Seattle Seahawks Training Camp Notes, Part 1

by John Morgan on Aug 12, 2009 4:29 PM PDT Comment 39 comments

I just got in and am I'm a little worn out and more than a little hungry. Here are a few quick notes until tomorrow.

Logan Payne knows how to play. You can see his practiced feet in cut drills. He sets ups his breaks with a deep plant foot and snaps his body around. During receiving drills he watches the ball into his hands and after catching, holds it high between his forearm and bicep. It's the technique that Tom Coughlin taught Tiki Barber that fixed Barber's fumbling problems. Payne goes all out in practice and his effort is admirable, but he does look to be putting in maximum effort around players that are not. I can see why the front office likes Payne. More than most of Seattle's receivers, it's not technique, effort or consistency that will determine Payne's potential, but his athleticism. If he can contribute, he will contribute.
On Monday, Brian Russell and Josh Wilson were jawing about something or another on the sideline. Wilson had gotten into a scrape with Michael Bumpus and it looked pretty intense. There was a dog pile and the two were forcibly separated. Bumpus is in a position where he has to go all out. Wilson is not. I wonder if that creates some friction between the established players and the guys on the bubble. Russell was probably telling Wilson to act like a veteran if he wants to become a veteran.
Wilson did turn it on for one play. He had tight man coverage on Branch on a deep pass, and when Matt Hasselbeck's pass sailed a little, jumped up and caught it for an interception. It was Trufant-esque.
Watch Mike Teel's pocket presence if he gets snaps on Saturday. I saw the strangest thing on Monday. Seattle's quarterbacks were alternating during receiving drills. In one, a coach was acting as a pass rusher. He would "rush" the quarterback with his hands up and the quarterback would need to complete the pass over or around him. It was decidedly low-pressure. But there was 14, inexplicably throwing pass after pass off his back foot. Teel has a cannon. Easily the best arm in camp, but "under pressure" he was throwing Alex Smith ducks from Alex Smith's second favorite position.

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Comparing Teel to Alex Smith with regard to pocket presence,

is the most deflating thing I’ve read since… well, let’s just say I hated it.

I'm gonna go calm submissive on your ass.

by Dukeshire on Aug 12, 2009 5:43 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Why?

It’s not like we drafted him #1 overall.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Aug 12, 2009 6:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Perspective.

Thanks for that, FF. I was momentarily bumming too.

by thebyron on Aug 12, 2009 9:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

:D

Even if Teel is all sorts of awful in the preseason, we should remember he cost less to get in terms of draft picks than both Charlie Frye and David Greene.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Aug 12, 2009 10:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I would like to think he has some level of pocket presence. A comparison to A. Smith in that context is to say he is terrible. Of course it was one drill in one practice, but no matter if he was taken first or last, is seems like a basic trait that any competent QB should possess. (Also a bit of hyperbole on my part.)

I'm gonna go calm submissive on your ass.

by Dukeshire on Aug 13, 2009 5:16 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Smith's still doing it in his 5th season in the League, Teel's in his 5th week.

Hyperbole definitely noted. I don’t think any of us have un-realistic expectations for the guy. But I’m sure his head is moving a million miles per hour right now. He still has plenty of time to settle down and show some improvement. Of course, odds are he winds up like Greene, Frye, and thousands of other QBs where things just never click for him at this level. But I don’t think we’ll have a good read on that until we see him perform a whole preseason, or what type of improvement he makes from his 1st to 2nd year.

by jteckmann on Aug 13, 2009 9:26 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Let's hope for a Tom Brady!!!

The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.

by Nick Andron on Aug 13, 2009 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Or a Matt Hasselbeck.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Aug 13, 2009 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hasselback was drafted way earlier

Hence the Tom Brady reference :)

The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.

by Nick Andron on Aug 13, 2009 11:17 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

They were both drafted in the 6th round.

Child please...

by Airborne Hawk Guy on Aug 13, 2009 11:28 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Really?

Crap, I thought Matt was 3rd round.

Thanks for the clarification!

The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.

by Nick Andron on Aug 13, 2009 12:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

<

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Aug 13, 2009 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

6th round of the same draft that produced Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Aug 13, 2009 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wilson

It seems like to me that Josh Wilson has a little chip on his shoulder. Especially since the return of Ken Lucas. Honestly…I kinda like the attitude. Something Seattle hasn’t had in awhile is attitude. Hopefully with the younger more aggressive coaching staff, they will get the guys to not back down. Which can lead to a certain toughness that will allow us to win close games (or put teams away)…especially on the road. I hope to see that when we have a team on the ropes, we put um down!

by jmass33 on Aug 12, 2009 5:45 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

agreed.

Every CB needs a ‘chip on the shoulder’ attitude and a short memory. Seems to me that Kelly Jennings may have lacked those in 2008

by Stevo's on Aug 12, 2009 5:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

"Kelly Jennings may have lacked those "

Oh, I thought he was just missing lots of weight.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Aug 12, 2009 6:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That and the talent to play CB in the NFL.

RLTW!

by Airborne Hawk Guy on Aug 12, 2009 8:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

he has a ton of talent

he’s just a bit small to play CB in the NFL, but he has more talent than most. Last year he played with injuries and lost his confidence. That’s why I like Wilson’s ‘chip-on-his-shoulder’ attitude. But Jennings has talent and he will outperform a lot of guys who try to take his job.

by Stevo's on Aug 12, 2009 11:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, I'd like to see it.

but he has more talent than most (Jennings)

Most meaning CBs in the NFL? CBs just on our team? Chad Jackson has talent at WR, too, but is without a job. Is he a football player? Can he_play_? I don’t agree with your assessment of Jennings, but would love to be wrong. He has shown flashes, but nothing but fizzle last season. Are ball-skills a talent?

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevon Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Aug 13, 2009 12:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

ok, 'most' might be a stretch

or at least Jennings has not yet shown he is a more talented CB than most in the NFL. But he did demonstrate he was better than most CBs in his college draft class and he is good enough to make guys like Lucas and Wilson work hard to keep their starting jobs. That’s a lot of talent.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d much rather have Trufant and Lucas starting, and Wilson at nickel. I just don’t believe in totally downing a guy who has the kind of elite athleticism and cover skills Jennings has. He’s just undersized, and I don’t think he plays aggressively enough. (John Morgan would also point out that he doesn’t make plays on the ball.) But since Jennings is talented enough to make the Seahawks roster and good enough last year to out-compete Wilson, Babineaux, and Hobbs, then he must be very talented.

That said, I’d much rather watch Wilson play the game.

by Stevo's on Aug 13, 2009 1:39 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

"he is good enough to make guys like Lucas and Wilson work hard to keep their starting jobs. That’s a lot of talent."

What? Neither of those two are competing with the fear of Jennings of taking the job, I doubt Jennings is even in an afterthought in their minds.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Aug 13, 2009 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I've heard nothing about him from training camp.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s cut after this season. I’d like to see Kevin Hobbs in nickel anyway.

It's Great to be a Florida Gator!

by Wayward Llama on Aug 13, 2009 2:44 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

"Oh, I thought he was just missing lots of weight"

I am skinny, and take offence at this statement. Jennings has lost his mojo that is for sure. I had such high hopes for him after his great play in the playoffs against the cowboys, when he forced that Terry Glen fumble, I thought ‘this kid has got something to him’. He just doesn’t have the size or ball skills needed to be an every-down corner. You need one or the other in this league.

"Superhero like even"

by censor1979 on Aug 13, 2009 5:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

"He just doesn’t have the size or ball skills needed to be an every-down corner"

What a shrewdly brilliant first round pick that was.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Aug 13, 2009 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ruskell really screwed the "pouch" on that one...

This meme will endure and eventually surpass “grit.”

Child please...

by Airborne Hawk Guy on Aug 13, 2009 10:36 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

I think he was blinded by the university of Miami on his combine listing.

"Superhero like even"

by censor1979 on Aug 14, 2009 6:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

And un-cracked ribs.

I'm gonna go calm submissive on your ass.

by Dukeshire on Aug 13, 2009 5:33 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I've been noticing the same thing

In previous years you rarely heard such things about the defense. The defense sounds the most fired up I’ve ever read in training camp. The defensive coaching staff and Mora must be really firing that unit up. We needed that for sure. I want to see this defense looking to eat opposing team man flesh every week. I want the opposing offense to be spending alot of time in the training room after playing the Seattle defense because they beat that ass up and down the field win or lose.

by ASeahawkfan on Aug 12, 2009 8:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Corey Redding replacing the stay-puft marshmellow man.....

just might help this. I love Rocky, but he just doesn’t invoke fear to me. Now, if you ask Alex Smith……….

"Superhero like even"

by censor1979 on Aug 13, 2009 5:40 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think we all throw Rocky under the bus too often.

Even last season, his stats were pretty much on par with his career stuff. He just wasn’t the consistent force he once was, which could be explained by age or the simple fact that he just looked worse than he really was when compared to Mebane. I think it was good the Hawks didn’t resign him but I wish him well in New York, whatever role he plays there.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on Aug 13, 2009 10:28 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm surprised to hear he'd been thrown under the bus

last year was down, and it was a good time to not re-sign him, but he’d been our best lineman since 2005, Kerney’s 2007 and Mebane’s arrival being exceptions.

by jacobstevens on Aug 13, 2009 1:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Like the 5 or so times

that we lost by 6 or fewer points? And couldn’t score the game-winning TD or FG?

Glenn Beck likes argument, but has a deap-seated hatred for logic.

by Cheddar28 on Aug 12, 2009 10:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's odd to me...

… that people are only now saying that Wilson is “playing with a chip on his shoulder” or something to that effect, since Lucas got here. The cat has been all effort all the time since he got here from Maryland, from everything I have seen.

I'm gonna go calm submissive on your ass.

by Dukeshire on Aug 13, 2009 5:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree.

That’s been a Wilson trademark for some time, preceding Lucas’ arrival. It’s something I like about him, and likely has at least something to do with his size relative to other corners or other players. Guys like MJD and Sproles come to mind. And Bob Sanders, who is a hard-hitting Safety listed at 5’8".

Early prospect watch: RB C.J. Spiller, QB Jevon Snead, OT Ciron Black, DT Gerald McCoy, S Eric Berry, DT Ndamukong Suh, CB Ras-I Dowling 6'2, 200, RB Jonathan Dwyer

by Misfit74 on Aug 13, 2009 8:32 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can not wait for this saturday

Double whammy for football, going to an AF2 national conference championship game (Spokane Shock vs Tulsa Talons), then when I get home I’ll hopefully be able to turn on and watch the Seahawk game. Can’t it be saturday yet?

by Trepidation on Aug 12, 2009 6:02 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

all reports out of camp so far

lead me to believe that we are on our way to becoming that team that everyone else hates(which I love) because of our attitude and toughness. Willis scuffle, now Wilson, the guys on the team with the most attitude seem to be expressing it where as before they couldn’t for fear of having to take a back seat to a veteran(although that was already a problem). Should be interested to see how the reserves play on Saturday.

by Hancock.Brett on Aug 12, 2009 7:34 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Good stuff, John.

Thanks. : )

A Mariners fan in Seattle

by Coach Owens on Aug 12, 2009 8:10 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Were the coaches doing anything to correct Mike Teel's problem?

Or did they even notice? That’s always something I like to look at, it’s one thing if a player’s doing something wrong, it’s another if the coaches are doing nothing to fix it. Hopefully they were, but I’m curious if you saw any indication of that.

by B.B.Finnegan on Aug 12, 2009 10:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I did not realize Teel had a "cannon."

Not that I have dug extensively into who he was in college, but I did not get to see him attempt a long throw at camp either. I like that our developmental QB has arm strength, unlike Greene or even Frye.

by cashless on Aug 13, 2009 12:45 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs