Kris Richard and Pete Carroll Minicamp Press Conferences

Kris Richard:

• It is not easy to make the transition from corner to safety (Browner). Now you have to have the big picture. But he has done a really good job of staying in the playbook, staying abreast upon his assignments and where he is supposed to be on the field.
• The bigger adjustment for Browner is mental. The difference is you are a little more isolated out there at corner, once we bring you into the middle of the formation or we put you down into the box down there you have to have a much bigger picture. Your keys change, your assignments change, and it is definitely mental.
• It makes it much easier to be flexible and creative with his play-calling now that there is this experience and versatility in his secondary players. Not only the secondary but our whole defense in general, our whole football team. We are wiser, we are getting older and we are getting smarter. The better we can understand this defense day in and day out it makes us much more flexible.
• The energy and attitude is so much different this year in camp because everyone is healthy. It has been key. Thinks the proof is out there with the energy and enthusiasm and excitement to come out and practice.
• These last few days absolutely confirm his previous statement that this D-line depth rivals 2013's. This camp was about the young guys. It was absolutely about the young guys and their grown and continuous development. And the faster we can have them prepared to play obviously the better we will be.
• Right now camp is about seeing how much the young guys can hold onto, how much can they grasp? We threw the entire playbook at them, they had to learn it, we came to our 3 day mini-camp and we threw tons of stuff at them. So it was about the process of them learning and the process of their execution.
• None of the defensive rookies projected roles have changed.
• Evaluation will continue on the SAM role (Pinkins, KPL, Marsh and Mike Morgan) but it has been positive. They have been out there battling. Awesome to watch them compete.
• Frank looks awesome. Think it will be about his opportunity. Essentially he has been that big, fast and strong. We have him in a couple of positions that we feel he'll really make a difference for us. Thinks his speed is what will end up showing up. He had a really good off-season. Really looking forward to him coming back and having a productive camp.
• Likes that KPL has the ability to do it (play OLB). The guy runs 4.4. He is extremely powerful. When he is out there on the field it is like having another DB he is so fast.

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Pete Carroll:

• The young players that came in really worked hard to give themselves a chance. The whole idea here is for us to prepare them so that when they get to camp time they can compete and get ready to go and they have done everything they can and could do so far. We're really pleased. We're really concerned about the six weeks coming up. This is another opportunity for us to compete. Really want our guys to work hard and stay at least at the level they have gained because we are ready to go right now. But it is a long six weeks so we are going to keep our fingers crossed everybody gets back healthy and ready to go.

• Not exactly a nerve racking six weeks but it is a long time, a long period. Concerned, want guys to keep moving, they have worked so hard and invested so much to get to where they are. They will need to find a way to maintain it. Hopefully a lot of our guys will workout together and they will find out how they can feed off one another and compete to workout hard. They will but it is more uncertain than whatever you called it (nerve racking).

• He (CJ Prosise) had a really good day now. This was his best day as a Seahawk. He got some good reps, he got some open field to move, caught a couple of balls really well. He has worked really hard, he knows his stuff, he knows his assignments pretty well for as many turns as he has had. He showed really good burst today. I can't wait to see the film I thought it was a really good day for him.

• We wanted to really work every day at our conditioning and push to really run hard every chance we got. We made a big emphasis on pursuit and effort.

• Russell has had a great camp. Happy to talk about it. You guys have asked me when he will arrive? How long will it take? And I have told you guys it is going to be down the road, it takes 4, 5, 6 years for these guys to develop. He has made a clear step ahead. His command is like all time. His ability to move the defenders with his eyes and the setups and things, he is consistently doing that, almost unconsciously he is so clued in. It has taken all of this time to get to this point and he will still improve. You can really see him as a real true vet now. Coming off last year with the great success in the second half of the season he has taken that right into the off-season and here we go.

• Haven't done as much (schooling with Russell) as we thought we'd do. The schedule doesn't allow us as much time. We're always talking so we're working at it. I am so fired up to where he showed throughout this off-season that we're making good progress.

• He said he wanted to play 20+ years the day he got here. He is a terrific athlete which means in his older years somewhere down the road he'll still be probably an above average athlete. He's an exceptional athlete at the position right now. But as he gets older he'll love some stuff. It gives him a chance as long as his legs are there. It does get pretty hard those last 5 to 6 years for those guys to get that kinda background. I look forward to coaching him in those days.

• Just asked the medical staff coming off the field about Jimmy and Rawls (knowing the press would ask for an update). They have both made great progress. Whether it is the first day of camp or not or as PUP we're gonna wait and see how these six weeks play out. It's a really important six weeks because these guys are in good enough shape that they now can get in shape. They've worked their way back in the rehab process and now they are preparing to push, Jimmy is a little ahead of Thomas in terms of on field running so Jimmy is a bit ahead schedule wise. But still Thomas is in great shape. Both kids are mentally right, have a great attitude about what they are going to do during these six weeks. We'll have to wait and see. We'll be chronicling their progress through the off-season. Thomas will be here the whole time and Jimmy will be back and forth. Pretty crucial to see what happens after the six weeks time but it will not tell the story, we will have a long time. We will have another 6 weeks. We are 12-13 weeks from the first game. We have a long time to get this done.

• Absolutely think they will be ready for the first week of the season. They would have to incur some issues that we can't foresee right now for that not to happen.

• It wasn't a buy in it was just emphasis. We really emphasized the quickness of getting the ball out. We called a lot more calls that dictated the rhythm and the timing as opposed to mixing things. So we just emphasized it and he (Russell) was ready and willing. It really helped the protection progress. We made great stride protection-wise. All the negative numbers went way down and we threw those out. It was mostly about the rhythm of it and the expectations of it and calling it with the consistency to keep us in that kind of approach to our game. That is why the red zone numbers went up and the third down numbers went up, why everything went up sky high.

• Just see continued improvement from Russell in that regard. Our rhythm throughout camp stayed connected to what we did in the second half of last years season. We went in determined to do that and right from the get-go when we got back here on the field we were at it with tempo and timing and all that, it stood strongly throughout all of camp.

• Russell is able to get better when Pete challenges him with the task of improving at something because he is a competitor. He wants to get better, he wants to improve. He wants to know what he can work on. So when you challenge him with something he will jump all over it. That is a real characteristic of grit.

• Carl Smith (QB coach) and I have a lengthy background. Carl has done a lot of stuff in this game and has been successful at so many things. Have worked together and competed against each other too. There is nobody that I trust more in the game. With all of the things we need to talk about and figure out, in game situations and flow, we are doing it in concert. 99% of the time we see eye to eye and when he goes against me he is usually right. Couldn't trust him more and believe in him more.

• There are a few (position) groups I am excited to watch the competition at going into camp. The SAM linebacker spot is going to be a really good one to watch. That is going to be wide open to see what happens. Mike Morgan brings all the experience so he would start if we were to start a game today. He's just ahead of the other guys but both Cassius and Pink have done a great job of battling and it is going to be, those guys are getting a great shot. Could almost hit every position here. The Tight End position is going to be fun to see. Nick Vannett did a great job and with Jimmy out it has given the other guys a really good opportunity to do some nice stuff. Brandon Williams has done a really nice job. You guys don't know much about us picking him up but he played for Carolina for the last few years are we were very fortunate to get him. He is a very good special teamer but he will add to that competition. The running back thing, as young as it is, will be a great spot to watch. There is a lot of diversity there in the styles that the guys bring. I am really excited about that one. I am really fired up about our receiver group. The guys coming back Russell has so much confidence in, the guys he has played with. That is great, but that second level of guys that are fighting for this roster spot, there are a bunch of guys that look good that can do some good stuff. On the defensive line with the two new young guys that we drafted, both those guys were very impressive in their off-season to this point. Won't be able to know until we get them in their pads and all. That spot will be real interesting. Silgia coming in to helps us. Anxious to see how the thing rolls out. Think it will be one of our most competitive camps. This is a chance for us to have a roster that reminds us of a couple of years back.

• Tye Smith missed some time but he had a very good off-season. He came back strong and faster. Had a really fit off-season and you could tell right from the first day he was out here.

• Christine Michael has really answered the challenge. He's been extremely consistent. He's been on it every day with his work ethic and attitude. He has caught the ball really well, he has given us good effort. He has had a really healthy off-season. He's going for it. He is not holding anything back, he sees the young guys. But he has been a good leader for those guys too. It has been a really good situation for him. It has been an entirely new situation for him this spring and he has taken to it really well. I'm really proud of him.

• The next step for Tyler is to keep throwing it to him because he is doing it. He's a legit player for us and he is right middle of all of our planning and all of our preparation. You will have to deal with him in our offense. He's going to be moved around a lot, he'll be in a lot of different spots. He can do everything. We're really pumped about him coming back. He looks so confident. He always has but we had to make him prove it a little bit. But once we got a hold of the kind of dynamic player he is we use the heck out of him and he is going to get a lot of play time. He is going to get a lot of stuff happening his way. It really helps Doug, it really helps Kearse, those guys are great compliments.

• Tyler is a starting WR for us. He is in there. All three of those guys start. We do everything we can think of them with them. There is nothing we hold back. He is smart enough, sharp enough, works hard at it. He is one of the hardest working guys we have ever had in the program. The most consistent guy we've ever had, coming in early, staying late. And pushing to work on the things he wants to improve at. He has been awesome.

• Britt has done a very good job. He has really embraced the role. He's the guy that has been around the most so we'd hoped he'd be the guy to take the leadership up there and make the calls and all that and he has done that. He loves playing the spot. He has looked very very comfortable. He really adds to the pass protection because he is so long, he fills up a lot of good space for us. Those guys have to get in pads to see what is happening but he is totally embracing the opportunity. Patrick was really solid for us there. Joey had a really really good off-season with us. He is a very experienced football player. He is really smart. Smart as an offensive linemen can be coming in. That position looks much different right now than it has. That is going to be a good competition though. Those guys are going to battle it out. Nothing is etched in stone at this point. But Justin has done a great job.

• I wish we could start (training camp) right now. If anything I am concerned where they will be when they come back because right now I know we have them where we want them. There's a number of guys, and we will meet with them today, there's stuff for every one of those guys specifically where we are calling on them to work on in these next six weeks. Because we know enough about them now to do that. But we really could start camp today and we'd be fine.

• No injuries other than Rawls and Jimmy where there is any question about whether they will start at camp or not. Thinks we're in good shape.

• Doug's potential extension is a big deal and it is a very serious negotiation as they all are. He's done an incredible job for us and has been a great teammate. Eventually we'll get something worked out, hopefully it happens. The intent is to get him signed and secured for a good while. They are meeting on it right now, working on it.

• Everything is great, I am under contract (regarding his contract status).

• Drew Ferris (LS) is battling at it. He has done a nice job. He has a lot to learn. He is a really really good snapper, he has tremendous velocity on his snaps. He's gotta learn all the schemes and blocking stuff and all that too.

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Relevant Tweets:

• @bcondotta Talked to Christine Michael who said he's dropped about eight pounds and is down to 217. Said feels a little quicker.

My Thoughts:

• For quite a while fans have been questioning the recovery time of Rawls and significantly more so Jimmy Graham's injuries, along with questioning the ever positive and optimistic comments by Coach Carroll. Well for whatever reason I have always felt that Pete wasn't being overly optimistic and that with everything we were seeing (pictures, videos of Jimmy and Thomas) that they would likely be ready to play week one. I am so happy to hear that they are totally on track for that.

• The question becomes what Jimmy Graham do we get if he is cleared to play and is active week one? I honestly don't care. As long as he is fully healed and in football shape I will take a 80% Jimmy Graham over Cooper Helfet or any other depth TE we have on the roster. Even if he is missing some explosion and dynamic movement he is still a 6'7 pass catching monster who draws defensive attention.

• Hearing the unfamiliar name Brandon Williams really intrigued me. Was it just a nice coach shout-out or has he really impressed? I don't see how he could make the team if Jimmy, Luke and Nick are healthy but oh well.

• I love hearing more positive things about Christine Michael. Sounds like he has picked up exactly where he left off in 2015 with us in terms of his work ethic and discipline. Hearing that he is improving with his ball catching skills is good too. The more well rounded a RB (or any player) can be the better. I honestly believe that athletically and practically (after what we saw from him in '15) he could be a 1,000 yard 10 TD running back if he was made lead back. Now obviously I want Rawls to be healthy and be our lead back, and I love what we could have in Prosise and Collins (who both could have 1,000 yard 10 TD potential as well) but to know your backup, heck all of your depth have that potential is a great feeling.

• The same applies to Lockett. Hearing him get ranted and raved about isn't anything new, but I honestly think he has 1,000 yard 10 TD potential as well. To have that in a WR behind Doug who has proven he can do that and Jimmy who has proven he can do that is a great feeling.

• The whole Center competition is a really interesting one to watch. Is the Britt hype we are getting a bunch of hot air? Or is it real? Did he finally find a home where he can play at the very worst; solid? At the top of my list of things to watch out for when the press is tweeting their thoughts while watching Training Camp will be Justin and how he is doing in full contact scrimmage games. Is he getting whooped like he did at RT and LG or is he actually holding his own? Is he snapping the ball consistently well or are mistakes being made? It is a bad mix for fans because we have PTSD from Nowak (who was a DL convert with basically no C experience if you remember) and we also have nothing but bad memories of Britt and his quality of play at two different OL positions. My hope is they are confident in both Lewis and Hunt, and that they are giving a bunch of snaps to Britt to round him out as much as possible (OT, OG, C versatility) in hope he can earn the starting job (given his size, strength, veteran experience with Cable & the team) but if he doesn't they know they can plug Lewis (or maybe even Hunt who could be Lewis with a bit higher ceiling) in and have him be the starter without any issue. He proved he can be plugged in (second half of '15) and play well.