Pete Carroll: Dion Bailey "has always been a playmaker," and "can't deny his production"

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll spoke to the media on Monday after training camp practice, day 9. Here's what he said.

Link: Pete Carroll Training Camp Day 9 Press Conference

Head Coach Pete Carroll
August 10, 2015

(Open) "This first day back after the mock game on Saturday, and we really were pleased with overall effort. We were trying to see if our guys could make it like a game tempo on both sides, all phases, so we got good work done. It kicks us into game week with the thought that we're making good progress so we should be ready to go, and a lot of exciting things happen across the board. You can ask some questions, but I'm real pleased with the progress in general right now."

(On Dion Bailey) "He's always been a playmaker, we watched him in high school, a million years ago it seems. He was always a terrific playmaker and he always did stuff, he just continues to show that he's got great instincts. He had a good day today, he's had a lot of good days out here. He missed a few days early on, but since he came back, he's really jumped at it. He does work with the ones and will continue to get work with the ones, you can't deny the production he's turning out. It's real exciting."

(On what stood out on film from the mock game) "I was really, really happy with the front guys on first unit defense, the effort and speed that they brought. I thought that both Cliff [Avril] and Bruce [Irvin] were just rolling off the edge and Mike [Bennett] had a really good day rushing, Jordan Hill added to that as well. The way that they finished practicing was a note we made because they were going so hard all the way through the whole thing. I really like that. The linebackers played really well, I think Kevin Pierre-Louis might have been the single guy that stood out the most, he just continues to look really fast and he knows what he's doing. I know we talked about him just a couple days ago, but he did it again on Saturday. The rest of it is kind of a blur with all the guys, those are the guys that kind of jumped out."

(On Dion Bailey's USC linebacker experience) "He is one of the guys we like to play close to the line of scrimmage, he is a very natural football player, fitting on a run is not a big deal to him at all. The linebacking stuff is why they did that with him. I think it's his pass defense that's really shown up though, the instincts and jumping on routes and things, he made some very, very good plays."

(On Eric Pinkins' transition to linebacker) "Pink's doing really well, I've talked about him a number of times already here at camp, he looks and plays really fast. He's a four-four guy playing on the edge so you see it jump out at you. He's been very tough, he's learning the job. I think I said before too that he's seemed like the most improved guy coming from where he came from. It's going to be really exciting to see him in a game and to see what he can do."

(On Jimmy Graham and Russell Wilson getting extra work in after practices) "They're not there yet. It's just going to take time. The intricacies of the things that they're trying to do together go way deep, so it's going to take them a lot of time. We missed a hot today, a couple of things, Russell was too early with the ball one time to him. They worked after practice on Saturday as well, they're trying to catch up. Both of them are really determined to get this thing figured out. They're doing great, but there's more room for them to make up."

(On what Jimmy does for the receiving group once he and Russell figure it out) "He's a fantastic threat now. There's nothing that he can't do. He can get downtown, he can catch the ball in the middle, he catches the ball on the move very well. He's a fantastic red zone player and he's going to be a really intricate part of third down too, so that factor is going to make it easier for Doug [Baldwin]. He's going to get singled up a lot, Doug's really tough to handle one on one, Jermaine [Kearse] will continue to get one on ones outside too, it's just going to add to the overall effect of the passing game, I think."

(On Bruce's 18-pound weight gain) "I think, let me say this, it didn't seem to be an issue (his weight before this year) until now that we've seen him at the other end of it. The added strength that he has makes a difference. We can see him able to disengage and get off blocks more than he had in the past. He's always been a speed guy, but he's playing with more power now, and that's really important to add to it, but he's still really fast. He's looked the best he's looked, this is the best camp he's had. I'm really happy about it."

(On if he worries about guys losing speed with weight gain) "No, he's too good of an athlete for that. You know if it's bad weight, but he put it on great. He's stronger than ever, and so we always want them at their strongest and fastest and that's kind of where he is right now."

(On what Russell Wilson and Jimmy Graham still need to work on) "It's all of the stuff. It's the things that happen off of the norm. It's improvisation that we're called on to do, the little adjustments that are so intricate, they both feel the same look and expect the same thing to happen so they're both on the same page. It just takes time, but they're doing great. I don't think it will be a problem at all, I'm not worried about it one bit, but we'll get better as we go, it just takes time."

(On whether learning to throw to Jimmy Graham is different from learning to throw to other receivers) "Not different in that it's bad but different in that it's good. He's a big target, the quarterbacks always with big receivers, they always feel like they're open whether they're right next to a guy or not. That space that they make, whether it's a big wide receiver or a big tight end. Russell's [Wilson] already aware of that and he's looking for it. All of the quarterbacks can see him really clearly and the ball just seems to come out a little quicker to him because they have that confidence in him."

(On his assessment of the offensive line) "The young guys need a lot of work. We made a lot of mistakes, just mental errors, just not seeing fronts the way they need to see them. Physically they look like they're capable, that's the good side, but it's just going to take time with these guys. A number of these guys are transitioning from defense, they don't have the natural build-up of background plays that they would see things and feel things a little bit more and a little more quickly than they are. So they just need to be out there. They're going to play a ton in the preseason, we're just going to force them to see how far they can take it. About the center thing, it's still very competitive. Drew [Nowak] is a little bit ahead right now, Lem [Lemuel Jeanpierre] is ahead in all of the assignments and all that stuff, Drew looks really good physically. We're just going to keep working it and see what happens."

(On who would start at center if the season started today) "You know what, Keavon Milton started today. We'd have to go to the chalkboard to figure that out. We've had four guys who've started already. I think, like we did the other day, Alvin [Bailey] went first, he has the most background with us, but he's under the competition right now. So he would get the first snaps right now, but they would be rotating in probably in the first quarter of the game."

(On if he has a timetable to deciding the starting roster) "No, when it's right. We'll do it when it's right, we don't know yet. It's going to take some time. I'm not antsy about it at all. It's just a competition and it's going to take a while."

(On Drew Nowak) "He's really strong and he's really physical. He's got a good feel for the game even though he's been on the other side of the ball. He showed it to us last year when we went through the whole season and he was on the practice squad and we moved him around. He played defense, he played offense, he was all over the place. We came to really appreciate his overall football knowledge and instincts, and it shows up immediately. I think most importantly right now he's really stout at the point of attack, he's really strong. It seems to look like that's going to be an asset."

(On Douglas McNeil III playing CB in practice) "He covered them up pretty well. He did a very good job. Right now when you stick him outside, he's one-on-one and he has a feel for what we want to do. There's a lot of stuff he has to learn, zones and all kinds of adjustments and things like that. But physically, he has some opportunities to match up with all of our guys, and he ran with them. He's very good at the line of scrimmage, he's really hard to get around because he is so long and tall, it's very encouraging."

(On where the speed of the defense shows up most) "Well it always shows up on the perimeter. It always shows up in pursuit. That's always the place that it shows up. It's always been the hallmark I think of our style of play, that we want to play real fast. We're always looking for speed guys. We would always go for the smaller guy and the faster guy in our history. There's been times when we've gone other ways, you know when we've gone with Red [Bryant] and some of the big guys that have had a chance to play. But primarily, we're always looking for guys who can run, and it shows up in pursuit."

(On Cassius Marsh) "Yeah, he's 100 percent. He's practicing very well. It's going to be game reps that are going to show how effective he is, he looks terrific in practice."

(On what he sees in B.J. Daniels) "Versatility, he's doing it, in just an offseason he's transferred to the receiver spot. He's competitive, he's really good with the ball after the catch. He's 218 pounds so he runs physical and with a good, stout nature, more so than some of the receivers do. Very aggressive, catches the ball really well, and he can throw it if he has to."

(On Kevin Norwood) "It's a big mix right now. Kevin's played real well. It's the first time he's been healthy for a good span, so he's out there competing and battling, making the plays he has an opportunity to make. He's a really good catcher and a really good player, so he's got to wait, just wait this thing out and see what happens."