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Two of Seattle's most important people on offense talked to the media after day two of this week's three-day mini-camp:
What Russell Wilson had to say:
- For mini-camp we are as good as it can get, the best we have been in the 4-5 years. Been exciting, have been practicing really well. The rookies look really professional. They are really in-tune with it, are really listening.
- Once you've been here for a while you know how we want to approach practice. We know how we want to take advantage of every opportunity that we've had and we also know what it takes to win a lot of games. For us the leaders, the vets on the team, are trying to show the younger guys and they are coming along right away.
- The chemistry that we have right now with the receivers and tight-ends is as good as it has ever been. It's right, right at the right point, the guys are looking good, they are catching all the signals, catching all the details of the game, making all the plays we need to make. Threw with seven or eight guys down in California four times a week a bunch in the off-season, that was huge for us. Now it is just transitioning where we were the end of last year and continue to accelerate that, use that as a catalyst going into this off-season and into this year and it has definitely worked.
- Leg strength is a huge part of throwing, is really starting to figure that out, the more he figures out his body the more he figures out little things of how to play a long time, I want to play 15 plus more years. A big part of that is taking care of my legs and getting stronger, but also getting more flexible and mobile, especially the way I play, I want to be able to get away from guys but also move efficiently, move efficiently inside the pocket and all that. A lot of that is leg strength. Want to keep using that, for speed and strength but most importantly for throwing the football. As you go on and play 16 games, hopefully 19, that longevity is crucial.
- The experience (playing together 4-5 years together) is huge. Obviously the game experience, the practice experience, and practice really gets you ready for the game and allows you to play at a high level and play confident, trusting one another. Thinks the biggest thing about that nucleus of guys with 4+ years together is the togetherness, the thought process, the approach and preparation to the game feeds off to the young guys.
- Justin Britt is doing a great job up front. Patrick Lewis you guys know has done an unbelievable job playing in some huge games, some huge playoff games, clutch games at the end of the year. So you know you trust him. And Justin has really taken on the challenge, he has played a lot of positions in big games. Hunt is a late round draft pick but really has knowledge of the game, he has a lot of potential too and played a lot of games at TCU.
- Has really been working on the longevity aspect of his body in the off-seasons. Feels great, tells people he feels like he is 18 (years old).
- All the running backs we drafted and brought in look really really talented. The detail they are playing with is great. CMike looks really good coming out of the backfield, he's catching the ball really well. He's really worked on that, he comes out here early every day and mid-practice too he catches with me. He's really putting his head down and going to work and that is a great thing for us. He has tons of talent, watch him run the ball, you guys saw him against ARZ, spinning and cutting and making huge runs for us. Obviously Thomas Rawls hopefully coming back, he was playing as good as it gets in the NFL last year. Prosise runs a 4.41, can catch the ball out of the back field, can go out and play WR if he needs to, he runs the ball extremely hard and makes quick decisions. Alex Collins runs the ball physical. He had a move last week, man, I don't think I have seen anybody do. He ran the ball a lot at Arkansas so that is a good thing, he knows what he is doing, he knows how to run it. Exciting group, especially come preseason. When the lights come on that is when things matter most. Excited to see those guys run the football.
- Tyler was really an accelerated learner last year. He just really learned everything last year. He was so smart. From week 1 to the end of the season, every week he kept improving. That's the mission. Improve week to week. Obviously in the ST game he can do all that but in terms of receiver he can make so many plays. In going back in the off-season, watching some of the film, trying to understand where we can get better, watching certain plays. The more you can find him the better, he just gets open. All of our guys do, that will be fun to watch, a challenge for defenses. Exciting to watch guys like Kasen and Kevin and watch their progress. Have all the confidence in the world in them because of the way they work.
What Darrell Bevell had to say:
- Exciting to watch the guys we picked up in the draft, some of the free agents. Really like what just about every one of the guys is doing. Exciting for us here on offense.
- Right now we are in the teaching phase. Just want to see they have their minds going, that they are studying their playbook. Out here we're seeing their athleticism, their change of direction. Plenty of time in training camp to see their physicalness and them in pads.
- First thing he has noticed about Boykin how he has picked up the playbook. I have been really impressed by that. I think he has done a nice job studying and applying himself. Obviously watching him out here he has really good arm strength, arm talent.
- It is different not having Marshawn, but towards the end of the year last year we didn't have him. We have so many more pieces now to evaluate. We'll let it play out through training camp and have a great feel for those guys when the time comes.
- Tyler is such a student of the game, he works so hard, he puts the extra time in, there is no reason he won't take a huge step for us next year. We love all of those guys, Doug to Jermaine to Tyler to PRich and those guys. They are here working so hard and putting in a lot of effort, they are putting in great study time in the meeting rooms which this off-season really allows us to do. There is no reason for him (Tyler) to not have a great year. We have to make sure everybody is on the same page, but we'll give them as much as they can handle.
- Think we're probably about as far ahead of any time since we've been here. When you are talking about your QB who has been here as long as Russ has, and really the core of WR's, obviously Luke and Cooper have been here as well. The rapport we've had out here with QB and receiver timing, Nick's come in and did a great job, he's just really stepped right in and got great rapport with Russell immediately which has been good to see. Think we are about as far ahead as we have ever been in that regard.
- Britt has done a great job as far as the snap goes. That is a huge factor that sometimes you forget about because it is such a little thing but it is a big thing if it is off. He is really smart, and obviously he already knows the system so he can make calls for us and lead those guys.
- There is no question Kasen is way ahead of where he was last year. I'd throw him and Kevin Smith in the same category. Both of them have that year under their belt where they have been on the practice squad and worked their way onto the roster, kinda back and forth there. So they have great understanding of what we're trying to do. Then now as that stuff slows down for them their athletic ability shows up more.
- His (Kasen's) injury was a nasty injury that he had so I think the longer you go and have success, make good plays in practice, your mentality is able to push that aside so you can say "I am fully back, I know where I am at and I can do anything out here." I think he is definitely at that point and he's doing a nice job of it.