Tag: Seahawks Training Camp

Seahawks defense dominating Titans offense in red-zone period

Seahawks defense dominating Titans offense in red-zone period

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Madonald is a defensive-minded leader that brought his exciting, complex scheme to the team. As the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens last season, Macdonald’s defense led the league in sacks (60), points per game (16.5), and takeaways (31). The Seahawks saw early returns on their investment during a dominant performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1 of the preseason.

The Chargers managed three points and were held to 198 total yards of offense. LA went 2-for-13 on third-down attempts, and converted just nine first downs the entire contest. Jim Harbaugh’s offense was held to 21 measly yards throughout their first six possessions.

That dominance carried over into Thursday’s joint practice with the Tennessee Titans. After both teams agreed to work more individual reps and team periods during Wednesday’s practice, Thursday’s session featured significantly more red-zone work. The Seahawks were downright dominant, holding the Titans to zero touchdowns on 12 consecutive red-zone plays.

Here’s a play- by-play breakdown of just how dominant Seattle’s defense was in the red zone.

Titans starting quarterback Will Levis

– Back-shoulder completion to Tony Pollard
– Calvin Ridley catch for gain of 10, moving the chains
-Riq Woolen intercepts Levis in the end zone
-Tyjae Spears four yard run
– Incomplete to Ridley

Titans No. 2 quarterback Mason Rudolph

– UDFA TE David Martin-Robinson drops would-be TD
– Checkdown to Tyjae Spears
– PBU on a ball intended for rookie WR Jha’Quan Jackson
– Incomplete to WR Mason Kinsey

Titans No. 3 quarterback Malik Willis

– 10-yard completion to UDFA WR Sam Schnee
– Incomplete check down to UDFA RB Jabari Small
– PBU in the end-zone, tight coverage by Seahawks DBs

Seattle’s defense dominated Tennessee’s offense on Thursday. Macdonald will be pleased with his unit’s performance in the final joint practice against the Titans. If it was any indication, the Seahawks defense will be a top five unit in the NFL this season.

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5 Seahawks missing second joint practice with Titans

5 Seahawks missing second joint practice with Titans

The Seattle Seahawks are on the practice field in Nashville on Thursday morning for their second and final joint practice with the Tennessee Titans. The competitive session is a useful dress rehearsal for Saturday’s preseason game versus the Titans, which will feature fewer starting-caliber players given the physicality of joint practices. Both teams find these shared practice sessions to be more practical for preparation purposes than exhibition games are.

Unfortunately, a handful of keynote Seahawks talents aren’t practicing versus the Titans on Thursday. Some of the absentees feature players who exited Wednesday’s practice, and others are injured players who didn’t feature in either practice. The following five Seahawks aren’t practicing on Thursday.

Jerome Baker & Jon Rhattigan, LB

The Seahawks are without off-ball linebackers Jerome Baker and Jon Rhattigan for a second straight practice. Baker is still being sidelined by a hamstring issue that has afforded rookie defender Tyrice Knight more reps with the first-team defense. The Seahawks were so light at the position heading to Nashville that they re-added undrafted linebacker Easton Gibbs to the 90-man roster after waiving him earlier this summer.

Zach Charbonnet, RB

Zach Charbonnet is missing his second consecutive practice, which means he won’t be afforded an opportunity to practice against the Titans at all. Kenneth Walker III continues to be the workhorse back, and George Holani and Kenny McIntosh are continuing their RB3 position battle. Charbonnet is missing crucial reps here.

Dre’Mont Jones, DE

Defensive end Dre’Mont Jones recently returned to practice after missing approximately two weeks with a hamstring injury. The veteran lineman exited Wednesday’s practice after feeling a flare-up. Head coach Mike Macdonald indicated it wasn’t a serious setback, but the Seahawks are wisely being cautious with their $51 million pass rusher. Jones is not practicing on Thursday.

Noah Fant, TE

Starting tight end Noah Fant did not finish Wednesday’s practice. Head coach Mike Macdonald declined opportunities to specify why he exited practice early. Macdonald and his staff must be playing things safe because Fant isn’t present for Thursday’s session with the Titans. Pharaoh Brown and Brady Russell should see increased reps in his absence.

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Seahawks WR Jake Bobo embarrasses Titans CB Roger McCreary during one-v-one rep

Seahawks WR Jake Bobo embarrasses Titans CB Roger McCreary during one-v-one rep

The Seattle Seahawks were in Nashville for their first of two padded joint practices with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday morning. The second session will occur on Thursday, leading up to Saturday’s preseason game versus the Titans. One-versus-one reps are often the most exciting aspect of these practices, particularly those that feature wide receivers against cornerbacks.

Both defenses had productive days on Wednesday, but sophomore Seahawks wideout Jake Bobo claimed one of the more eye-opening wins for Ryan Grubb’s offense. Pictured below, Bobo had Titans nickel cornerback Roger McCreary looking the complete opposite way after hitting him with a move. Geno Smith completed the pass for a sizable gain.

This was a fairly notable rep because the Titans believe McCreary is developing into one of the better nickel cornerbacks in the league. Pro Football Focus assigned him a coverage grade of 72.2 and overall defensive grade of 71.3 for his play as a sophomore last season. Bobo’s route-running prowess doesn’t back down from high-end competition.

Bobo has had an outstanding summer. He’s undergone a flawless acclimation to Ryan Grubb’s new offense, which is going to make big-time passing plays down the field (if the offensive line can hold up in protection). Bobo’s performance throughout camp and the preseason thus far is confirming his role in the offense as the No. 4 receiver behind D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

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Seahawks sign undrafted LB, waive DL

Seahawks sign undrafted LB, waive DL

The Seattle Seahawks made a pair of transactions on Wednesday morning ahead of joint practices with the Tennessee Titans (which will continue on Thursday). General manager John Schneider added undrafted linebacker Easton Gibbs to the 90-man roster. It represents a reunion after Gibbs initially joined the Seahawks as an UDFA in May before being waived later in the summer.

Gibbs played college football at Wyoming. He was an experienced defender, having started 39 career games for the Cowboys. Gibbs was a big-time playmaker on defense, totaling 362 tackles and earning First-Team All-Mountain West Conference honors in 2022 and 2023. He’ll provide depth at off-ball linebacker behind Jerome Baker, Tyrel Dodson, Tyrice Knight, and Jon Rhattigan. His signing is timely with both Baker and Rhattigan being sidelined from practice with injury.

In a corresponding move, defensive lineman Nathan Pickering was waived/injured to make room for Gibbs the 90-man roster. Pickering initially joined the Seahawks after a strong tryout performance at rookie minicamp. He played college football at Mississippi State, primarily playing the 3-tech and nose tackle positions.

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Position battles to monitor during Seahawks-Titans joint practices

Position battles to monitor during Seahawks-Titans joint practices

The Seattle Seahawks are set for their first joint practices this week since 1991. The Seahawks traveled to Nashville early ahead of Saturday’s second preseason game for joint practices with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday and Thursday. Competitive practices against rival teams are often more useful for roster evaluation purposes than exhibition contests are, and head coach Mike Macdonald has already stated that few (or no) starters will play Saturday.

With competitive joint practices versus the Titans beginning on Wednesday, we’ve identified position battles you should be monitoring.

Seahawks WRs vs. Titans CBs

The Seahawks arguably have the league’s best trio of wide receivers. D.K. Metcalf, Jaxon-Smith-Njigba, and Tyler Lockett should give Tennessee’s cornerbacks all they can handle. These head-to-head battles should be fun and competitive because the Titans are talented at cornerback after acquiring L’Jarius Sneed in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this offseason. His opposite starter Chido Awuzie may miss practices with a calf injury, but Roger McCreary is a talented No. 3 cornerback.

There’s also a fun side-quest here given that Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson was Macdonald’s defensive backs coach with the Baltimore Ravens last season.

Seahawks DL vs. Titans OL

We’ll especially be paying close attention to the Seahawks’ defensive line versus the Titans’ offensive line. The Seahawks should have the upper hand on the interior with Dre’Mont Jones, Leonard Williams, and Byron Murphy II squaring off with Titans sophomore left guard Peter Skoronski and their new starting center Lloyd Cushenberry. The Titans are holding an uninspiring competition at right guard between Dillon Radunz and Andrew Rupcich.

The EDGE versus offensive tackles should be fun and unpredictable. Both sides have a lot of youth. How will Derick Hall, Boye Mafe, and Uchenna Nwosu fare versus Titans rookie left tackle JC Latham, and third-year right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere?

In a fun storyline, Murphy will reunite with fellow rookie defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat, who was drafted by the Titans. Murphy and Sweat played together at Texas last season.

Seahawks CBs vs Titans WRs

The Seahawks are deep at cornerback with Devon Witerspoon, Riq Woolen, and Tre Brown helping spearhead Macdonald’s defense. The Titans revamped their wide receiver room this offseason by signing Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd in free agency to build around sophomore quarterback Will Levis. It’s a shame DeAndre Hopkins will miss these practices with a knee injury, but these battles should be fun nonetheless. Levis is a gunslinger that will want to test Seattle’s cornerbacks in coverage.

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Did Sam Howell clinch Seahawks’ backup QB spot in preseason Week 1?

Did Sam Howell clinch Seahawks’ backup QB spot in preseason Week 1?

Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Geno Smith did not play in Saturday’s preseason Week 1 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Mike Macdonald and the coaching staff made the right decision, taking a cautious approach since Smith had just recently returned to practice from minor knee/hip injuries. Backup quarterback Sam Howell earned the start in his place.

Howell was effective and took advantage of his opportunity to play alongside the first-team offense. He concluded the first half by completing 10-of-20 attempts with 60 passing yards and a touchdown. The statistics don’t tell the complete story. Three of Howell’s incompletions were throwaways.

Howell protected the ball and made quality decisions, which will encourage Seattle’s coaching staff, given he threw an NFL-high 21 interceptions as a member of the Washington Commanders last season. The Seahawks nursed a 14-3 lead at the half. Howell benefited from a dominant defense that allowed just 71 total yards on 25 plays.

Howell’s touchdown pass was a 13-yard score to tight end Brady Russell that opened the scoring in the second quarter. The dual-threat quarterback also used his legs well, scrambling for 17 yards via four rushing attempts.

It was a large-scale showcase for Howell, who was acquired from the Commanders in March in exchange for two 2024 NFL Draft picks. Howell played the majority of the contest, finishing with a 16-of-27 statline with 130 yards and one touchdown. He was then replaced by No. 3 quarterback PJ Walker, who completed 4-of-10 attempts for 61 yards.

The Seahawks are holding an open competition at backup quarterback. Howell has been the favorite ever since John Schneider traded for him, but it’s a little early to say the job is definitely his, given how well Walker has played throughout training camp. Howell maximized his opportunity on Saturday, showcasing he’s developing into a smarter quarterback.

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Seahawks rookie LB Tyrice Knight took advantage of preseason Week 1 opportunity

Seahawks rookie LB Tyrice Knight took advantage of preseason Week 1 opportunity

Seattle Seahawks rookie linebacker Tyrice Knight took advantage of his sizable opportunity in Saturday’s 16-3 preseason victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Starting off-ball linebacker Jerome Baker missed the game with a hamstring injury. The other projected starter, Tyrel Dodson, was limited to six snaps. That catapulted Knight into a much larger role.

Knight played 30 snaps, which accounted for 57% of Seattle’s defensive plays on Saturday. The only linebacker that out-snapped him was fourth-year undrafted free agent Jon Rhattigan, who totaled 35 snaps. Knight was arguably Seattle’s best defender.

The No. 119 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, Knight was flying around sideline to sideline. The former UTEP standout was credited with making three solo tackles. Knight was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded Seahawks defender, and their second-highest overall graded player. He earned an elite overall grade of 89.9 with a coverage score of 84.7 and a run defense score of 73.8.

Knight was targeted just in coverage and allowed a four yard reception. For a fifth-round rookie that was considered inexperienced in the 2024 draft, Knight did a fantastic job evading blockers in space and reaching ball carriers in the hole. His athleticism allows him to navigate tight spaces and make plays.

The expectation is that Baker will return to practice soon. There’s concern with his hamstring injury, which the Seahawks are approaching with caution because they tend to linger if not treated correctly. Baker was limited to 13 regular-season appearances last season, so there’s a bit of a recent history with injuries. If his issues persist, Knight appeared capable of filling in as necessary.

That depth is invaluable, especially coming from a Day Three rookie.

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Did Seahawks WR Laviska Shenault clinch a roster spot in preseason Week 1?

Did Seahawks WR Laviska Shenault clinch a roster spot in preseason Week 1?

The Seattle Seahawks took a flier on veteran wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. earlier this offseason. Shenault was signed by general manager John Schneider to a one-year contract worth $1.125 million. He’s battling for a roster spot behind starting receivers D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Shenault played just 19 snaps in Saturday’s preseason win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The former second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft was Seattle’s fifth-most snapped wideout, trailing Dareke Young (50), Jake Bobo (41), Cody White (31), and Smith-Njigba (22). Shenault maximized his few opportunities, and may have gained leeway towards clinching a 53-man roster spot.

Shenault was signed by Schneider to provide special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh with another option in the competitive return game battle. He immediately proved capable of taking advantage of the new kick return rules. Shenault returned his lone kickoff for a sizable 44-yard gain.

Shenault also proved he could be an offensive weapon when utilized correctly. The former Buffaloes standout recorded two receptions for 31 receiving yards. Both of Shenault’s catches were short gains that lead to yards-after-catch opportunities. He also added five rushing yards to his offensive totals via an end-around carry. Once a dynamic weapon at Colorado, the fifth-year veteran still possesses wiggle to elude defenders in space.

The Seahawks will likely retain six or seven receivers on the 53-man roster. Shenault’s performance versus the Chargers strongly insinuates he’s one of their top 53. Seattle’s other competing receivers have been put on notice.

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Seahawks rookie G Christian Haynes shines in preseason debut

Seahawks rookie G Christian Haynes shines in preseason debut

Seattle Seahawks rookie offensive guard Christian Haynes played a sizable role in Saturday’s 16-3 preseason Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The former UConn standout was the Seahawks’ fourth-most snapped offensive lineman, totaling 41 snaps, which accounted for 50% of all Seahawks offensive plays. Haynes put forth an outstanding performance, passing his first in-game test with flying colors.

Haynes played both left and right guard, displaying the type of positional versatility that Seattle’s coaching staff covets. Haynes routinely exploded off the ball and executed his assignments. The Seahawks were dominant on the ground thanks to terrific performances by reserve offensive linemen that helped pave the way for 156 rushing yards.

Pro Football Focus assigned Haynes a stellar pass protection grade of 66.1. He was credited with allowing just one pressure and zero quarterback hits or sacks. Haynes played with terrific discipline as he was not whistled for a single penalty. His run blocking grade was an above average 62.8.

Entering Saturday, Haynes had received some opportunities as the starting right guard with the first-team offense at training camp. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald should be even more intrigued to see Haynes run with the ones at practice this week. The third-round rookie appears capable of maximizing his opportunities.

With the Seahawks traveling to Nashville for joint practices with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday and Thursday, Haynes could be provided an opportunity. He should test his readiness versus Titans defensive linemen such as Jeffery Simmons and fellow rookie T’Vondre Sweat. If Haynes holds his own, he could truly start pushing Anthony Bradford for the starting right guard job.

Dee Eskridge’s preseason Week 1 usage proves he’s on roster bubble

Dee Eskridge preseason Week 1 usage proves he’s on roster bubble

Seattle Seahawks fourth-year wide receiver D’Wayne “Dee” Eskridge entered this year’s training camp and preseason firmly on the roster bubble. Eskridge played just 19 offensive snaps in Saturday’s exhibition win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He played deep into the second half, strongly insinuating that his tenure with the Seahawks could be reaching its conclusion.

Eskidge took a jet sweep for an explosive 22-yard gain, but it was his lone highlight. Eskridge received three targets in the passing game, one of which were hauled in. Meanwhile receivers like Cody White, Eason Winston Jr., Dareke Young, and Laviska Shenault all recorded two-or-three catches for receiving yardage totals ranging from 30 to 44 yards.

Eskridge was not convincing on Saturday evening. The former second-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft entered this offseason on the bubble because he’s made such a minimal impact through three professional seasons. Recurring injuries, a six-game suspension, and inconsistent performances have led Eskridge to recording just 17 catches for 122 yards and one touchdown as a receiver.

The Seahawks will travel to Nashville later this week for joint practices with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday and Thursday. The starting receiving core will get plenty of reps versus the Titans secondary, which now includes former Seahawks safeties Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams. That should lead to more in-game reps for the backups in Saturday’s second preseason game.

Eskridge must start taking better advantage of his opportunities.

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