All training camp, Seattle Seahawks rookie Ugo Amadi battled to be the team’s starting nickelback.
It was a battle he did not win, as the team opted to run their base 4-3 defense at a league-leading rate instead, and when they did go nickel, they opted for veteran Jamar Taylor. However, Taylor struggled mightily all season long, before finally getting released after Week 10.
That should have marked the beginning of the Amadi era, but because of matchup concerns the Seahawks started Akeem King in that role for the next few weeks.
Finally, after not seeing a single defensive snap between Week 3 and Week 14, it was Amadi’s time to shine against the Panthers in Week 15 – and he quickly reminded everyone why he should have started in the first place.
Amadi has already shown tremendous growth in just four short weeks with regular playing time, and his recent performance has coach Pete Carroll wishing he had turned to him sooner.
“He’s doing a good job,” Carroll said on Wednesday. “I’m really glad we made the commitment a few weeks back to get him in there to allow him to grow. I wish we would’ve done it a little bit earlier. We would’ve seen him develop faster because he’s really kind of blossoming. He understands the position well. He understands the disguises of it. There’s a lot of intricacies in the nickel spot. He’s a really bright kid and he’s handling it really well. He’s in a good place to make plays.”
Amadi was drafted in the fourth round out of Oregon thanks to his versatility as a cornerback, safety, special teams contributor and even potentially as a return man.
However, it was always expected he would settle in at the nickel spot, replacing dynamic playmaker Justin Coleman.
While it look a little longer into his rookie year than expected, Amadi is finally finding himself at a crucial time for this Seahawks squad, as they look to advance past the divisional round for the first time since 2014.
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