Seattle, WA

‘Great Feel For Game’: Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon Trending Towards Superstardom

Published

1 month ago

May 24, 2024

‘Great Feel For Game’: Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon Trending Towards Superstardom

RENTON, Wash. – Normally a man of few words, with communication being a critical aspect of the job from on-field communication to press conferences, first-time head coach Mike Macdonald has had to open up a bit more as he begins his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks.

Still feeling things out with OTAs kicking off this week at the VMAC, Macdonald acknowledged developing a rapport with his new players remains a work in progress and there isn’t a magic wand to instantly create a “mutual understanding of what kind of football team we want to be.” But before he could wrap up his response following Wednesday’s practice, a boisterous Devon Witherspoon decided to chime in while grabbing a Gatorade on his way into the facility.

“Let ’em know coach, let ’em know!” Witherspoon enthusiastically shouted.

Along with drawing laughs from reporters, Macdonald couldn’t help but crack a big smile and said “See, ‘Spoon knows!” before quickly shifting back into his serious, all-business demeanor and fielding the next question.

Nov 19, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) sacks Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) in the first quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Known for his reserved, soft-spoken style, Macdonald won’t be mistaken with his predecessor Pete Carroll, whose infectious energy and rah-rah personality seemingly permeated throughout the entire Pacific Northwest anytime Seattle hit the field. But if there’s one commonality between the two coaches, it’s their affinity for Witherspoon, which shouldn’t come as a shocker considering the immense impact he already has had in his brief time with the franchise.

Coming to the Pacific Northwest carrying lofty expectations as the fifth overall pick, Witherspoon managed to live up to the hype and then some. After missing the season opener recovering from a hamstring injury, he posted a historic stat line while seeing snaps both as an outside cornerback and slot defender, becoming just the seventh player and only rookie since 1999 to record at least 14 pass breakups, three sacks, and eight tackles for loss in the same season.

From an advanced metrics perspective, whether in man or zone coverage, Witherspoon held his own shutting down opposing receivers. Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed only seven catches on 15 targets in man coverage with three pass breakups and no touchdowns while finishing eighth in forced incompletions. Equally dominant in zone, ranking in the top 15 in receiving yards allowed and pass breakups while also finishing in the top 10 in forced incompletions.

Despite playing on one of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL, the Seahawks would have been significantly worse without Witherspoon, who finished in top 10 among cornerbacks in run stops, run stop percentage, and solo tackles while adding five tackles for loss versus the run.

Even more impressively, Witherspoon’s off the charts efficiency as a blitzer created major problems for opponents all season long and his contributions went beyond bringing down the quarterback in the pocket. On 30 pass rushing snaps, he generated 10 pressures to go with a trio of sacks and also swatted three passes, earning a fantastic 22.4 pass rush productivity rating from Pro Football Focus while posting a 33.3 percent pressure rate.

Considering his outstanding numbers as a rookie and how his well-rounded skill set, physicality, and positional flexibility should perfectly fit Macdonald’s scheme, it’s no wonder the young coach seems to be grinning ear to ear every time he watches or talks about the ascending superstar.

“I mean, where do I start?” Macdonald said when asked about what he likes about Witherspoon’s game, specifically referencing his talents in the slot. “Great feel for the game. I mean, just picks things up really quick, but just understands ball and plays at a really, really fast speed. At nickel there is a lot of action in there, and so when guys have that type of skillset you can get them right around the action as much as possible. He’ll do all the things: He’ll blitz, man, zone, play deep in the field, so it’s a fun position to play.”

Just 23 years old, Witherspoon has wasted little time giving a taste of what he may be able to accomplish playing for Macdonald. In Wednesday’s practice, while primarily playing in the slot with cornerbacks Tre Brown and Riq Woolen on the boundary, he made a pair of impressive pass breakups, including showcasing elite closing speed to undercut an out route by teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba along the sideline to create an incompletion.

Playing with Witherspoon for the first time after signing with the Seahawks in free agency, veteran safety Rayshawn Jenkins has been wowed by what he’s seen from his new teammate thus far at OTAs, specifically citing his elite ball-hawking traits.

“He’s a really talented young player for him to not be the biggest guy. He plays with a lot of heart out there, you can see it even from here. I was just thinking about this today actually, but his breaking on the ball is just elite. It’s some of the best I’ve probably ever seen. I was literally just thinking about it today. I saw him break up two passes and the receiver had a step or two on him and closing speed is crazy. He just gets right to the ball, undercuts the ball. He’s going to make a lot of plays as he has been doing coming off of last season.”

Without tackling or contact being allowed during offseason practices, Witherspoon will have to wait a while before he can dish out the bone-jarring hits he has earned a reputation for dating back to his illustrious college career at Illinois. But he could still be seen rocketing off the edge as a blitzer a few times on Wednesday, something fans should be expecting to see plenty of given Macdonald’s history of sending defensive backs as blitzers.

Last season, for example, Macdonald featured safety Kyle Hamilton as one of his primary pass rushing weapons. The former first-round pick out of Notre Dame generated 16 pressures on 37 blitz attempts, equaling Witherspoon with three sacks and producing two swatted passes along with a 37 percent pressure rate.

Though Witherspoon and Hamilton are far from carbon copies, starting with the fact they offer far different body types, they share many of the same strengths with an aggressive playing style and elite pass rushing ability. It’s no wonder Macdonald appears to have a vision of his newest playmaker staying inside most of the time to play to his strengths and allow him to wreak havoc on Sundays as one of the sport’s ascending young stars.

Since it’s only May, time will tell how Macdonald ultimately deploys his new weapon. But if the start of the offseason program serves as an indicator with Witherspoon flying all over the place making plays, it might be wise to take the over on how much Macdonald will be smiling on the sidelines this fall.

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Seattle, WA

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

Published

6 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

14 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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Seattle, WA

Seattle police recover dozens of guns in separate incidents

Published

21 hours ago

June 25, 2024

Press Room

Seattle police recover dozens of guns in separate incidents

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) seized at least two dozen guns in separate incidents, one Friday and another early Sunday. The incident Sunday was notable as it resulted in two people being shot and an investigation that led to an apartment where a suspect was hiding with at least 20 guns nearby.

2 people shot in Chinatown district; dozens of weapons recovered

The SPD stated it is investigating after two people were shot in the Chinatown-International District shortly after midnight Sunday. The shootings led to one man being arrested.

According to a post in the SPD Blotter Monday, an officer located two men shot near 8th Avenue South and South King Street at 12:29 a.m. Sunday. Members of the SPD moved the victims to a secure location as more law enforcement resources responded.

Two men, one is 37 years old and the other is 28, were treated on scene by the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) and transported to Harborview Medical Center in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries, the department wrote in its online statement.

More city crime: Police search for suspects in fatal West Seattle shooting

Officers determined the shots came from the window of a second-floor apartment nearby. SPD officers found the suspect hiding inside and arrested him.

The suspect, 24, was taken to the hospital for a medical issue not related to the shooting. Once cleared, the suspect was booked into King County Jail on two counts of first-degree assault.

A firearm was located near the window overlooking a parking lot where the victims were believed to be shot. Multiple firearms and firearm accessories also were located inside the residence and seized as evidence upon service of a search warrant, the SPD Blotter post states. The SPD added a photo from the scene to its online post and it contains at least 25 guns it seized from the scene.

The department concluded its statement by saying additional charges may follow as detectives with the Gun Violence Reduction Unit complete their investigation.

Crime blotter: Deputies searching for person who hit, nearly killed woman in Kent

2 guns, ammunition taken by police during operation arrest

SPD officers conducted an operation and arrested suspect in possession of two guns, ammunition, and narcotics downtown Seattle Friday afternoon, the SPD reported in a separate SPD Blotter post Monday.

Officers were in the area of 3rd Avenue and Pike Street at 2:44 p.m. Friday when they located a suspected narcotics dealer. A 26-year-old man ended up getting arrested.

Multiple items of evidence were seized including two semi-automatic handguns, ammunition, magazines, and drugs, the department noted in its online statement.

The SPD post concluded by stating the man was booked into King County Jail for two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and a “Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act (VUCSA) Narcotics Sale and Delivery.”

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.

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