Pete Carroll Rookie Minicamp Day 3 Press Conference: My notes and thoughts

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll spoke to the media on Sunday -- the third day of Seattle's three-day minicamp -- and had some interesting things to say. I took notes. Originally published over at Reddit.

Coach Carroll:

[Video link]

• Had a really good three days. Come out of it really enthused about the guys we picked in the draft. Saw some great things from Germain Ifedi and Jarran Reed, those guys looked exactly like we like them and we hoped they would look. C.J. Prosise looked terrific, we did some things with him. All the way through the ranks. Really good group, plus John Schneider put together a bunch of guys that we'd pick up that we're really happy with as free agents. Going to give them a chance to try out. It was a really good camp for us, we got a lot done. It is really early, it is way early. We're gonna try to continue to draw in as much information as this time so we can make good decisions down the road and this camp was a big start towards that.

• All three QBs did a really good job, they are really good players. Jake Heaps has been with us a little bit more so he has a little bit more familiarity. He did very well, he threw the ball really well, really in command of the position. Thought Trevone Boykin did a really good job and Vernon Adams did a nice job too. Gotta figure some stuff out. We hope for all of these decisions to be difficult about which way we want to go. But they did a good job. By far the best rookie camp we have had. We have had the ball all over the ground and flying all over the place from the center and quarterbacks, that just didn't happen his camp. Joey Hunt and Boykin have worked together so much it really made a difference. That gave us continuity throughout the time snapping the football, so that is good.

• There is some difference between the running backs. See some crossover between C.J. and Zac Books, both have receiver backgrounds, which is good for us. Alex Collins has played a lot of football, he has got great experience, great sense for stuff, he is a real bright kid. All three guys picked everything up and did nice job. Is really excited about that spot and complimenting what Thomas Rawls can do and Christine Michael. Gonna be a great camp of competition for us.

• Reed was worked at the 3-technique today, he has played 50/50 [with the nose tackle], he can do both. He is very comfortable, very natural with it. It gives us a really good flexibility with Ahtyba Rubin, Rubin has played both as well. Right now if we didn't know anything else we'd be able to match-up guys according to who they are playing against. It is just such a crucial pick for us. Reed can really jump right in and give us the stout play. Has great savvy for the running game. Will play both spots for sure. Which one we feature him at we'll determine later when we get back to camp, and as we get into game planning and all that. Gives us really good flexibility and is a terrific football player.

• We've seen so much film of him (Jarran Reed). He has been in such critical situations, tough games, great match-ups, the best players in the country he has played against. He has always dominated. So we know that is likely to happen, if he looked good here, he moved well, he understands the game, he just has a way about, I can see why he was such a leader at the Alabama program. It will look different when we get into pads for sure.

• Joey Hunt's college team (TCU) has been in the huddle for two of the last three years. So that isn't a big deal, I don't think that he can't adapt to the huddle. He is a really, really smart football player. That will give him a great opportunity to contribute early. He is not going to have any problem with the system, he'll study like crazy. He is a very savvy football player. We saw that throughout. He brings a nice background for us. And he is going to have a chance to compete. Just like we'd hoped he'd fit in, very well.

• Hunt's size, there is no question it's a factor that doesn't help him other than the fact he always has good leverage. He's always lower than the guy he is playing against. He has managed to do that. We'll see. He'll get a great look. Won't take long until we get him matched up with some big guys and we'll see how that works.

• On Justin Britt moving to center: Right now just in the effort to try get, it is so early, there aren't games being played now. We're a long ways from home here. It is an opportunity to mix our guys and see how we can get our best guys on the field. Justin is the guy that has been with us the most and can be in command of the most information and all that. Gonna take a good look at him at center and see how that works out. We know he can play guard and tackle, we have great flexibility here. So at this time of year we are trying to get more information. The last couple of days that he has been there he has looked very comfortable with it, so this is where we are starting out.

• There were some really good surprises when watching the drafted and undrafted guys, but won't talk about it right now because not everybody is signed right now.

• Honestly, that (planning to expand the role of the 3rd down back) was already done a long time ago when we saw him (Prosise) on film. He is a guy I fell in love with because when he went back and watched him play receiver, and watched him run all of the routes, he was a regular receiver with 50 targets or something two years ago. He's a natural football player at that position that became a running back. That is really unusual that that happens like that, and that he would be so dynamic a player at the running back spot. And he came in as a DB, so he has a really good mentality. He has a tremendous range of abilities.

• So in going into this draft I was hoping we were going to get this guy so that we can do the things we will do with him. Doesn't mind saying this because it won't take us long to show it; he is a guy you can lineup out of the back field as a wide receiver and he can lineup in the backfield and run the football and beat you there too.

• So as we go into camp we're going to see if we can situate him in the 3rd down back position, as well as just playing 1st and 2nd down. Really emphasize that (3rd down back) and see if he can't bring us something really special. We really love being in empty (sets), it is a great formation for the QB, Russell loves it. That gives us a match-up opportunity that is very unique. That is why he is so valuable to us and why we took him. We're thankful we were able to pull that off.

• Prosise is really unique, I have never had a guy that went from receiver to running back that can do both. You usually commit one way or the other. We put him with the receivers today and ran 1-on-1 routes with the receivers today and looked as normal, comfortable as any of the receivers. He does have great speed too, and he's tall, his hands are totally adequate, so it's a real prize for us. I don't really have a guy to compare him to at this point, he has a long ways to go. Has a lot of pass protection to pick up and a lot of blocking and stuff he has to do as well, that he did okay. We've also looked at that of course extensively and he did okay for not knowing what he was doing, and barely hanging on to it. It is going to be a really fun position to see him develop.

• If we stay with this throughout camp and get him (Britt) enough play time he'll be able to play every position. That will make him extremely valuable in that regard. We are trying to utilize the background that he has, as we are still a young group. We're gonna project with another young group. The guy that knows the most and has the best communication and dialog with Cable. We think that might be a real advantage there. We'll see what happens, we have no helmets on, we are in phase two, we are snapping the ball against nobody, nobody is out there. This is about getting as much info as possible. Last week he looked good, he looked comfortable and very much at ease. Shows who he is and how he is flexible and we will see what we can develop there. You can worry about it if you want, I am not worried about it. It is going to be fine, we will figure this thing out in time, we don't have to make any decisions now.

• Mark Glowinski is not going to have any problem moving to the left side (left guard). We're just taking a shot to see how it looks, how it fits together. We're hoping to see how Webb looks at right tackle, I really liked the way he finished last season there. The flexibility Ifedi has, he has played both right guard and right tackle, as has Webb. That gives us a chance to get this started. We have to start somewhere. I wanted to put the flexibility on Glowinski, he had been around a little bit longer, so we gave him a shot to go on the other side, he already feels comfortable with that. Away we go and it is going to give Garry Gilliam the chance to go back to where we thought he should play from the start at left tackle. We'll see how that all comes together.

• We almost did it (Britt at center) last year. We had talked to him about that and he was working on it mentally and when we got to camp we just didn't go for it in that direction. So this is not a new thought for us. When we drafted him that was the thought as well, we had that in well.

• I just want to see him (Kristjan Sokoli) go. He's got to develop. He's got tremendous ability, he is the fastest, most flexible athlete we have on that side of the ball. He's going to play guard and center. We have to make sure not to log jam him out of the center spot because he has the potential to be a really big time player, we will see if we can bring that to the front. But he's the one that is transitioning from the other side so it takes longer, unfortunately.

• We got a great look at Nick Vannett, He got a lot of balls thrown to him. He is a really natural catcher. He has a great catching range, he's 6'6 with the long arms and the whole thing. He had no trouble with any of the routes, very comfortable there.

• It's hard to tell about the blocking with Vannett. What he has shown is he is a really good combination blocker which we do so much of. We move our tight ends and he works in conjunction with the offensive tackles. He has shown good flexibility and ability in that area and he did again in camp. You can't see him coming off the football because we don't get that done here. That is where we will develop him, his ability to block defensive ends coming off the ball when he has to single them. He didn't have to do a lot of that on film at Ohio State so we'll see, but at 6'6, almost 260 and he's got really good feet, natural feet, I don't see anything but real upside here.

• We're going to stick him right in the combination of playing a lot of the Y-tight end spot. We'll see how that goes, because we know, Jimmy Graham is terrific, Jimmy can do all of this stuff, but Jimmy is terrific to move him around too and position him. We love playing in two tight end sets. Luke can do it all too, but we like those guys in the receiver spot more so whenever we can get them there. We're hoping Nick will be able to pick up some good slack there for us. We felt like we have needed that the past couple of years there just haven't been guys available to get. That is why he was a priority to see if we could nail him in the draft and we are very fortunate to get him.

• Kenny Lawler was a little tight today coming out of day two. He had a great camp. He showed us he has a marvelous catching range. We thought he had as good of hands in the draft. Felt very fortunate to get him where we did. He had the opportunities and he showed it, he made plays down the field and he made plays in traffic, running around, just gave us the feeling that's the guy we were hoping he was going to be and away we go. Think he has a big upside in terms of development; he is a very thin kid. He probably lost maybe almost 15lbs since the combine. He dropped a lot of weight after he finished working out with his guys in preparation for the combine. We think we can build him up and get him a lot strong and those hands won't change. We think we got a nice prospect there.

My Thoughts:

• I wonder if the way that Pete Carroll talked about the three QBs if it's an indication of who he likes most, or if it is a smokescreen. He really raved on Jake Heaps, highly praised Boykin then said Vernon Adams is "did a nice job too." Not exactly high praise, but he is also a tryout player so maybe Pete is downplaying his positive thoughts on him.

• Justin Britt and the move to center...man I don't know. It is hard to imagine Britt being anything other than a poor player no matter the spot. Until we see (if we ever see) a step forward in technique from him I have a hard time thinking anything other than his place is on the bench. Are they giving him time at center to see if he can start or more so to get him the experience so he can be a backup who can play all five spots? I'd imagine they'd love to have him win center given his experience in the system, size and strength. Unless he really wows in camp (the coaches and media who are there watching) then I am more in favor of playing it safe at center and going with Patrick Lewis or Hunt.

• I love how Pete talks about C.J. Prosise. I can see exactly what he is saying, to get a good WR and really good RB in one player and to use him as a 3rd down back creates so many possibilities in his use. The mismatches and questioning he can create for defenses is highly attractive. I still think we could go into the season with just five WRs considering Luke, Jimmy and C.J. all have receiving skills that can add to what Seattle's five wideouts already bring. Not to mention, Russell proves in the second half of 2015 that all he needs is Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett and Jermaine Kearse to put up insane stats.

• I love hearing that Glowinski is already comfortable at LG. I have such high hopes for him after watching him play the Cardinals last year, but I did wonder (still do) if the move to left guard will set him back a bit from the level of play he showed as a right guard last year. I hope not.

• I really do like the starting OL group they created as of right now, with Gilliam at LT, Glow at LG, a center competition, Ifedi at RG and Webb at RT. I'd be really bummed if things had to be swapped around. The only swap that I could be happy about is if Ifedi got snaps at RT in camp and really wowed and so they swapped Webb and Ifedi around so Webb was now inside and Ifedi outside. But so far all comments indicate that they want to progress Ifedi the right way and that is moving him inside his first year.

• Hearing an update about Sokoli is nice. We already knew that he was getting developed as a guard and center but that the idea is for him to become a center. It still sounds like he is likely a year away from having a real shot at earning a job on the OL.

• Love everything I hear about Vannett. Pete confirmed what I have said in the past which is by getting Nick and having him play Y-TE it frees up Luke and Jimmy to move around and run routes as receivers more often, likely a lot more often. I also love hearing about Nick's pass catching upside. Sneaky good route runner? Great natural hands? Uses his body and catching radius to his advantage? Check, check, check and check. I dig it.

• I am starting to wonder if Lawler will make the roster or if he will end up on the practice squad. These comments from Pete; "Think he has a big upside in terms of development; he is a very thin kid. He probably lost maybe almost 15lbs since the combine." and "We think we got a nice prospect there" make me wonder if they worry he is too thin and that he needs to build up his body before he plays. Could Kasen Williams or Kevin Smith or someone else earn the spot(s) instead of Lawler due to that? Maybe. I'm very curious to find out. Most first year wide receivers don't make much of an impact if at all anyways.