Seattle, WA
Seattle Seahawks OTAs: What jumps out to ex-UW coach Petersen
There is an interesting name that has been out at Seattle Seahawks OTAs: former UW Huskies head coach Chris Petersen.
Seahawks busy learning Mike Macdonald’s ‘really creative’ defense
Now almost five years removed from his successful tenure on Montlake, Petersen has a unique perspective of the goings on at Seahawks headquarters in Renton. Not only does he have his decades of experience as a big time coach at both Washington and Boise State, but he also has been an analyst for FOX Sports in recent years.
Petersen is familiar as well with two assistants under new Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald: offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and offensive line coach Scott Huff, who both relocated to the other side of Lake Washington after helping the Huskies reach the national championship game earlier this year.
Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk welcomed Petersen on the show Thursday morning, giving him a platform to share his observations from visiting Seahawks practice. Here are a few things Petersen pointed out.
Chris Petersen on Seattle Seahawks OTAs
First takeaway
“What a great looking team, just physically. I mean, (Seahawks general manager/president of football operations) John Schneider, he’s got some guys over there. There is no question about it, just walking around and looking at the defensive guys and the length and the size of the secondary – I was like, ‘Wow.’ That was probably the first thing that jumped out to me.”
Second takeaway
“The second thing was probably the newness of the staff. A lot of focused energy, teaching. You know, the times that I’ve been there in the past so many years with Pete (Carroll) and his style and his system, guys really knew what was going on and the energy and – you know, (it’s) Christmas and everybody’s running around. Pete ran a program a lot different than a lot of NFL guys do. He had a little bit more of that college spirit than a lot of of the pros do. And so I felt like that was different, and again, I think a lot of it has to do with the newness of Coach Macdonald and his staff.”
Brock Huard on biggest difference Macdonald brings to Hawks
Third takeaway
“The third thing that jumped out at me – and again, it’s kind of still ‘Underwear Olympics’ over there, I get it, they don’t have pads, they’re not really playing – but I thought Geno Smith looked really good. The accuracy and what that ball looks like coming out of his hand and all those type of things. I was like, ‘Yeah, geez, I forgot they got Geno.’ And Geno’s a wily veteran for sure by now with the experience he’s got the last couple of years.”
Working the arm. pic.twitter.com/74uPaLQg0i
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) May 24, 2024
The Grubb and Huff offense report
“So they’re trying to get their ways implemented, their styles, their systems. You know, they had that thing – I mean, obviously – running pretty smoothly over there at UW where you know a lot of these little nuances are taken for granted. Now nothing’s taken for granted. They are starting from scratch and they really have to earn and build the credibility in their rooms that they’re teaching. And so you could really feel the focus and intention of, like, getting this system, this new system, and their way of of doing things installed.”
Listen to the full Brock and Salk conversation with former UW Huskies head football coach Chris Petersen in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post. Catch Brock and Salk on Seattle Sports from 6-10 a.m. weekdays.
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Seattle, WA
Outreach groups respond to the reported relocation cycle of Ballard’s homeless population
SEATTLE — As people voice concerns about an encampment in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, outreach groups are detailing their efforts and fighting back against encampment removals.
The outreach group We Heart Seattle said it checks on the people in an encampment of at least 20 people weekly to offer water, snacks, personal hygiene items, and access to treatment.
RELATED | Ballard encampment grows after city removes nearby site along Burke-Gilman Trail
The group told KOMO it believes more can be done at the city level, from policy to housing, to get the homeless connected with shelter and services.
A woman working at the Fred Meyer off NW 45th Street and 9th Avenue captured video of a fire near tents at an encampment across the street. A day later, off camera, she told KOMO News she worries about the safety of the people living in the tents and Ballard neighbors, in addition to concerns about alleged open-air drug use at the encampment.
“We became homeless because of certain situations, and we turned to drugs, and unfortunately, addiction comes next, you know?” Crystal Rawlings told KOMO News. She has set up her tent on multiple streets in Ballard, and said she’s approaching one year of being opioid-free.
She believes there’s been more city outreach since the start of the new mayoral administration to connect people living on the streets with services, but knows there’s not enough transitional housing for everyone who needs or wants it.
She and the Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger urge the city to stop encampment removals that push this group to another block.
RELATED | City removes Ballard encampment as neighboring businesses raise housing concerns
“We’re not abominations. We’re not obstructions, and we’re not trash, so stop sweeping us,” Rawlings stated.
The city is still aiming to reach Mayor Katie Wilson’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter in 2026 and recently opened a tiny home village in nearby Interbay, but fell short of the goal of 500 new units by June.
Andrea Suarez with We Heart Seattle estimates at least 20 people living on the street keep getting moved around Ballard, from behind the Albert Lee store to Leary Avenue to NW 45th Street behind the Fred Meyer.
“This encampment has people that’ve been homeless for more than five years. We know their names and faces. They’re still here. They’re still stuck in late-phase addiction, frankly because it’s permitted,” Suarez explained.
RELATED | Viral makeshift homeless shelter with chimney dismantled by Seattle city crews
She believes a camping ban on city sidewalks would help encourage more people to accept shelter, and help stop the cycle of moving people without
“It is an underserved community. I think it is unfair,” Suarez added. “We’ve tried to balance between enablement and really giving people a hand up, but without the teeth and backup for the work of outreach workers, it starts to feel futile, and that’s why we get burned out.”
The mayor’s office was working to send data about its homeless response in Ballard as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Ballard Community Task Force on Homelessness and Hunger estimates there have been nine Ballard-area encampment removals so far this year.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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