The Seahawks are a week after the 2020 training camp, and players have free time today, which makes this a great time to answer questions from you, the fans. As always, thanks to everyone who asked questions this week, and apologies if I could not come to you this time.
@DekaylinSzn asks, “Which position group are you most confident in (besides QB) entering this season?”
A: This is a fun question, and thinking about it made me realize that the Seahawks have a lot of position groups that you can consider as team strengths. If I had to pick one, I would probably go with linebacker, where you have a future Hall of Famer leading the way in Bobby Wagner, a Pro-Bowler in KJ Wright, an exciting young talent in first round pick Jordyn Brooks, a seasoned veteran of Bruce Irvin, and several other upside young players such as Cody Barton, Shaquem Griffin and Ben Burr-Kirven.
There are understandably some questions about both the offensive and defensive lines due in part to turnover. That is not to say that these groups will not be good, but rather that there are still questions to be answered before we know what they will look like. But unlike those two groups, the Seahawks can feel good about any other position group. On offense, Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf Russell Wilson give an elite patient duo; Chris Carson leads a loaded group of running backs that also include former first-round pick Rashaad Penny and veteran Carlos Hyde, who is coming off a 1000-yard season; and at the tight end, the Seahawks have three-time Pro-Bowler Greg Olsen, Will Dissly, Jacob Hollister, Luke Willson and 2020 draft pick Colby Parkinson. And on defense, the addition of Jamal Adams and Quinton Dunbar in offseason trading gives the Seahawks one of the NFL’s best seconds, with those two participating in Pro Bowl cornerback Shaquill Griffin, Quandre Diggs, Tre Flowers and second- year players Marquise Blair and Ugo Amadi, who participate in the nickel track.
@KuhlHawkFan asks, “Without precision games, have the Seahawks changed their practices to better simulate live games and evaluate players?”
A: Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has been asked about this a few times, and indeed the lack of preseason games will present a challenge, especially when it comes to evaluating young players trying to make their mark. More often than not, the best way for a player on the bubble is to stand up, shine on special teams, and those opportunities present themselves best in pre-season games as opposed to practice.
While the Seahawks will not start tackling the ground every day in practice, Carroll notes that they will find ways to compensate for the lack of preseason games, including by playing three mock games, starting with one on CenturyLink Field on Saturday. Ultimately, however, it will not be exactly the same and that may hurt the ability of some unproven players to make the team, but when it comes to the preparation on the regular season, all teams play on an equal playing field, so it would not should not create a competitive advantage for certain teams.
@TaylorApfel asks, “Who are the top five offensive linemen?”
A: As mentioned earlier, there are still questions to be answered with the offensive line after three of the five starters of 2019 left last season. It’s safe to assume that Duane Brown will be the starting tackle again at left tackle, while incoming left – back Mike Iupati currently seems to be the favorite to keep that job, although he should keep the likes of Phil Haynes and Jordan Simmons . Center seems to be the most wide-open competition as of now, with free agent addition BJ Finney splitting first-team reps with Ethan Pocic. At right guard, rookie Damien Lewis seems to be the favorite, though again, the likes of Haynes and Simmons could push him for that job. Adding free agent Brandon Shell has so far earned rave reviews from Carroll in the camp and seems to be the likely choice in the right approach, but Cedric Ogbuehi, another signing of the free agent, was able to factor in that competition. Another name that could appear in a number of places, due to its versatility, is Jamarco Jones. As Carroll noted when talking to the media this week, the hope will be to settle on a starting group for continuity sooner rather than later, but there are still some leagues to sort through.
@SeahawksBrasil asks, “Can BJ Finney play left guard?”
A: As mentioned above, Finney is currently competing for the starting spot in center, but yes, he played both protective spots next to center while he was in Pittsburgh, so if Pocic were to win the starting job at center, Finney would be able to offer depth on a number of positions.
@Ole_Overholser asks, “Why is there no more buzz about Damien Lewis? What do coaches say about him?” @KenaiKent also asked about Damien Lewis.
A: I would argue that Lewis, at least guards, generates a pretty healthy amount. Of Seattle’s concept picks in 2020, Lewis seems to be the most likely player of a Week 1 starter, and Carroll has raved about the game and the rookie’s preparation so far.
“He’s a special football player,” Carroll said this week. “He has a great body for the position – he has great body mass, and he’s really, really powerful. You can already see him in positions, turning, it shows he can really get back in balance, which is great for an offensive lineman.He is really smart.He has studied really hard.The boys can already feel that you can count on him to know what is happening so he is a really good start.He moves well on the second level.He has a “He’s done a good job already showing us he can pull and get on the edge. So far he’s done nothing but good play.”
