RENTON, Wash. - With the first week of training camp officially in the books, freshman orientation is over for first-time coach Mike Macdonald and the Seattle Seahawks with padded practices set to kick off on Monday following a day off.
After months of practicing without contact and other restrictions catered to protecting players, Macdonald and his staff will have their first real opportunity to evaluate Seattle's roster in a practice environment more conducive to real football. As for what he's wanting to see when the pads come out, it all comes down to physicality, mentality, and getting after it hitting and blocking for the first time this summer.
"I want to feel us, man. I want to feel who's out there," Macdonald told reporters following Saturday's practice at the VMAC. "I want to feel the physicality, and who's going to move people. We want to do it smart, we want to take care of one another, but we also got to sharpen it as well. So that's a challenge, it'd be our first practice in pads. Understanding the expectations, but it'll be pretty clear when we get out here."
As is always the case, the Seahawks won't suddenly transform practice into a regular season game with tackling to the ground, and quarterbacks certainly will still be off limits for pass rushers with Geno Smith and Sam Howell in retro 90s jerseys. Instead, they most likely will be wearing shoulder pads, no lower leg pads, and yes, much to the chagrin of Jarran Reed, guardian caps on their helmets on Monday in what most teams call "shell" practices, which will allow players to engage against blockers and wrap up ball carriers at thud tempo.
While full-on tackling will have to wait, these practices still provide tremendous value, particularly for offensive and defensive linemen who have been playing two-hand touch for the past three months. New line coach Scott Huff will have his first crack at evaluating potential new starters for the Seahawks in the interior, including center Olu Oluwatimi and right guards Anthony Bradford and Christian Haynes, who will take their competition to the next level with the aim of setting a nasty tone at the line of scrimmage.
Toting the rock behind Oluwatimi, Haynes, and the rest of the offensive line, Seattle's running backs will also happily welcome padded practices, as they won't feel like they are playing flag football with defenders now coming up ready to pop them in the gap and they will be able to dish some punishment as runners, providing excellent preparation for game action.
On the defensive side of the ball, Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde eagerly await the opportunity to test out multiple personnel groupings, sliding players such as Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, and Dre'Mont Jones up and down the line of scrimmage. Stunts and blitzes will also be on the menu with far better application, as blockers will be able to try to pick them up full speed and defenders will be able to pin their ears back - at least until the quarterback is in sight.
"It's not where we want it to be, yet, but we'll get there," Macdonald said of Seattle's defensive line rotations and communication. "And I think the guys have an idea of what we're trying to create, so they're into it. But when you start adding live situations to the recipe a little bit, then things start to move a little fast, so we're chasing it right now. But the guys are bought in and it's going to work out. They got a great plan for it, but it'd be good to do a little cleaner on that front."
If there's another positional unit fired up about pads coming out, cornerbacks and safeties haven't been able to aggressively play the football in coverage since OTAs began in May. That will change on Monday with defensive backs such as Devon Witherspoon allowed to play physical press coverage, thump ball carriers, and actively contest throws, which will undoubtedly raise the intensity several notches between Seattle's star-studded receiving corps and a talented, feisty secondary.
Adding to the intrigue, Macdonald purposely moved the Seahawks fifth training camp practice up to 10 AM to provide his players with a "shock to the system," simulating what it will be like when the team plays East coast games early on Sundays this year. Between the time change and the much-awaited return of pads, he's looking forward to the chance to evaluate where his team sits a little over a month before hosting the Broncos in the season opener at Lumen Field.
