Seattle, WA

Grading Seattle Seahawks 2022 Draft Class Midway Through Training Camp, Preseason

Published

2 years ago

August 21, 2022

Grading Seattle Seahawks 2022 Draft Class Midway Through Training Camp, Preseason

With two preseason video games and 12 coaching camp practices formally within the books, the Seahawks have gotten their first prolonged have a look at their incoming nine-player draft class.

Whereas a couple of rookies have handled minor accidents alongside the way in which, most of Seattle’s newest class has participated within the majority of camp practices in addition to each exhibition contests towards Pittsburgh and Chicago. This has given coach Pete Carroll and his workers ample time to judge the brand new crop of gamers and a number of other of them have already got vaulted into competition for beginning spots, together with left deal with Charles Cross and cornerback Tariq Woolen.

How have the 9 gamers carried out to this point? Here is a fast progress report with the common season opener now lower than three weeks away:

Charles Cross – Spherical 1, Choose 9

Grade: B

Penalties have been a significant drawback for Cross in his first coaching camp and two preseason video games, because the ex-Mississippi State standout acquired 5 flags in Thursday’s loss to the Bears, together with 4 false begin infractions. However when he hasn’t been drawing yellow from officers, the rookie has appeared the a part of a viable starter at left deal with, excelling in cross safety and performing higher than anticipated within the run recreation to start his NFL profession. Towards the Bears, his most spectacular play got here on the opening drive when he washed star cross rusher Robert Quinn down the road after he tried looping again inside on a stunt, offering a clear pocket for Geno Smith to ship an ideal strike to receiver Freddie Swain, who sadly dropped the cross.

Boye Mafe – Spherical 2, Choose 40

Grade: C+

Seeing in depth snaps on protection and particular groups in his first two preseason video games, when Mafe has flashed, he has tantalized together with his immense bodily instruments and prime flight athleticism. Within the exhibition opener, he adopted up a wonderful effort bringing down a punt returner on particular groups with a strip sack on the very subsequent play, showcasing his upside. Later within the recreation, he chased down Kenny Pickett for a second sack. However the issue has been, as anticipated based mostly on prior feedback by Carroll, that Mafe has been bullied ceaselessly defending the run and setting the sting. He has additionally left a couple of tackles on the sphere as properly, additional illustrating he will not be prepared for greater than a situational cross speeding function at this level.

Ken Walker III – Spherical 2, Choose 41

Grade: B+

After present process a current process for a hernia, Walker’s standing for the common season opener towards Denver stays in query. What is not questionable, nonetheless, is the reigning Doak Walker Award winner’s pace, burst, and suddenness, which he has placed on show all through his first coaching camp. The previous Michigan State star has been certainly one of Seattle’s greatest offensive performers since day one, ripping off a number of lengthy runs whereas flashing underrated catching capacity with 4 receiving touchdowns throughout group drills. Assuming he makes a swift restoration, he and Rashaad Penny ought to function 1A and 1B out of the backfield and each obtain in depth carries within the run recreation.

Abraham Lucas – Spherical 3, Choose 72

Grade: A-

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Like Cross, Lucas got here into the league with relentless questions on his run blocking and professional readiness after starring in Air Raid and Run N’ Shoot offenses at Washington State. However the Everett native has silenced critics in his first two preseason video games, busting out the butter and syrup whereas cooking up 4 pancakes driving defenders into the turf. Most notably, on simply his second snap on Thursday, he bullied a helpless defensive finish seven yards of the ball earlier than ending him to the bottom. He is additionally been regular in cross safety, positioning himself to beat out Jake Curhan and win a direct beginning job at proper deal with.

Coby Bryant – Spherical 4, Choose 109

Grade: B

Whereas Bryant has acquired a grasp class at observe attempting to cowl star receiver Tyler Lockett and surrendered a landing in protection towards the Steelers, he is in any other case loved a terrific first coaching camp with the Seahawks. Constantly getting his palms on the soccer, he is registered quite a few cross breakups within the pink zone, together with denying a landing within the second half of Thursday’s exhibition contest. He is additionally proven off loads of versatility, taking part in completely within the slot in that recreation after lining up at left cornerback in Pittsburgh. At this level, he seems to be primed to play important snaps within the nickel function and could be the starter over Justin Coleman proper off the bat whereas having the upside to start out on the surface down the street.

Tariq Woolen – Spherical 5, Choose 153

Grade: A-

Coming into the league considered as a high-ceiling, but uncooked developmental prospect, Woolen has vastly exceeded expectations. Boasting a uncommon mix of measurement (6-foot-4, 33 1/2-inch arms) and pace (4.26 40-yard sprint), he seems to be like he was engineered in a lab and his one-on-one battles towards DK Metcalf have been should see TV throughout coaching camp, with the rookie profitable a number of of these matchups towards the All-Professional. Responding properly to his first adversity after a blown protection and a number of other missed tackles in his debut, he did not permit a single reception on three targets towards the Bears and did not miss any tackles on Thursday. With every passing day, he seems to be an increasing number of more likely to begin for the Seahawks in Week 1, which few might have foreseen taking place when he was drafted out of UTSA.

Tyreke Smith – Spherical 5, Choose 158

Grade: D+

When Smith has been on the observe discipline, he has made some good issues occur, producing a trio of pressures in two padded periods. Sadly, he is been out for the remainder of camp with hip accidents and has but to go well with up for a preseason recreation. By merely not being out there, he is put himself on the roster bubble at a place with high quality expertise and depth. Getting again on the sphere for the exhibition finale in Dallas could also be crucial for his probabilities of sticking on the 53-man roster.

Bo Melton – Spherical 7, Choose 229

Grade: C-

Boasting sub-4.35 pace, Melton hasn’t had any points creating separation or getting open towards NFL cornerbacks. Nonetheless, because the first day of camp, drops have been a persistent drawback which have plagued him. The previous Rutgers star has improved his probabilities of making the group up to now two weeks, particularly after a robust debut in Pittsburgh, however he might want to do extra together with his alternatives to safe a spot at one of many deepest place teams on the roster.

Dareke Younger – Spherical 7, Choose 233

Grade: B

A little bit of a thriller leaping to the NFL from a Division II college, Younger has been one of many greatest surprises for Seattle’s incoming draft class. Proper off the bat, he developed a robust rapport with Drew Lock, catching 4 passes from him in his second camp observe. The 2 connected in Pittsburgh for a landing and although he did not report a catch towards Chicago, he is been a constant playmaker on the surface and given his attractive athletic traits, he is put himself into a great spot to keep away from the waiver wire and make Seattle’s roster out of the gate.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Seahawks 90-Man Roundup: Will AJ Barner Factor In As a Rookie?

Published

4 hours ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

Seattle Seahawks 90-Man Roundup: Will AJ Barner Factor In As a Rookie?

The Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than a month, officially ushering in the first season under new coach Mike Macdonald.

In preparation for the new incoming season, we’ll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, diving into scheme fits, exploring best and worst case scenarios and predicting what to expect from each player entering the 2024 campaign.

Will A.J. Barner factor in as a rookie for the Seahawks?

Barner was a three-star recruit out of high school in the 2020 class and committed to Indiana. He spent his first three seasons at Indiana and didn’t see much production despite being active for 30 games. He transferred to Michigan as a four-star transfer portal recruit for his final season in 2023 where he helped the Wolverines win the National Championship. He was the secondary option at tight end for the Wolverines, primarily used as a blocker opposite of potential 2025 first-round pick Colston Loveland. Barner did catch 22 passes for 249 yards and one touchdown, including an impressive 11.3 yards per catch as tight end No. 2. The Seahawks selected Barner in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft to play a similar role.

The way that offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb has called games in the past, Barner theoretically fits in as a blocking TE2 with pass-catching upside. Barner fits that profile perfectly and shows there could be more underneath the surface.

With tight end depth not set in stone, Barner grabs it by the horns during training camp and doesn’t let it go. His size at 6-6 and 251 pounds is prime for the position and he uses it to his advantage in all phases of the game. He is the prime complement to Noah Fant and emerges as a regular rotational player going into 2024.

While the potential is there for Barner to be the next Colby Parkinson, he proves to be too raw and struggles with consistency. Despite having played some of the best competition college football has to offer, NFL defensive linemen give him fits in the running game and he can’t hold onto blocks. Those struggles send him down the depth chart.

Barner is a really intriguing bet to make at tight end. He possesses ample size for the position and more than capable athleticism with an 8.70 Relative Athletic Score. His limited sample size for the position as a pass catcher is one of the main reasons why he was available on day three, but the upside is certainly there.

What should be expected by Seahawks fans with Barner is a player that needs time to develop but will be a capable blocker immediately. He will see most of his action in short-yardage and goal line situations and can be an impactful receiver in the red zone when given the opportunity. Don’t expect much out of him right away, but in 2-3 years, Barner could easily be a major contributor for the Seahawks.

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Seattle, WA

Seattle city attorney, SPD propose new street racing measures to city council

Published

12 hours ago

June 25, 2024

Press Room

Seattle city attorney, SPD propose new street racing measures to city council

SEATTLE – Seattle is at a breaking point as fearless street racers continue to scoff at the law.

City Attorney Ann Davison is determined to change that by proposing hefty fines and making video, including social media posts, admissible as evidence.

“We need to have our laws matter,” Davison said. “With our understaffing with Seattle Police, we need to be smart in how we address this.”

Seattle Police Department street takeover dashcam video

On June 22 and 23, 2024, Seattle Police officers responded to street takeover events in the city.

On Tuesday morning, Davison and leaders with the Seattle Police Department presented their proposal to members of the City Council Public Safety Commission.

Seattle Police report that social media posts often inspire swarms of people to attend these dangerous events. What begins as death-defying donuts often escalates into deadly consequences: gunfire, hit-and-runs and even homicides.

One example of that blatant disregard is Miles Hudson, the man-behind-the-wheel of the infamous “Belltown Hellcat.” Despite a slew of criminal charges, thousands of dollars in fines and constant demands to stop, Hudson continues to post videos of him speeding and revving his souped up car on his Instagram.

Belltown Hellcat exploits WA’s new street racing law

Despite facing two reckless driving charges and over $80,000 in fines, “Belltown Hellcat” driver Miles Hudson is still on the streets and posting new content in his 2023 Dodge Charger.

“I saw how people were laughing at officers because it felt like they couldn’t do anything,” remarked Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth. “I’m assuming people come to Seattle to do it because we don’t have particular laws that prevent this from happening.”

Davison suggests imposing a $500 fine for cars caught spinning out. She also argues that video evidence, including dash or body camera footage and social media content, should be used to prosecute offenders.

During the discussion, Councilmember Rob Saka expressed strong support for following the city of Kent’s lead in criminalizing spectators too. Saka promised to reach out to Kent mayor Dana Ralph to learn more.

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Seattle, WA

Here are the dates and times for the Seahawks’ 2024 training camp!

Published

19 hours ago

June 25, 2024

Press Room

Here are the dates and times for the Seahawks’ 2024 training camp!

The waiting is almost over! We’re one month away from the the first Seattle Seahawks training camp under new head coach Mike Macdonald. The team has announced the schedule and start times for the public practices, all but one of which will be held at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center (VMAC) in Renton. There’s a special scrimmage/mock game at Lumen Field as part of the team’s annual Football Fan Fest.

All training camp practices begin at 1 PM PT except for the Aug. 5 session, which is a “rise and shine!” 9:45 AM start.

Seahawks 2024 training camp dates

Wednesday, July 24 – Season Ticket Holder Day (and their guests)

Friday, July 26 – Back Together Weekend

Saturday, July 27 – Back Together Weekend

Tuesday, July 30 – Kids Day

Thursday, Aug. 1 – Season Ticket Holder Day (and their guests)

Friday, Aug. 2 – College and Alumni Day

Saturday, Aug. 3 – Football Fan Fest at Lumen Field (mock game)

Monday, Aug. 5 – Kids Day (9:45 AM)

Wednesday, Aug. 7 – Mascot Mayhem Day

Thursday, Aug. 8 – Throwbacks Day

As our own John P. Gilbert noted last week, Seahawks rookies report to camp on July 17, followed by veterans on July 23.

Do you want to go to Seahawks training camp? Go to the official team registration site here and follow the steps to get your free (but limited availability) tickets. There is a $15 transportation fee per person to attend the VMAC practices, since fans will be shuttled to the facility. Again, cell phones and cameras are not permitted during practice, but will be allowed before and after.

Paid tickets for the mock game are on sale now and start at an appropriate $12. If you can’t attend, there are YouTube live streams provided by the Seahawks, although don’t expect actual training camp plays and scrimmages to be shown.

Are you planning on attending any of these practices? Let us know in the comments!

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