The Blue Bird Herd

I was able to attend Tuesday’s afternoon training camp practice at the VMAC, and I came away with a pretty good idea of what the 1st, 2nd and 3rd teams look like, going into the first preseason game this Saturday at Qwest field against the Tennessee Titans.

As for notable non-participants…Lofa Tatupu sat out today’s practice but Aaron Curry was back in action after having sat out a few practices recently due to a sore brain (a.k.a. prolonged headache) from a couple of high-speed collisions with Justin Forsett last week. Lawrence Jackson also sat out today’s afternoon session, and come to think of it, actually didn’t look too bad in that role.

As for the health report…Leon Washington took several reps today with the first team and looks ready to go. Walter Thurmond took reps at left cornerback with the second and third teams, and again worked along side Golden Tate in punt return drills. Now, being “ready to go” and being back to full strength are two totally different things. There have been a lot of players in the league, over the years, who have suffered nasty injuries and simply never returned to their original form despite recovering enough to play again. Time will tell whether or not Leon Washington will be able to re-gain the explosiveness that made him so dangerous in New York, both on kick returns and out of the backfield. Thurmond’s knee is the most concerning to me though, simply because a torn ACL can directly effect one’s ability to plant, drive and close on the ball.

Forever.

Washington suffered a gruesome compound fracture of the leg, however, being that it was strictly a bone injury, one would think that once the atrophied muscles in the leg have regained strength, he, in theory, could regain the speed and quickness that he showed prior to the injury.

Okay, enough with the breaking and tearing…a few notes from today’s practice.

– Golden Tate spent most of his 11-on-11 drill time lined up at the Flanker position which is the outside receiver position on the strong side (tight end side) of the formation, approximately one yard back from the line of scrimmage. That’s a really long way of saying that Tate didn’t line up in the slot at all today, and played quite a bit with the first team on the outside. He made a couple of nice grabs as well. One was a 12-yard slant pass from Matt early in practice, going against Marcus Trufant in one-on-one man coverage. The other was on a ball that Matt threw about 2 feet over the head of Tate. The rookie made an impressive one-handed grab high over his head and secured the ball before falling to the ground. That one drew some “oooh’s and ahhh’s”. Tate has to run better routes, but he certainly has the explosiveness and athleticism to contribute right away as a big-play threat. Surprise, I know.

– About 80% of the offense’s pass plays were of the play-action nature (rollouts, bootlegs, etc.). The identity of this offense is starting to take shape as one that will be a “run first” scheme designed to set up the pass. The running game will have to establish itself as a legitimate threat in order to make the play-action effective though, so there will be a lot riding on the abilities of Justin Forsett, Leon Washington, Quinton Ganther and Julius Jones, as well as the O-line, to set the rest of the offense up for success. But hey…what’s new, right?

- There were a ton of 2-tight end sets, mostly with John Carlson and Chris Baker on the first team, then Anthony McCoy and Cameron Morrah on the second team. Carlson caught a would-be TD pass, running a post pattern over the middle during 2-minute offense drills toward the end of practice, and looked good on a couple of other grabs. McCoy had a slightly high, but catchable pass go right through his hands as he extended to make the grab on a 10-yard crossing pattern (throw from Matt). Cameron Morrah is the fastest tight end on the roster, and certainly provides an athletic dimension at the position that otherwise doesn’t exist. Unfortunately, he just might end up a victim of numbers, being the 4th TE on the depth chart currently. I suppose there is a chance, with the significant number of 2-TE sets and just the overall importance of the position in this offense, that the team could keep four. But Morrah will have to leave no doubt that he’s a must-keep, in order for this to happen.

– Matt Hasselbeck looked a little frazzled during 11-on-11′s and was under significant pressure on several plays. He threw two interceptions, one of which appeared to be the receiver’s fault (Obomanu) when he ran what looked like a curl on what should have been a “dig” or “in” route. Kevin Ellison was there to pick off the pass. On another play, Matt took significant pressure from Chris Clemons and Brandon Mebane, and throwing off his back foot in desperation, lobbed the ball over the line and right into the hands of Jamar Adams who was covering the tight end underneath. Adams returned it for a would-be touchdown. The good news on this, is that the D-line appeared to be getting consistent pressure on the quarterback, forcing him to make a few wild throws. This was true for both Matt and Charlie.

– Lawyer Milloy continues to display good zone coverage presence over the top on the strong side. On one particular fly route down the right sideline, a ball intended for Golden Tate was broken up by both Milloy and Trufant. What made this a highlight, was the fact that Milloy was sitting over the top and in position before the ball got there. He’s reading and reacting well. I’ve seen this from him on more than one occasion during training camp, and I’m beginning to worry less about him being capable of holding down the SS position this season, in this defense.

– Kam Chancellor and Kevin Ellison were both in at the same time on a couple of occasions with Chancellor playing the SS and Ellison in at FS, which made for two incredibly huge, imposing safeties roaming around in the defensive backfield. With Chancellor having some experience at corner (college), his coverage skills could allow for this combo as a different look on short-yardage and/or run plays.

– Deon Butler continues to impress me with not only his speed, but his ability to create separation by running clean, precise routes. There was one particular corner post route that he ran against Marcus Trufant, where his cut toward the corner put significant space between himself and Trufant and he tracked a nicely thrown Hasselbeck ball over his shoulder and made the sliding touchdown catch. His awareness of both where he’s at in relation to the sideline, as well as where the ball is at in the air, show a clear improvement and maturity over last year and make him a legitimate deep threat in this offense. Right now I would call him the team’s best home run threat at receiver. Trust me folks…he’s not going anywhere. Deion Branch should be extremely nervous right now with the emergence of both Tate and Butler…but especially Butler.

– Russell Okung was taken off the first team and sidelined about half way through 11-on-11′s, and replaced by Mansfield Wrotto. It didn’t look like an injury. It also didn’t look like he was getting beat, so it may have been to simply give him a break. He was certainly getting coached up during his time out, and didn’t appear to have any trainers around him. Wrotto was quickly beat by Chris Clemons who secured a would-be sack on Charlie Whitehurst when he simply out-ran Wrotto to the edge and turned the corner.

– Mike Gibson was creating havoc, most notably after the play. He got into a shoving match with Kevin Vickerson who took an open handed swing at Gibson’s head that glanced off before the two locked up and were eventually separated by teammates. About 15 minutes later, Gibson got into a similar spat with Red Bryant who, after it appeared the two had been broken up, took another run at Gibson and swatted him across the facemask. Matt Hasselbeck actually ended up between the two in an attempt to break up the scuffle, but was quickly sucked back out by coaches and teammates. I stopped breathing for about 20 seconds.

– Another note on the tight ends…several formations had at least one tight end split out wide or in the slot, indicating that Jeremy Bates will be looking to utilize the size and athleticism of his tight ends to create matchup problems against smaller corners and slower safeties or linebackers.

– A good portion of the run plays between the tackles, against the first team defense, were stuffed. Notable “stuffers” were Brandon Mebane, Kevin Vickerson and Red Bryant. I focused in on Bryant quite a bit and noticed a couple of things. His length and height very obviously make it easier for him to visually lock in on the runner and plug the “B” gap (gap between the offensive guard and tackle). He uses his hands and long arms extremely well to shed blocks and keep the O-lineman far enough away that he can simply throw them aside when stuffing the hole and wrapping up the carrier.

– E.J. Wilson made a nice stop on a Leon Washington run. He was wearing a “club” cast on his arm/hand which indicates some sort of wrist or forearm injury, but seemed to be in there quite a bit nonetheless.

– Justin Forsett took the majority of first-team reps at RB, but Julius Jones did get quite a few looks as well. He broke off a couple of nice runs, but again, as practice progressed, Jones appeared to get back into his dancing and multi-cut hopping rather than hitting the hole and bursting full-speed ahead through it, which is what you need your RB to do in this blocking scheme. Quinton Ganther was not in pads, and sat out the practice, so Leon Washington also received a number of carries with the first team. At this point, it truly appears to be a RB-by-committee system that is still very much up for grabs. However, Forsett looks better than the others at this point, and in terms of catching passes out of the backfield, both he and Washington are miles ahead of Jones.

Okay, now for my projected depth chart…

QB: 1. Matt Hasselbeck, 2. Charlie Whitehurst, 3. J.P. Losman
On the Bubble: None
Matt Hasselbeck is the clear-cut starter here, no questions asked. J.P. Losman is playing well, and is pushing Whitehurst hard for the No.2 spot. I don’t think Whitehurst is the QB of the future, however, he’s got a live arm and some mobility. He’s got a lot to learn and his confidence is spotty right now, whereas Losman has a swagger, and he’s certainly never been short on confidence. I’ll take the swagger and bad footwork any day over live arm and low confidence. Hopefully Whitehurst’s confidence will grow as he learns the offense.

RB: 1. Justin Forsett, 2. Leon Washington, 3. Julius Jones, 4. Quinton Ganther
On the Bubble:Julius Jones, Louis Rankin
Forsett is the clear-cut No. 1 here. I’d bet that Jones will get the 2nd team duties this weekend, due more to Washington’s recovery than anything. I think they’re still wanting to slowly bring Washington along, but he should be fully ready for the regular season opener, at which point this depth chart would be more noticeable. Ultimately Washington is the #2 and predominant 3rd down back, with Ganther being the short yardage back now and later. Louis Rankin won’t make the team, although he may take a couple of snaps and return a couple of kicks on Saturday.

FB: 1. Owen Schmitt, 2. Quinton Ganther
On the Bubble: None
Ganther’s versatility allows the Seahawks to save a roster spot, and keep one true fullback in Owen Schmitt who by the way, looks to be clicking better than ever as a lead blocker. He’s certainly a devastating hitter in the hole. He’s just struggled over the last couple of years with learning his blocking assignments. The zone blocking allows him to simply block an “area” and not think so much about finding the right guy to block.

WR: 1. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, 2. Deon Butler, 3. Golden Tate, 4. Mike Williams, 5. Ruvell Martin, 6. Ben Obomanu
On the Bubble: Kole Heckendorf, Mike Hass, Matt Simon
Although he’ll never knock your socks off with anything unbelievably spectacular, Houshmandzadeh is the clear leader among the wideouts and as long as he remains healthy, will continue to be Matt’s most reliable receiver. Watching him run routes and find open space underneath, he makes up for his lack of straight-line speed, by using his body and quickness to put himself in position to make the catch. Not to mention, he’s the vocal leader on the offense. Deon Butler, in my mind, is the guy most ready to jump right in at #2. Although this probably won’t happen right away, it will come down to a battle between Butler, Williams, Branch and Tate for that No. 2 spot. All four are capable, but Butler thus far is showing the fewest number of mistakes and some of the best recognition and route running ability out there. Williams has the size advantage so there will be times that he’ll be lined up at split end, opposite Housh, as the No. 2 guy, but it may end up being a “No. 2 by committee” situation as this is shaping up to be one of the best competitions in camp. Any one of them could be the No. 2, yet anyone of them could be the No.4, so it’s tight. Obomanu and Ruvell Martin are buried below these four, and between the two of them, Martin has been more active in catching passes, during the practices that I’ve seen. Look for Williams to be the primary red zone target this season at WR. His size and athleticism make him ideal for such a role, although he won’t be limited to it. I’m going to keep with my prediction that Deion Branch doesn’t make the opening day roster. There are simply too many other guys performing too well and with unique skill-sets, who need to be in the game. Branch is essentially an older, slower Butler and his only real advantage is that he’s been with the team for a few years, has won the big game, and knows Matt well. On a rebuilding squad though, how important is that when you have such a talented group otherwise?

TE: 1. John Carlson, 2. Chris baker, 3. Anthony McCoy, 4. Cameron Morrah
On the Bubble: Cameron Morrah
John Carlson is the second best tight end in the division (Vernon Davis), and will be the obvious No. 1 at the position. He looks stronger and quicker this year than he did at this time last year, and he’ll be utilized more in the passing game than ever before, with Bates’s 2-TE-heavy playbook. His routes are crisp and precise, and he has picked up the new offense quickly. Don’t be surprised if by the end of the year, he’s caught over 70 passes. McCoy and Baker are sluggin’ it out for the No. 2 TE spot, however, Baker looks to be the guy, simply due to the lack of mistakes and the veteran presence that he brings. McCoy clearly has the ability to be more of a threat in the passing game, but he still looks confused at times, as a rookie should. As the year progresses, look for McCoy to be phased into a more significant role, perhaps eventually splitting time evenly with Baker, as McCoy factors into the future and Baker does not. Cameron Morrah is an outstanding athlete who may have a shot to stay on, assuming that the Hawks keep 3 RBs (Forsett, Washington, Ganther), 1 FB (Schmitt) and 6 WRs (see WRs above). Morrah is a guy who could be used as a 3rd or 4th wideout with his speed and ability to stretch the field. If anyone’s on the bubble though, it’s definitely Morrah.

O-Line: LT-Okung, LG-Ben Hamilton, C-Chris Spencer, RG-Max Unger,RT-Sean Locklear
2nd Team: LT-Mansfield Wrotto(yep), LG-Chester Pitts, C-Steve Vallos, RG-Mike Gibson, RT-Ray Willis
On the Bubble: Mike Gibson, Mansfield Wrotto, Chester Pitts, Steve Vallos
Long-Shots: T-Jacob Phillips, T-Joe Toledo, G-Greg Peat, G-Mitch Erickson
This one is pretty self-explanatory…There are no real battles, as of yet, for any of the starting positions. They’re pretty clear-cut. Okung will take some time to come along so don’t be alarmed if he gets beat a few times this year, and even this preseason. Left tackle is perhaps the toughest college-to-pro adjustment other than QB, and it could take Russell some time to adjust to the speed of the pro game. His footwork has already improved from college, and in terms of his natural ability and athleticism, he’s clearly not overmatched in power or quickness by guys like Red Bryant or Chris Clemons (both of whom I’ve seen him take on in camp). Hamilton’s presence is much needed as he has a great deal of experience in the Alex Gibbs zone blocking scheme, and will help the rest of a pretty young line, to pick up the playbook. Spencer appears to fit well into this system with his athleticism and quickness. The real test for Spencer will be with his ability to read the defense and make adjustments at the line. Unger has a year under his belt, and although he’s not ideal for this scheme (lacks some of the speed/quickness), he’s a good blocker at the second level, and possesses the strength needed at the position. He’ll be one to watch, to see how he adjusts his second year, however, it may as well be a lot of these guys’ first year with the new scheme they’re having to learn. Locklear should be solit at right tackle, and the dept on that side of the line is fine with Ray Willis able to play both RG and RT, and the versatility of Mike Gibson who can play either of the guard positions. Vallos has played all three interior positions at some point in his career and Mansfield Wrotto has been taking reps at left tackle, as well as guard. The improved depth this year already makes this unit tons better than last year. The fact that several of these guys can play multiple positions along the line, helps them in the competition for an opening day roster spot and even makes a guy like Chester Pitts an automatic “bubble” player who’ll need to prove his worth quickly after the microfracture surgery.

Tomorrow, I’ll be posting the defensive depth chart, but in the meantime, feel free to discuss below!