RENTON, Wash. – Undrafted rookies have odds squarely stacked against them to make an NFL roster, trying to scratch and claw for reps with established veterans and draft picks ahead of them on the depth chart and little to no margin for error when opportunity strikes.

It’s safe to say that rookies in general rarely arrive at their first NFL training camp with a head start on the rest of the competition, especially undrafted signees. But in yet another unconventional chapter in his anything but typical football story, Seattle Seahawks tight end Jack Westover has had everyone from quarterback Geno Smith to receiver DK Metcalf in his ear as the team learns new coordinator Ryan Grubb’s offense, which the undrafted rookie starred in at Washington the past two seasons.

Thriving in Grubb’s offense, Westover evolved from a former walk-on into one of Heisman finalist Michael Penix Jr.’s most trusted targets in clutch situations, catching 77 passes for 775 yards and five touchdowns in 2022 and 2023. Now, he’s trying to keep his NFL dream alive playing for the local team in an offense that he knows inside and out, which has made him a popular teammate in meeting rooms and on the field.

“I think the coolest thing for me is just being able to come in and have the respect of the vets, as far as the playbook goes X’s and O’s wise, just having that respect,” Westover said prior to Seattle’s third training camp practice. “Then obviously, having gone on the field and earned a different type of respect as far as playstyle, and so it’s been cool to be able to just have that conversation with them and have them just be open to it.”

Long before sporting a navy blue No. 89 practice jersey for the first time in May, eight years ago, Westover wasn’t even on the radar as a Division I football prospect. Known more for his basketball talents, he decided to give football another shot entering his senior year at Mount Si High School, located 25 minutes east of downtown Seattle.

Jumping right into the starting lineup at tight end, Westover made an immediate impact for the Wildcats potent offense. Unfortunately, his lone season with the program came to an abrupt end when he suffered a season-ending injury as he plowed over a defender at the goal line for a touchdown in the second game, preventing him from having an opportunity to emerge as a rising late recruit in the Pacific Northwest.

But Westover didn’t give up on his dream despite the adversity and thanks to his athletic profile and raw skills, he remained on the radar for several local programs. Rather than play for a smaller school and potentially transfer down the road, he chose to walk on at Washington, taking the challenging path of paying his own way to school with hopes of earning a scholarship.

Though he didn’t play in any games as a freshman with the Huskies redshirting him and he received some tough on the job lessons trying to block against future NFL defensive ends such as Joe Tryon on the practice field, Westover earned the Brian Stapp Special Teams Scout Squad MVP that year, setting the stage for him to see action in 2019.

“You definitely learn the hard way when you’re blocking Joe Tryon, who has seven foot wingspan, and then you’re just basically a basketball player at that point,” Westover laughed. “I’m coming in and just learning the game, but you definitely learned the hard way and I was able to go up against some really good defensive ends that wound up in the NFL.”

Packing on muscle to his frame during his time on campus and developing himself into a quality all-around player, Westover blossomed into a 250-pound tight end over the course of six seasons with the Huskies program. After struggling as a blocker early in his college career, with the extra work in the weight room paying dividends, he learned how to win at the point of attack despite lacking prototypical size and length for the tight end position.

“I knew I’m not gonna be able to block the same way as other tight ends because I’m a little shorter, not as long as them,” Westover added. “But I think being able to utilize my speed, my quickness, my feet, beating guys off the ball, getting my feet in the ground quicker than other guys, that’s something that I just had to understand. It had to be a strength of mine compared to the other way around.”

Along with growing into a competent blocker who could hold his own either as an inline tight end or an H-back, Westover continued to make a significant impact as a pass catcher, dropping just four passes on 114 targets and posting a 76.3 percent catch rate during five seasons. Playing a key role in Washington’s ascent to a national championship game berth, he caught five passes on six targets in a loss to Michigan, standing out as a bright spot in defeat while playing through an injury.

Recovering from ruptured ligament in his wrist, Westover didn’t participate in athletic testing at the NFL combine, but he returned to catch passes from Penix and run the 3-cone drill and short shuttle at Washington’s pro day on March 28. Going undrafted, it didn’t take long for the Seahawks to lock him up as one of their priority free agents, linking him back up with Grubb, who joined new coach Mike Macdonald’s staff as offensive coordinator in February after spending a few days in the same role at Alabama.

Living the dream as a hometown kid donning a Seahawks uniform, Westover’s presence has been notable since his first practice in May, as his experience in Grubb’s scheme has been evident during team drills. When he has had opportunities to work with Smith, the quarterback has shown plenty of confidence in him, and backup Sam Howell ended Friday’s practice session by finding him in the red zone period for a touchdown in the flats.

While Westover has been a welcomed resource for his new teammates due to his knowledge of the new offense, he has remained a sponge learning as much as he can watching how veterans Noah Fant and Pharaoh Brown handle their business on and off the field with intent and purpose. Both players have also been more than happy to answer questions and offer advice for the rookie along the way, making his transition to the next level “pretty smooth” thus far.

As an undrafted signee, Westover will have an uphill climb to make Seattle’s 53-man roster, especially with fellow rookie AJ Barner coming on board as a fourth-round pick out of Michigan. With most teams carrying three tight ends on the active roster, he will have to show out on special teams to improve his chances of landing one of the final spots, and a major litmus tests awaits with the first padded practice coming on Monday as he begins to test his mettle blocking NFL defenders.

But considering he wasn’t on anyone’s radar as an NFL prospect not that long ago and overcame no shortage of obstacles to reach this point with the Seahawks, Westover continues to take the experience in stride, thankful for the chance to battle for a spot on the team to begin with. Holding a unique advantage with his insight on Grubb’s offense, he’s confident he can execute as a receiver, blocker, and special teamer to the level necessary to make the team, and he’s excited to see how he stacks up as training camp unfolds.

“There’s not a lot of people that have my background, my story, not really playing high school football to walking on and making it to here. So just grateful.”

The Seattle Mariners have been busy ahead of the trade deadline. They made a trade for outfielder Randy Arozarena on Thursday and reliever Yimi Garcia on Friday.

The impressive things about those two trades have been the fact that Seattle has only had to give up one top-10 prospect to get them (Jonatan Clase).

One of the Mariners’ prospects that has long been tied to traded rumors has been catcher Harry Ford. He’s ranked as Seattle’s No. 2 prospect and the No. 23 prospect overall according to MLB Pipeline.

According to a recent report — Ford could be out for a bit.

Ford was placed on the injured list with “concussion symptoms” according to a report from MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer.

According to the same report — the Mariners aren’t concerned Ford will be out for an extended period of time.

Ford was held out of the lineup for Double-A Arkansas Travelers’ three-game series this weekend against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals with what was described then as an illness, according to Locked On Mariners Ty Dane Gonzalez.

It’s unknown how much Ford has been involved in Seattle’s ongoing trade discussions if he has at all. But Ford would have value whether he gets traded elsewhere or if he stayed with the Mariners.

Ford has competed in the MLB All-Star Futures Games two years in a row and is batting .247 this year with five home runs and 31 RBIs. He’s caught 10 runners stealing this season.

Ford has also spent some time this season at left field and at designated hitter.

Any update on a top Mariners prospect will be scrutinized with the trade deadline two days away. Whether Ford is involved with a potential trade package or stays in Seattle’s farm system — the team will no doubt want its No. 2 prospect to get healthy as soon as possible.

MARINERS ACQUIRE AROZARENA: The Seattle Mariners reportedly agreed to a deal to acquire outfielder Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night, according to multiple reports. CLICK HERE

MARINERS ACQUIRE GARCIA: The Seattle Mariners acquired right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia from the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday for outfielder Jonatan Clase, per reports. CLICK HERE

MARINERS INTERESTED IN MARLINS RELIEVER: The Seattle Mariners are reportedly interested in trading for Miami Marlins reliever and 2024 All-Star Tanner Scott with three days left until the trade deadline. CLICK HERE

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady

2023 stats (rank)

Points per game: 21.4 (17th)
Total yards per game: 322.9 (21st)
Plays per game: 58.5 (32nd)
Pass Attempts + Sacks per game: 36.1 (16th)
Dropback EPA per play: 0.09 (10th)
Rush attempts per game: 22.5 (30th)
Rush EPA per play: -0.09 (14th)

Coaching Staff

The Seahawks have moved on from the Pete Carroll era, hiring former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as head coach. Macdonald led the Ravens defense to No. 1 finishes in points allowed, sacks, takeaways, point differential, and turnover margin. He is now the youngest head coach in the league, taking over a Seattle team that went 9-8 last season.

Ryan Grubb also joins the Seahawks at offensive coordinator. He spent two seasons with the Washington Huskies in the same role, helping the offense to the National Championship game in 2023. Ending the season a semifinalist for the Broyles Award (awarded to college football’s top assistant coach), Grubb has been hired to bring his successful offense to the NFL. Geno Smith and company ran the least plays per game in the league last season, averaging 322.9 total yards per game, good for 21^st in the league. While Macdonald brings defensive knowledge and a new culture, Grubb has been brought on bring the middle-of-the-pack offense to greater heights.

Passing Game

QB: Geno Smith, Sam Howell
WR: D.K. Metcalf, Jake Bobo
WR: Tyler Lockett, Laviska Shenault, Dareke Young
WR: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, D’Wayne Eskridge
TE: Noah Fant, Pharoah Brown, A.J. Barner

The Seahawks passed for 230 yards per game, 14^th in the league. Geno Smith started 15 games at quarterback, though his 64.7 completion percentage, 155 rushing yards, and 7.3 yards per attempt were decreases from 2022. He regressed a bit, but was serviceable enough to contribute to the Seahawks’ top-10 dropback EPA per play. Still, the Seahawks added a solid backup in Sam Howell. For the Commanders last season, Howell threw for 3,945 yards and 21 touchdowns. Much was garbage time/down-big production, but he had a better fantasy finish than Smith. However, Smith’s tenure and leadership in the offense will keep him as starter at least in the short-term. He is a low-end QB2 this season while Howell would be a QB3 if he starts.

A trio of wideouts lead the Seahawks’ pass-catching group. D.K. Metcalf is the alpha receiver, with a mashup of size and speed to torch opposing defensive backs. Last season, Metcalf averaged a career-high 16.9 yards per reception, though his totals in targets (119) and receptions (66) were both the lowest since his rookie year. He contended with Tyler Lockett last season to be the top receiver, though he gains an edge due to being the younger receiver with more prototypical alpha size. Lockett beat Metcalf in both targets (122) and receptions (79) last season, though he had less yards and has been the No. 2 receiver in previous seasons. Metcalf became the deeper target while Lockett took shallower looks, a flip from the past couple seasons. Nevertheless, it can be expected that Smith and Ryan Grubb will continue to utilize both.

The third member of the trio is Jaxon Smith-Njigba, entering his second season. As a first-round pick last season, Smith-Njigba operated out of the slot, catching 63 passes for 628 yards. It took a while for him to see quality looks, seeing a lot of shallow targets at or near the line of scrimmage. Projecting growth for Smith-Njigba, he will still see shallow targets but can also move out into the intermediate area in Grubb’s more condensed offense, especially if Grubb uses more three-wide receiver sets than Seattle did last year. At Washington, Grubb’s passing offense primarily ran through Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk. Translating that to Seattle, Metcalf is the primary outside receiver, with Lockett the No. 2 and Smith-Njigba the No. 3 from the slot. For fantasy, bet on Metcalf being a WR2, Lockett a WR3, and Smith-Njigba a fringe WR4 value. Jake Bobo and Laviska Shenault headline the rest of the wideout group who will step into roles should any of the top-three go down.

Behind the wideouts, Noah Fant is an intriguing name at tight end. He has spent two seasons with the Seahawks, totaling 82 receptions for 900 yards and four touchdowns between both. Fant saw more production in his previous three seasons with the Broncos but is now poised for more opportunity this season. Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson are both gone, leaving smaller target competition with Pharaoh Brown and rookie A.J. Barner. Though Fant is still just the No. 4 pass-catching option, he will have the opportunity to be a fringe TE2. It is notable that Grubb’s college tight end, Jack Westover, signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent as well, though he is likely on the roster bubble through preseason.

Running Game

RB: Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet, Kenny McIntosh, George Holani
OL (L-R): Charles Cross, Laken Tomlinson, Olu Oluwatimi, Christan Haynes, Abraham Lucas

The running game was a curiously small part of the Seahawks’ offense last season. They ran 22.5 run plays, third-least in the league, though that conveyed to a 14^th-best rush EPA per play. Ryan Grubb has emphasized a desire to be a physical team while Mike Macdonald wants to run the football as a part of the offensive core identity. More rushing could be in line for the Seahawks’ backfield.

With little change in the backfield, Kenneth Walker is still penciled in as the lead back. He led the way with 219 carries for 905 yards and eight touchdowns, the only running back with more than one last season. Behind Walker, Zach Charbonnet totaled 108 carries for 462 yards as a rookie. While Walker was clearly ahead as a runner, Charbonnet saw a similar share of backfield targets, giving Charbonnet a pass-catching inflation to his fantasy value. Kenny McIntosh is currently the No. 3 RB, but he missed much of last season with a knee injury. He can be a scat back if needed, but Walker and Charbonnet should be expected to hold down the bulk of backfield responsibilities. Walker will be an RB2 value this season while Charbonnet will cut into his load and have RB4 value, elevated to RB2 should Walker suffer an injury.

The backs will be running behind an offensive line that was banged up last season for Seattle. Left tackle Charles Cross played 14 games while right tackle Abraham Lucas started six and is not fully recovered from knee surgery yet. George Fant and Stone Forsythe are tackle depth, but ideally the Cross/Lucas duo holds down the tackle spots when healthy. Walker and Charbonnet’s efficiency was not great last season and a lot hinges on the health of the tackles for blocking to improve for the backs and Geno Smith this season.

Win Total

Rookie head coach Mike Macdonald is projected to lead the Seahawks to a 7.5-win total from DraftKings. The offense has a variety of playmakers, but Geno Smith doesn’t have the elite ceiling from the higher tiers of quarterbacks. The defense will benefit from Macdonald’s knowledge, but a developing team with a first-year head coach and offensive coordinator will have its share of struggles in the NFC West. Those confident in the Seahawks at least playing at the same level as last season will likely take the over while those believing in a step back in Macdonald’s first year may prefer the under.