bowler in his second season as a pro.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf had a sensational rookie year in 2019 and is gearing up for 2020 to take the next step in his NFL career. Former team quarterback Jake Heaps expressed his confidence that Metcalf would do just that.

“I think DK Metcalf is going to be a Pro Bowler in Year 2,” Heaps said on 710 ESPN Seattle on Friday. “I just think DK is ready to explode onto the scene yet again in a big way and show that DK Metcalf can be one of the elite receivers in this league.”

Metcalf recorded 58 receptions for 900 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019. He will have to work hard and further his chemistry with Russell Wilson to top that production in his sophomore season.

“I think DK has continued to work extremely hard on his craft, and I think that Russell and DK’s relationship has continued to grow and mature,” Heaps said.

Heaps stated that Metcalf now has expectations to improve and that he cannot get complacent because opposing defenses may adjust to him, but he has been extremely impressive.

“Gosh, I’ve just been so impressed with this guy. He’s been a pro’s pro since the beginning and that has not changed this offseason after a rookie year. You typically see some rookie sensations struggle in the second year or third year of their career because they get comfortable and DK is simply not one of those guys. I expect big things from DK Metcalf and fully believe he will be a Pro Bowler here in Year 2.”

Metcalf will be one of the key components of the Seahawks offense in 2020 . . . if there is even a season.

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