Offseason departures leave Lockett the ‘old guy’ in Seattle

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — A lot to his shock, Tyler Lockett has turn into the previous man.

Wanting across the Seattle Seahawks locker room, the veteran vast receiver is now the longest-tenured member of the roster after the commerce of Russell Wilson and launch of Bobby Wagner throughout a tumultuous offseason.

“You made me really feel previous while you stated that,” Lockett stated Tuesday after Seattle wrapped up its newest offseason exercise. “It is quite a bit completely different since Russ and Bobby is gone. Mentally you are feeling like you have to step up. You are feeling like you have to fill within the gaps and people voids that is gonna be lacking. However for me, I simply attempt to proceed to be myself. I do not attempt to put further strain on myself.”

There’s quite a bit new in Seattle, together with Lockett’s standing within the locker room. He is the one participant remaining from the Seahawks’ 2015 draft class and simply one in all two gamers acquired by Seattle earlier than 2018. Lengthy snapper Tyler Ott is the opposite after he joined the Seahawks in 2017.

However all the brand new is refreshing in a means for Lockett, who has been Seattle’s chief in both receptions or yards receiving every of the previous 4 seasons. Even when meaning making an enormous adjustment getting use to life with out Wilson.

“Throughout OTAs, I feel you may see some mixtures, you may see numerous issues which can be completely different, there’s probably not going to be numerous issues that stand out,” Lockett stated. “I simply suppose that proper now we’re simply enjoying with numerous stuff. We’re doing numerous issues in a different way. I imply, you guys noticed it right now, I assumed we had a very good apply right now. And so we’re simply attempting to construct and simply see how far we are able to be capable of go.

“That is the place you take a look at limits.”

Lockett caught numerous passes through the years from Wilson and is coming off three straight seasons with at the very least 1,000 yards receiving. Even final 12 months when Wilson missed a month as a result of a finger harm, Lockett nonetheless managed 73 catches for 1,175 yards and eight touchdowns.

However that was the previous and the most important query surrounding the Seahawks is who Lockett shall be catching passes from this season with Geno Smith and Drew Lock the seemingly candidates to be Wilson’s substitute.

Lockett stated he has been impressed with Lock to date coming over from Denver and selecting up Seattle’s offensive system. He is additionally seen a distinct demeanor from Smith throughout the offseason program realizing that with Wilson now not round he has the prospect to win a beginning job for the primary time for the reason that starting of his profession with the New York Jets.

Since turning into a professional, Lockett hasn’t seen a quarterback competitors play out by the offseason. He stated the final one he can keep in mind got here in highschool.

“It is one thing new, however it’s one thing that is very attention-grabbing simply to have the ability to see relating to that aggressive nature, two individuals, three individuals with the ability to compete for a spot,” Lockett stated. “We noticed it once I first bought right here at receiver. We had a number of expertise, a great deal of expertise at receiver. And a great deal of expertise at (defensive again). There was individuals at DB that did not make the group and I used to be shocked, once I was a rookie. And it is simply that aggressive nature that takes you to completely different locations.”