Tag: L.J. Collier

Seahawks place one player on reserve/COVID-19 list, take another off

Today, the Seattle Seahawks placed defensive end L.J. Collier on their reserve/COVID-19 list.

Three weeks after the initial outbreak, the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the NFL. Today, the Seattle Seahawks placed defensive end L.J. Collier on their reserve/COVID-19 list.

Collier has appeared in eight games this season for Seattle, totaling seven tackles and five quarterback hits. The team reportedly was shopping their former first-round pick around the trade deadline but got no takers.

Also, practice squad tight end Ryan Izzo was activated from the list.

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Seahawks ‘have had discussions’ about trading DE L.J. Collier

According to a report by Ian Rapoport, the Seattle Seahawks have had discussions about potentially dealing their former first-round pick, defensive end L.J. Collier.

The NFL trade deadline (Tuesday, Nov. 2) is coming soon, with only two more games to go.

According to a report by Ian Rapoport, the Seattle Seahawks have had discussions about potentially dealing their former first-round pick, defensive end L.J. Collier.

“A former first-rounder, Collier has only been active for two games this season after collecting three sacks last year. The Seahawks have had discussions centered around Collier at various points this season and prior to it, and Collier is just 26. A fresh start may make sense for all sides, especially with plenty of teams needing edge help.”

Collier has appeared in 29 games for Seattle, earning 16 starts – all in the 2020 season. Interested parties would likely be banking on the potential he showed that year, when he posted three sacks, seven QB hits and four tackles for a loss. Collier hasn’t done much else, though. This year through six games he’s only been on the field for 39 defensive snaps (25%), totaling two pressures.

Another name that may be floated in the coming days belongs to another first-round pick, running back Rashaad Penny. He should be officially activated from injured reserve later today and is expected to get the first start of his NFL career tomorrow night against the Saints.

If Penny can ball out against New Orleans as well as Jacksonville, his trade value might be boosted just enough to earn an attractive over. If not, the Seahawks will probably be happy to keep him for the rest of the season. Chris Carson will be on injured reserve at least two more weeks and his neck issue has been described as a long-term thing by coach Pete Carroll.

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Seahawks DE L.J. Collier calls Shane Waldron’s offense ‘faster, more hungry’

If Waldron strikes the right balance there’s a real chance he can fulfill Wilson’s belief that this could be the best offense in the league.

The Legion of Boom is long gone. While the defense has dropped off a lot since Seattle’s peak, the Seahawks offense is becoming a powerhouse and it’s what makes this team go these days. This year there’s a new playcaller at the helm. We won’t get to see offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s scheme in an honest game for a few more weeks, but the early reviews from the defensive players trying to stop it at training camp are positive.

Here’s how defensive end L.J. Collier described the faster pace under Waldron, per Michael Shawn-Dugar at the Athletic.

“Defensive end L.J. Collier spent two seasons practicing against Brian Schottenheimer’s offense and the first words he used to describe Waldron’s scheme were “’faster, more hungry. . . Those guys are really moving out there, getting the ball out quick and I think we’re going to surprise some teams with how fast we’re moving the ball and how quickly we’re getting it down the field.'”

The tension between letting Russell Wilson cook and Pete Carroll’s passion for a physical run game has been a long-running storyline for this squad. Giving Wilson more freedom to push the tempo is the right idea, so long as he can avoid stretches like the uncharacteristic funk he full into late in the 2020 season.

If Waldron strikes the right balance there’s a real chance he can fulfill Wilson’s belief that this could be the best offense in the league.

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Expect bigger and better things from Seahawks L.J. Collier in 2021

Seattle Seahawks defensive end L.J. Collier had a vastly improved sophomore season and predicts even better things in 2021 in his third year.

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The Seattle Seahawks selected L.J. Collier in the first round of the 2019 NFL draft out of TCU but the defensive end spent much of his first year in the big leagues on the bench, sidelined by an ankle injury he suffered in training camp.

Collier felt he had much to prove during his sophomore campaign.

“I was playing catch up on my rookie year,” Collier told the crew at Good Morning Football on Wednesday. “It was really frustrating, but I’m a competitor man. A lot of people tried to count me out . . . but I wasn’t really worried about it.”

2020 was a totally different season for Collier, who racked up 21 combined tackles, three sacks, and two passes defended on the year. He sees even bigger and better things ahead in 2021.

“I knew what I could do with a healthy body and given a good chance,” he continued. “So I went out there and proved that this year. I didn’t even scratch the surface on what I know I can do.

“Year three I’m really going crazy.”

You can listen to the full interview below.

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Jamal Adams already a leader on and off the field for Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams isn’t afraid to tell it like it is, especially after the team’s nail-biter win over the Patriots Week 2.

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Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams shines on the field and at the podium during each and every press conference. Confident, appreciative and thoughtful, Adams is the first to compliment others. On Sunday, he gave the love to defensive end, L.J. Collier.

“I’ll tell you what, I’m so proud of L.J.,” Adams said after the win. “I just met him, but I have heard so much about him due to my boy back home who is really good friends with him. Obviously, he went to TCU, but I’m so proud of him because he has worked his tail off just to get to this moment, to have his moment. I thought we finished strong.”

Adams was beaten at times, but all in all, had himself a day as well, finishing the outing with 10 combined tackles, two quarterback hits and a sack.

“As a defense we like to be in those moments, but we don’t like to be in those moments,” Adams continued. “It’s just so fun and so exciting to get that win and pull it off like that.”

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L.J. Collier earns starting nod at defensive end for Seahawks in Atlanta

Now in his sophomore season, L.J. Collier has earned the starting nod at defensive end for Seattle Seahawks in Atlanta Week 1.

While the Seattle Seahawks may be playing coy about announcing who will start at right cornerback this Sunday in Atlanta, coach Pete Carroll wasn’t shy when he stated L.J. Collier would be getting the nod at defensive end against the Falcons.

“He has had a good camp, he’s going to get a chance to start in this game,” Carroll told reporters after Friday’s walkthrough. “There’ll be a good rotation there, but it’s because he’s earned it and he’s played really well, so I’m anxious to get him out there.”

Seattle selected Collier in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft but the rookie didn’t see the lion’s share of action last season. Things could be looking up for Collier in 2020. Carroll explained why.

“He’s in better shape than he was a year ago,” Carroll said. “He’s just healthier and quicker and stronger in every way, and he made it through camp healthy as well. Remember he got banged up early on there with a really nasty ankle. So we’ve just seen him much more to his ability level. His ankle bothered him even when he came back last year, so we never really saw him.”

Collier and the rest of the Seahawks are slated to take Mercedes-Benz field Sunday morning for an early 10:00 a.m. kickoff.

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Failure to land Jadeveon Clowney creates uncertainty for D-line in 2020

The Seattle Seahawks’ failure to land free agent, Jadeveon Clowney, creates uncertainty for the defensive line heading into the 2020 season.

The Seattle Seahawks notably had one of the worst defensive lines in the NFL last season, ranking dead last out of 32 teams according to Pro Football Focus. As such, fans were expecting to see the Seahawks make some significant changes to the unit over the offseason, particularly in the pass rush – first, however, they had to re-sign defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who was a force to be reckoned with in the 15 total games that he played with the team in 2019.

Although the ups and downs of Clowney’s free agency saga lasted all the way until final roster cuts on Saturday, when he agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal with the Titans that also includes up to a further $3 million in incentives. According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, the Seahawks continued to call late into the evening:

Even before the Clowney news broke, the Seahawks needed to make some major moves if they hoped to bolster their defensive line before the start of the 2020 season – after all, their pass rush wasn’t the only thing that needed adjusting, as Seattle placed No. 22 in the league in rushing yards allowed per game (117.3). The current defensive line roster as of Sept. 6, 2020, is as follows:

DE L.J. Collier

DE Rasheem Green

DE Benson Mayowa

DE Damontre Moore

DE Alton Robinson

DT Poona Ford

DT Bryan Mone

DT Jarran Reed

Reserve/Injured: DE Branden Jackson

Reserve/Non-Football Injury: DE Darrell Taylor

The Seahawks will be placing more of an emphasis on their defensive backs this year with the increased implementation of the nickel defense, but a strong effort at the line of scrimmage will nonetheless prove vital in a make-or-break situation.

Of the Seahawks’ current defensive linemen, only Green and Ford saw more than 500 defensive snaps last season in Seattle. Currently, the plan for the defensive line appears to rely on hoping that somebody – 2019 first-round draft pick L.J. Collier, perhaps, or 2020 fifth-round pick Alton Robinson – will step up to the plate to provide that much-needed consistency in the trenches.

That may very well happen, yet banking on the wait-and-see approach – particularly after letting a stud like Clowney walk – may make fans question the Seahawks’ commitment to addressing the team’s definitive weaknesses.

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Is Seahawks’ possible lack of pass rush NFL’s biggest roster hole?

NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt believes the Seahawks’ possible lack of pass rush is the NFL’s biggest roster hole heading into 2020.

The Seattle Seahawks have been unable to re-sign defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who remains the league’s most coveted free agent. While the Seahawks did make some moves to tighten up the defensive line ahead of the 2020 season, some questions remain as to whether Seattle did enough to bolster the edge.

NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brant believes the Seahawks’ possible lack of pass rush is the NFL’s most glaring roster hole across the league.

“So where will the pressure come from in 2020?” Brandt writes. “Defensive lineman Jarran Reed will surely be asked to play a big role, having signed a two-year extension, but his sack production dropped from 10.5 in 2018 to 2.0 last season following his six-game suspension for a violation of the personal conduct policy to start the year.”

“Can 2019 first-round pick L.J. Collier (zero sacks in 11 games) begin to make an impact?” Brandt continues. “What about 2020 second-round pick Darrell Taylor, for whom Seattle traded up to acquire? The Seahawks added two veteran rotation players in Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they made another move to bolster the line, perhaps signing Everson Griffen or trying to acquire a trade piece, like, say, Olivier Vernon, should the Browns make him available.”

The Seahawks have always insisted they are never finished trying to shore up the pass rush and could still have a few moves up their sleeves ahead of the start of the season.

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L.J. Collier out to prove he’s ‘one of the best’ after rookie season

Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman L.J. Collier knows fans wrote him off after a bad rookie year, but he’s ready to quiet the doubters.

Seattle Seahawks fans are understandably not thrilled with the team’s most recent first round selections. Rashaad Penny has had his moments, but the 2018 first rounder has yet to overtake Chris Carson as the team’s top running back, and now could miss the start of the 2019 season with an ACL injury.

Meanwhile, Seattle’s first pick in 2019, L.J. Collier, finished a disappointing rookie season that saw the big defensive lineman record three combined tackles in 11 games played.

A foot injury suffered in July cost him a ton of development time, and he was never able to make up for lost time, or fully recover, which led to the lost season.

Still, you won’t see Collier making excuses, and he’s more than ready to go out there and start showing the fans what he is capable of.

“I am chomping at the bit to get out there,” Collier told Seattle media in a Zoom call on Friday morning. “It’s one of those things where you didn’t have the year everyone wanted you to. They shift you off to the side as if you can’t play. It’s disrespectful, and I feel very disrespected. But, I’m the type of person where there’s no need for talking, just show them. If you run through a couple people; if you make noise, they’ll remember who you are very quickly.”

Collier should get ample opportunity to step up in 2020. The team has yet to sign Jadeveon Clowney, Everson Griffen or even an interior defensive tackle, leaving Collier as an option to play outside on early downs while shuffling to three-tech on third down situations as an interior pass rusher.

It’s a role similar to what Michael Bennett used to do for Seattle back in the day, and a role Collier is comfortable with, as long as it gets him out on the field.

“I’m going to be there, and I’m going to get every rep I can possibly get, whether it’s at 3-technique or whether it’s end,” Collier continued. “I just want to play, honestly.”

As for the premature bust label? Collier isn’t concerned about where he was drafted. He knows he can play, and he’s ready to show everyone else as well.

“I’m excited to get back out there and show people who I am,” Collier continued. “I don’t really care about the first-round pick stuff. I’m a football player at the end of the day, and I can play football at a high level. I’m out there to prove that I’m one of the best.”

A healthy training camp will go a long way toward helping Collier get caught up, and he could be primed for a big year in 2020 for the Seahawks.

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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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