Tag: Seahawks cornerbacks

Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen were force multipliers for Seahawks in Week 1 win

Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen were force multipliers for Seahawks in Week 1 win

The defense is expected to be a strength of the 2024 Seattle Seahawks team and that expectation was reality in Sunday’s 26-20 Week 1 victory over the Denver Broncos. First-year head coach Mike Macdonald is a defensive-minded leader that brought a creative scheme with him from Baltimore. Unsurprisingly, Macdonald’s defense gave Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix fits all afternoon long.

The Broncos gained just 231 yards of total offense and went 5-of-18 on third downs. The Broncos punted on eight occasions, were whistled for eight penalties overall, and committed three total turnovers.

Seahawks cornerbacks Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon were standout performers on defense. Pro Football Focus dropped a social media graphic that has Woolen and Witherspoon with a combined defensive grade of 90.1. Their combined passer rating allowed was just 14.6.

Breaking down their individual performances, Woolen allowed two receptions on six targets for just 17 yards en route to an elite coverage grade of 85.2. Woolen recorded his first interception of the season on an ill-advised attempt by Nix. The former fifth-round selection allowed 8.5 yards per catch and a passer rating of 2.8.

Witherspoon was equally as impressive. The former Illinois standout forfeited three catches on six targets for 17 yards, a minuscule 5.7 yards per reception. Witherspoon allowed a passer rating of 56.3 and earned himself a top-notch coverage grade of 80.1.

Woolen and Witherspoon will relish their opportunities against the New England Patriots in Week 2. With all due respect, Jacoby Brissett is a lower-level starting quarterback, and his pass-catching corps is young and inexperienced. Seattle’s starting cornerbacks should continue thriving.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

How Mike Jackson trade impacts Seahawks’ CB room

How Mike Jackson trade impacts Seahawks’ CB room

The Seattle Seahawks turned a position of weakness into a strength on Thursday when they acquired rookie linebacker Michael Barrett from the Carolina Panthers. General manager John Schneider sent cornerback Mike Jackson the other way. Jackson’s departure from a deep corner room will offer more opportunity for young rookies like D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett.

Jackson, a 2019 fifth-rounder, lost his place this offseason in a deep defensive backfield. Jackson started opposite Riq Woolen during the 2022 season. He was a league-average cornerback, allowing a respectable 62% completion percentage on targets thrown his way, according to Pro Football Focus.

Jackson was replaced in the starting lineup prior to the 2023 season by Tre Brown. Brown ran with his opportunity, and more changes came to the defense this offseason when head coach Mike Macdonald replaced Pete Carroll. Macdonald brought his brilliant defensive system with him, and Schneider drafted James and Pritchett to better appease the scheme.

Jackson has settled in as a depth cornerback. The Seahawks understandably rather utilize those depth spots on developmental rookies with more long-term upside. They also undrafted free agent Carlton Johnson on the roster. Johnson has impressed in spurts and is attempting to make the 53 man roster. His chances improved following Jackson’s trade.

Pritchett has spent the preseason playing almost exclusively on the boundary. James has been slightly more versatile, splitting reps outside and inside. Jackson’s departure all but guarantees that both Pritchett and James will appear on Seattle’s initial 53 man roster next week.

The Seahawks needed better linebacker depth given that projected starter Jerome Baker has been sidelined with injury for multiple weeks. With Jon Rhattigan and Patrick O’Connell offering little-to-no long-term upside, the arrival of Barrett offers the Seahawks a potential future solution. Having Barrett and Tyrice Knight as rookies in the linebacker room will be beneficial.

Trading Jackson in exchange for better linebacker depth was a worthwhile move.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Seahawks: Ranking the 4 deepest positions on their roster going into 2022

From our perspective, here are the four most competitive positions on the roster heading into the summer.

The Seattle Seahawks threw a curveball in the 2022 NFL draft by playing it straight for a change. While their decision to pass on the quarterback class will and should be scrutinized for the next few years, overall the team did an excellent job of selecting above-average athletes at the positions that matter most for the modern game. With any class of rookies the results always vary, but that represents a much healthier process and approach to the draft than what we’ve seen since 2013.

From our perspective, here are the four most competitive positions on the roster heading into the summer.

Seahawks round out cornerback rotation with Coby Bryant pick

Seattle’s secondary should be ready to go for this year.

The Seahawks probably should have re-signed cornerback D.J. Reed, who was arguably their most-consistent defender last season from Week 4 on. However, he was allowed to leave for the Jets in free agency, signing a reasonable three-year, $33 million deal.

Since then Seattle has signed Artie Burns and re-signed Sidney Jones for added depth at boundary corner, but they needed another body to round out their corner rotation for the 2022 season. By taking Cincinnati’s Coby Bryant (6-foot-1, 193 pounds) they got one of the best remaining cornerback prospects in the draft and completed the look.

It’s anybody’s guess how any given Day 3 pick will work out in the NFL. However, coming into the league Bryant should project as a backup. For now, he’ll likely have to work for playing time behind Burns, Jones and Tre Brown, who showed promise as a rookie in 2021 before his knee injury.

With Justin Coleman returning to fill the void in the slot and Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs on the back end, Seattle’s secondary should be ready to go for this year.

[lawrence-related id=88783]

[listicle id=88756]

Ranking 4 free agents who could improve Seahawks cornerback depth

That means Seattle might be in the market for more cornerback depth when the new league year begins.

The Seahawks should have one of the stronger cornerback rooms in the NFL in 2022, assuming they can keep their current group together. Both D.J. Reed and Sidney Jones are set to become free agents in a few weeks, though. Re-signing both of them should be a high priority this offseason for general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll. However, there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to come to terms with both.

That means Seattle might be in the market for more cornerback depth when the new league year begins. Here are four free agents who could help the most.

Seattle Seahawks: Breaking down each member of the new-look cornerback group

Let’s take a moment to reset and examine each member of the remodeled cornerback room.

The Seattle Seahawks have made a flurry of changes to the cornerback position over the last couple weeks. A few familiar faces remain, but the team has almost totally upended their depth chart at a critical defensive spot with days to go before the 2021 season begins. Unless you have been obsessively following every move the franchise makes, it’s easy to have missed something in all the excitement.

Let’s take a moment to reset and examine each member of the remodeled cornerback room. Here is a look at the history, measurables and most essential numbers to know for each of them.

Seahawks continue cornerback shuffle with Blessuan Austin signing

With just one week to go before the regular season begins, the Seahawks seem to be frantically searching for a solution to their cornerback problem.

With just one week to go before the regular season begins, the Seahawks seem to be frantically searching for a solution to their cornerback problem. In the last week, they’ve pulled off three separate trades involving corners: bringing in John Reid (before waiving him) and Sidney Jones and sending Ahkello Witherspoon to the Steelers.

They’re not done yet, either. According to Q13FOX, the team has signed former Jets cornerback Blessuan Austin to their 53-man roster. Austin (6-foot-1, 198 pounds) was a sixth-round pick by the Jets in the 2019 NFL draft. He played 18 games in New York, posting eight pass breakups and 88 combined tackles.

Austin was the Jets’ starting cornerback on the right side most of that time, which makes him an interesting fit for Seattle right now, as Sidney Jones and Tre Flowers have also spent most of their careers at that spot. At the moment, it appears D.J. Reed is slated to start on the left side, but at this point it’s anybody’s guess what the lineup will look like next Sunday against the Colts.

[lawrence-related id=74868]

[vertical-gallery id=74764]

Seahawks rookie CB Tre Brown says his confidence is growing

After the game, Brown said his confidence is growing each week.

The NFL season is only a few weeks away and who the Seahawks’ starting cornerbacks are is anybody’s guess. In last night’s preseason game against the Broncos, head coach Pete Carroll used a heavy rotation at the position, trying out several different combinations on the back end.

One of the corners who’s competing for snaps is rookie Tre Brown, the team’s fourth-round pick in this year’s draft. After the game, Brown said his confidence is growing each week.

“It grows every time I’m out there, going against those guys like DK (Metcalf) and just me continuing to build the confidence out there. If I can cover DK at practice, that just goes to show that I can go out there and compete with those guys and cover anybody. That’s why they drafted me because they believed in me and I believe in myself as well when I go out there and cover the first team guys. Just going out there and covering those guys and knowing that I have the confidence and running with the ones.”

Brown is a bit undersized for a typical Seattle corner – he checks in at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds. He has been showing a great deal of potential at training camp, though. Brown might have a legitimate chance to earn a starting position at some point this season.

[lawrence-related id=74400]

[vertical-gallery id=74203]