Seattle Seahawks coaching camp is underway! We’re in the midst of padded practices, which suggests we must always see extra bodily play as we close to nearer to the Aug. 10 preseason opener. For the remainder of this week, we could have key questions throughout each defensive place.
This text will concentrate on the inside and outside linebackers. Not lots modified for Seattle when it comes to edge rushers, however there shall be a key participant getting back from harm who will hopefully increase a wildly inconsistent go rush. Inside linebacker is a distinct story following the free agent departures of Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks.
Linebacker roster (as of Jul. 31):
Seahawks.com
Outdoors Linebacker
Is the most effective but to come back from Boye Mafe?
Mafe was one of many vivid spots of final 12 months’s protection, producing 9 sacks and recording no less than a sack in a half-dozen consecutive video games. His sacks improved however his go speeding win price was considerably higher than his rookie season (6.3% to 13.1%). His numbers might’ve appeared even higher if not for the season-ending harm to Uchenna Nwosu in October, which meant that Mafe was the highest choice adopted by Darrell Taylor/Derick Corridor/just a few video games of Frank Clark.
At Monday’s post-practice presser, Mafe indicated one facet of his recreation he’d like to enhance.
“For me particularly, it’s noticing performs earlier than pre-snap,” Mafe stated. “There’s plenty of issues that occur pre-snap that may give you tells and issues which you can see beforehand. One of many issues, particularly from final 12 months, I seen there have been performs that I felt like I left on the desk. To have the ability to capitalize on these performs, and see these performs pre-snap and earlier, and be capable to make most of these performs.”
This season has appreciable significance for Mafe not simply from the private need of getting higher, however he’ll be eligible for a contract extension the next offseason—there’s no fifth-year choice since he was not a first-round decide. If Mafe can preserve progressing primarily as a go rusher and secondarily as a run defender, extending Mafe ought to be a no brainer.
Who’s going to be the third go rusher?
A wholesome Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe are the 2 finest edge rushers on the crew with out query. The third spot is up for grabs. Dre’Mont Jones isn’t listed as an OLB but when he’s taking reps there and has misplaced weight, we’d as nicely no less than half-count him. I query Jones’ effectiveness protecting area ready change, however engaged on the sting may get the most effective out of his go speeding strengths. Darrell Taylor is on a one-year deal and whereas he’s proven appreciable sack productiveness over three seasons, his strain price is low, which suggests he’s changing pressures into sacks however isn’t getting sufficient pressures.
Derick Corridor had an underwhelming rookie marketing campaign; no sacks and a bottom-quartile strain price made him one of many least efficient defenders on the crew. He’s been described as one of many standouts for enchancment on this 12 months’s coaching camp, which is encouraging if it’s true. Boye Mafe had a greater rookie 12 months than Corridor however he equally lacked productiveness and was a legal responsibility towards the run.
Nelson Ceaser from the College of Houston is one in all my extra fascinating UDFA prospects. There’s been little or no in the best way of hype for any of Seattle’s undrafted rookies, Ceaser included, however he is likely to be one who stands out in preseason. He ended his senior season with 9.5 sacks and had a excessive strain price. If Ceaser will get a roster spot, it’s certainly at Taylor’s expense.
Joshua Onujiogu and UDFA rookie Sunny Anderson are additionally within the combine however I don’t anticipate both of them cracking the rotation.
Who will set the sting?
A serious downside with the Seahawks run protection was sub-par play from their edge rushers. In the mean time, Nwosu is the most effective run defender among the many outdoors linebackers and in 2022 he was the one optimistic two-way OLB on the crew.
From final 12 months’s FTN Soccer Almanac:
Past Nwosu’s 9.5 sacks in his first season in Seattle, he had a team-high 46 charted pressures (18 greater than Darrell Taylor) and his tackles on run performs averaged simply 1.6 yards, good for 4th-best amongst defensive linemen/edge rushers.
Nwosu was credited with 57 stops, outlined as “the entire variety of performs which forestall a ‘success’ by the offense.” He additionally performed probably the most snaps by far amongst Seattle’s edge rushers, which is to say he actually was the one persistently dependable participant on the place for the Seahawks each towards the run and go.
Taylor’s run deense woes have been nicely documented, and Corridor struggled on that entrance as a rookie. Mafe improved with out being nice (and his run protection was one of many sudden pluses in 2022), and run protection has by no means been an amazing energy of Jones no matter his place.
I believe Mafe is the most effective candidate to observe in Nwosu’s footsteps, however that just about looks like a default reply. Collectively, the OLBs have to enhance defending the perimeter or else it’s going to yield extra irritating outcomes towards the run.
Inside Linebacker
Will the missed observe time be pricey?
Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker had been free agent signings from the Buffalo Payments and Miami Dolphins, respectively. Baker was on IR to finish his ultimate season in Miami, whereas Dodson had a Week 18 harm however performed by it within the AFC Divisional Spherical towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. Their illnesses meant not taking part in OTAs or obligatory minicamp.
Right here’s a line from Dodson final week so far as speaking together with his new teammate:
“Yeah, I imply, we’re nonetheless making an attempt to determine it out. We’re on day 4. So, I imply, I’ve heard of him. He’s heard of me, you realize, being within the AFC East. So we simply, we textual content lots, we FaceTime lots, we acquired to maintain constructing it and constructing it and it’s going to be alright.”
And one thing from Baker concerning easing again into observe:
“I imply, bodily, it’s camp. It’s a kind of issues the place daily you’ve acquired to deliver it. It’s a relentless grind. You by no means really know the way good you’re in form till you placed on the pads and begin hitting guys, begin taking guys to the bottom. Proper now, I’d say it’s nonetheless contact soccer. The actual day is while you put the pads on, go on the market, and actually play soccer.”
There’s plenty of verbiage and on-field studying required when it’s a brand new protection, and I doubt we see a lot preseason motion from both of the starters. That is actually the one place on protection the place the Seahawks haven’t even partial continuity and are ranging from scratch. Don’t be stunned if there are communication breakdowns and protection busts early within the season.
Can Tyrel Dodson be a three-down choice?
I’m not likely involved about Jerome Baker’s function within the protection other than his current harm historical past. He’s been a longtime starter within the NFL for fairly a while and he could also be a invaluable chess piece for Mike Macdonald as a blitzing backer.
Dodson didn’t turn out to be a starter till final season, and even that was solely borne out of the harm to Matt Milano. Mike Macdonald has already confirmed that Dodson will get the inexperienced dot and play the function of sign caller, which he’s carried out earlier than in Buffalo, solely this time he’s the undisputed best choice. It is a massive promotion for Dodson because the “Mike” and he’s coming from a protection with much more persistently high-level outcomes than Seattle.
Final week, Dodson talked about getting that call-up to start out in Buffalo.
“Yeah, wonderful,” Dodson stated. “This makes me truly need to cry, as a result of every part that I put ahead, coming in early and simply ready my flip. After I acquired my flip, you bought to maximise your alternative while you get your flip. So I imply, it felt good as a result of being an undrafted man, these alternatives are slim. You bought to maximise while you get these alternatives.”
Primarily based on what Matt Byham at Buffalo Rumblings noticed, Dodson typically wasn’t on the sector for third down. There have been additionally some points with go protection and open-field tackling. I’ve my reservations about what Dodson can do as a starter, however he may be hitting his stride as a younger participant with a 12 months of beginning expertise underneath his belt. That is successfully a “prove-it” deal that may inform us whether or not or not he’s really a three-down linebacker.
Is Tyrice Knight prepared?
The Seahawks didn’t make investments closely at inside linebacker. They may’ve made a splash transfer for Patrick Queen, re-signed Jordyn Brooks, and so forth. and as an alternative gave Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker one-year contracts to interchange Brooks and Wagner. Within the draft, Seattle chosen UTEP’s Tyrice Knight within the fourth spherical of a extensively thought of “weak” linebacker class.
One other method of asking “is Knight prepared?” is whether or not or not he’s trusted for snaps over Jon Rhattigan, Patrick O’Connell, and (the nonetheless injured) Drake Thomas. Easton Gibbs was waived, so you may overlook about him being within the combine. Even Baker and Dodson missed OTAs and minicamp, it was Rhattigan and O’Connell getting the equal of a first-team reps.
As a Day 3 decide we’ll see loads of Knight in preseason, if not in a beginning function in these exhibitions. There’s no query that there shall be added consideration to his performances, as a result of if he appears like a mid-round rookie from a small college who wants to sit down and be taught a short while longer, that’s not a terrific state of affairs given the shortage of depth at this place. Rhattigan and O’Connell must present one thing large in an effort to really feel comfy that they may spell both Dodson or Baker in a pinch.
We’ll wrap up this collection with a have a look at the secondary on Friday.
