RENTON, Wash. — Pete Carroll and his staff are evaluating all of their young players during minicamp, but they’re typically most anxious to see the rookies, which is why one of the first things Seattle’s head coach mentioned in his post-practice news conference Thursday afternoon was the 2023 draft class.
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“They look like the guys we drafted and were hoping to see,” Carroll said.
Seattle will now send its veterans home for the summer, then hold a few more practices specifically for the young players (and the quarterbacks) next week. The staff will get an extended look at the draft class in the upcoming sessions, but those won’t be open to the media. So, here are the main takeaways from what Carroll had to say after the conclusion of veteran minicamp Thursday.
First-round picks look impressive
Rookie receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been as advertised in practice. At times he looks very similar to Tyler Lockett in that his movements never seem forced. Everything is fluid, from the releases to the catching and then the moves after the reception.
DK Metcalf on #Seahawks rookie WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba:
“He’s come in and treated it like he’s a vet already. He knows how to run routes. He knows his body, he knows how to catch. So, it’s really just teaching him the playbook.” https://t.co/71WHTh1UlQ pic.twitter.com/bRE2FkMtWT
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) June 8, 2023
One of his best plays of camp was a long touchdown Wednesday against fellow first-round rookie Devon Witherspoon. Smith-Njigba got a free release, which will happen often when he’s operating out of the slot, and beat his defender up the sideline and raised his hands to catch the ball at the latest possible moment (another skill Lockett is also really good at). Smith-Njigba ran a 4.52 40-yard dash and isn’t exactly a speedster, but that play was an example of how he uses his angles and precise route running to get by opponents.
“He’s really a natural athlete,” Carroll said. “Gifted in his timing in and out of breaks, and his feel. He also has — which we saw in the workout at school — great change of direction in him. He’s got marvelous ability to get in and out of his turns. And his hands are just as natural as can be. He’s really a bright football player, too. It makes sense to him. We’ve already moved him all around: He’s been inside, outside and all kinds of stuff. That looks like it’s just what we were looking for.”
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As long as Witherspoon keeps lining up at nickel with the first-team defense, he and Smith-Njigba will continue to battle head-to-head in practice. It makes sense Smith-Njigba got the best of him in that rep Wednesday because Smith-Njigba is playing his natural position while Witherspoon is learning a new one. But playing inside isn’t totally foreign to Witherspoon, which is why Carroll broached the idea of playing him at nickel long before minicamp this week.
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“I talked to him about it way back when, and he was all excited about it,” Carroll said. “He said, ‘I can learn it all. I can get it.’ He was really positive about it, so when we gave him the chance, he jumped right on it. He is a really good football learner. He gets it, man. It makes sense to him, and he does things naturally really well, and that expedites the process. This will be really good film again today to check him out. We’ve seen him pretty much in charge of the position.”
Witherspoon wasn’t a nickel in Illinois’ defense, but he did play man coverage from the slot, a tough ask because of the spacing in college football. Witherspoon had no problem covering anyone in college regardless of alignment, so Seattle knew it could test him out at nickel if needed.
“He’s a special cover guy,” Carroll said. “His quickness and instincts really (make it possible) he could be an effective player there.”
Injury report
Second-year nickel cornerback Coby Bryant was held out of practice this week with a sprained toe, Carroll said. The injury is not serious, but Carroll anticipates Bryant needing these next few weeks off to heal up before training camp.
“It’s not a bad injury, it’s just bothering him enough that we’re aggravating it by putting him out there,” Carroll said.
It’s still unclear whether safety Jamal Adams and linebacker Jordyn Brooks will be cleared to participate in training camp. Carroll has maintained that both defenders are rehabbing with the hope of being ready by camp, which will start in late July. Even though they didn’t practice this week, Carroll said he felt it was important for them to be around their teammates and coaches.
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“We’ve made some adjustments and changes, as always,” Carroll said, referring to their defensive adjustments. “You only get so much out of the Zoom thing, you know? So, them being out here is really valuable.”
Adams is nine months removed from surgery. Brooks had his knee surgery in January. Adams would appear more likely to be ready by either training camp or the start of the season. Carroll said Adams had a few benchmarks to clear between now and then.
“I think range of motion is pretty good, but it’s about strength right now,” Carroll said. “It’s just time. It’s just time on task. He’s got really good guys he’s working with back home. Being here was really important so that we saw him, and we visited him a couple times down in Dallas. … He’s a great competitor. He’s going to do everything he can to get it right. Soon as he can be right, he’ll be right.”
Cornerback Tariq Woolen, who is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, “is looking really good,” Carroll said, before joking: “His legs are so skinny that how could you rehab them? I don’t even know. There’s no muscles, it’s just all speed.” Woolen is expected to be healthy by training camp.
Outside linebacker Darrell Taylor was held out Wednesday and Thursday because of “tightness” in an unspecified area.
Rookie offensive guard Anthony Bradford didn’t practice Thursday because of a minor car accident outside the facility.
“He had a fender bender out here and just bumped his head a little bit, so we’re taking care of him,” Carroll said.
Outside linebacker Alton Robinson and nose tackle Bryan Mone are still dealing with their knee injuries, and it still doesn’t sound as if either will be ready to play anytime soon.
“Both those guys aren’t right yet,” Carroll said. “It’s going to be a while. I don’t have a timeline for you, but they’re not able to do any running yet.”
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Linebacker Vi Jones didn’t practice this week because “he landed wrong” during an earlier practice and is dealing with a “hyperextension thing,” Carroll said.
“He’s OK, he’ll be fine,” Carroll said. “He looked great coming back, too. It’s unfortunate (he got hurt). We were really excited. He’s really explosive and all that. But, he did get a little soreness in his knee that we needed to take care of. He’s going to be OK.”
Jones, undrafted out of NC State last season, is one of the few players on the roster in the competition at outside and inside linebacker.
“We expect a lot out of him,” Carroll said. “He can play inside and outside. We know that he can be a really effective special teams player for us. He’s the fastest guy we’ve got back there. He looks really sharp.”
There are no updates available on the following non-participants from Thursday’s practice: outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, tight end Noah Fant, defensive tackle Myles Adams, nose tackle Jonah Tavai, receiver Cade Johnson, tight end Noah Gindorff and cornerbacks Isaiah Dunn, Arquon Bush, James Campbell and Lance Boykin. Cornerback Tre Brown didn’t practice Wednesday but was a full participant Thursday.
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Veterans fitting in on defense
The longer Seattle waits for a firm update on Jamal Adams, the more important Julian Love becomes to the defense. He’s been the starting safety opposite Quandre Diggs the entire offseason program and has flashed the ability to play multiple spots in Seattle’s defense. On Wednesday, Love said he prefers being in the box but also acknowledged he has the skill set to do anything asked of him. Seattle won’t see his tackling skills until the preseason at the earliest, but in coverage, Love doesn’t seem to be limited at all.
“He’s been fantastic,” Carroll said. “He’s a young man still, but it’s like he’s been around forever. He’s got great sense, great awareness, presence. He totally gets football, it makes sense to him. He’s an excellent communicator. Really a gifted, smooth athlete with real quickness, and that comes from really great instincts. He looked great.
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“I know that it’s been obvious to Quandre that he’s got a guy that really can command what’s going on. They’re sharing the duties and working together and growing. He’s another guy that made a great first impression on us.”
Minicamp was Seattle’s first in-person work with defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr., who was away during OTAs because of a family matter. Edwards, 29, lined up inside during camp, effectively serving as the backup to Dre’Mont Jones and Jarran Reed. Edwards played for the Titans last season and totaled 34 quarterback pressures, 11 QB hits and three sacks, according to TruMedia. Seattle is expecting him to immediately contribute as an interior pass rusher.
“He looked really quick,” Carroll said. “He gets the game. He understands it. He’s going to be a factor, there’s no question in my mind. He weighed in at 297, he’s got enough versatility in his background — he’s played inside and outside, played on the nose. That’s a real bonus for us. I was really fired up (to sign him). We had to tone him down a little bit. He was out here to show who he is and what he can do, and he made a really good impression on us, for sure.”
(Photo of Jaxon Smith-Njigba: Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)
