Seahawks training camp Press Conference: Doug Baldwin, Darrell Bevell, Kris Richard on mic

Two days of training camp 2016 are in the books and the Sunday speakers were Darrell Bevell, Kris Richard, and receiver Doug Baldwin. Here's a breakdown of what they had to say:

Darrell Bevell:

• Doing nothing different this year compared to last year (offensively).
• Miss a guy like Marshawn Lynch. Was such a phenomenal player for us. He did so many things. You know, really kinda our mentality. He kinda embodied that. We have to move on. We have a good stable of backs in here. We brought three young guys in. We'll get a chance to look at those guys and give them an opportunity to compete. Let that thing shake out. We're excited about those guys. They all have different skills and abilities and we need to find out what they do well and what we need to exchange those guys with and we're excited to do that.
• Christine Michael is kinda the leader in the group now. It's good. He's done a really nice job. He's really prepared himself. He's come a long way. He has matured in so many ways. We're excited about what he brings. He has always been really explosive ,so were excited to have him here.
• Brandon Cottom is really a good athlete and a smart player so he has the ability to do a lot of different things. We kinda have a stable there at tight end so we wanted to give him an opportunity and fullback is kinda a spot he can do it. He's got the size, he's got the quickness, he's got the things that we are looking for. We're gonna give him an opportunity to take that spot and we'll see how he does.
• Cooper Helfet cracked a bone in his foot. No timeline for his return.
• It's probably a little early to judge offensive line play until we get pads on. What jumped out at Bevell was the retention of what they were taught in OTA's and mini-camp. They picked up really well at a good spot. They are working hard. Is excited about the group.
• Yesterday was a great day for backup quarterbacks. Jake Heaps had probably one of the best days out here. He had a couple of touchdown passes, a couple of big plays for us. Trevone Boykin is doing a nice job. From the system he came from coming to us Bevell thinks he has done a really nice job picking up the offense. Obviously some of the stuff we say in the huddle he isn't used to saying. But he has done a nice job spitting out those long sentences we give them. So he has done a great job with that and that is really, with young quarters, some of the biggest battles. He's done a nice job there and that hasn't hampered him with the thinking. He's gone out and let his abilities take over and has made some nice plays.
• If we were really thinking of Nick Vannett as a big time Y -TE coming in to be a blocker then yeah he has surprised. He has done a really nice job of catching the ball. He has been a big part out here in some of the passing games. So he looks really good at that. So that has been a great surprise for us. Doesn't want to say a huge surprise but it has been a really nice surprise at how adept his is at catching the ball and how soft his hands are. He might end up being a really nice solid combination tight end where he can be a solid blocker for you but not be someone you are afraid to put in the passing game.
• Paul Richardson is definitely not forgotten. He's somebody that we've been counting on. Bevell talked to him yesterday and told him they expect him to take another step for us. He has such great skills. Obviously his speed is number one and his speed is back you know coming back from the injuries. His biggest ability is going to be the ability to stay on the field because he has great skills, he has great quickness, great speed, great catching. Really looking forward to having him.
• Tyler Lockett and Paul are different guys. We use them at different positions. But both of those guys have great skills and both will be a huge part of what we do.
• Bevell is asked about Pete Carroll saying Paul has been the fastest he has ever been out here; It's just hitting top speed in a rep. Doesn't believe there was a time on it. But on the GPS things they wear said his exertion level at that time, he had hit his top (speed). Which basically tells us that he's back and that he can hit that full speed and hasn't lost a step. So that was good to hear.
• Russell Wilson has improved every year. He has had a steady climb every year. You haven't seen the dip and we don't expect to see that because of how he prepares.
• To recapture what we had at the end of 2015 starts with what they are doing in camp. Get the continuity and camaraderie together first and foremost. Practice together. Then Bevell thinks the biggest thing is communication. Whether it is communication from quarterbacks to the receivers, tight ends, running backs, communication with those five offensive linemen. Those offensive linemen with the quarterback. All of that stuff has to come together.

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Doug Baldwin:

• It feels fantastic to be back.
• The energy is defiantly different. It is more ramped up. Thinks it is because they have the collected group that has been here for so long. We know the process. We're eager to get it started. And we're kinda just pulling the young guys along. We're excited about it. The energy is much different than it has been in the past but it is a good different.
• All of the young receivers are looking fantastic right now. He knows it is the early part of camp, they haven't hit the dog day part of camp yet so we'll see, but they are doing a fantastic job right now.
• The new contract commitment meant a lot to Doug. Just to be recognized and appreciated. Plainly as a human being all of us want to be appreciated and loved and valued. Then when you put a number to it...honestly it's not really about the money. But the money to equate to respect and appreciation and love. It feels great, but at the same time nothing really changes. When we're on the football field we're still going to work because we have an ultimate goal to get to. But it does feel good to have that behind him so we can focus on the field.
• He did imagine this while at Stanford but he didn't know if it would come true. He doesn't really sit back and look at it right now. We've got plans to go forward and things to accomplish.
• No nervous moments throughout the contract process. He had a contingency plan in his head for both sides of it. Was just excited to get it done.
• In the big picture it is huge to get Jermaine Kearse back because we have that consistency. Jermaine knows the system. He knows the little ins and outs. He knows the little intricacies that are non verbal on the football field. And because he has that leadership capability in the locker-room. He makes it a lot easier on the rest of the guys because he pulls along the young guys in a way that some guys can't. We really benefit from that and his leadership.
• Can't tell the contingency plan he had.
• It really does feel like an especially stable and drama free camp. Thinks the past few years has humbled them. Losing the Super Bowl and then the Panthers has humbled them. At the end of the day it doesn't matter what you have done in the past it is the "what have you done recently?" business. Come to camp with no drama.
• DeShawn Shead's strength at the line of scrimmage really stands out to Doug. His upper body strength is unparalleled. The closest replication he can think of is Brandon Browner when he first came in. If Shead gets his hands on you it is pretty much over for you so you have to be very quick at the line of scrimmage and very cognizant of his hand placement. With Jeremy Lane, he's more of a finesse player. Not to say it is a bad thing. He has the skill-set and athleticism to allow you to get into your route then he will just follow you, trail you, and wait for his opportunity. He's opportunistic into the routes. They play two different types of defensive back but highly effective in both of their strategies.
• Does Doug expect to score fourteen touchdowns again? "No I don't." The reason why is we are a run first offense and when we get to the red zone we are going to try to pound it into the end zone by handing the ball off. But like we've always said since he's been here; we're going to make the best of our opportunities as receivers when we get the chance. So if the ball is thrown in his area in the red zone you better be sure he is going to try to come down with it and score the touchdown. No matter how many times they throw it to him. Whether it is two, three, four, five or a hundred times.
• Doesn't know how defenses could try to do things differently based off of what the offense did at the end of last season. When you have a quarterback like Wilson and all these weapons spread out in front of him; Jimmy Graham, Thomas Rawls, Lockett, Kearse and then you throw Richardson into the mix, Luke Willson. There's not really a lot defenses can do against us. So our job is to go out there and make it difficult on them so we have to be consistent that that. So Doug doesn't really know what a defense will be able to do against us because we have so many weapons.
• Doug thinks the initial part of getting to the level they were at in the second half of 2015 was realizing they are that good and not letting outside factors dictate how good we were going to play that week or in practice. And then doing it at a consistent level. Coming back in and holding each other accountable to the standard we have now set. Realizing we have that potential to go in week in and week out and perform at that high level. If we continue to think of it like that and we continue to have that mindset, Doug thinks the sky is the limit. We have so much more in the tank. But again at the end of the day it isn't about scoring those touchdowns or being a flashy offense. The main point of what they are trying to do is win games and ultimately win championships. We're not too worried about the numbers.
• It takes a lot of self awareness first and foremost when trying to be on the same page when Russell scrambles. When you are out on the field you have to know where everybody is at but you also have to know where yourself is at in correlation with everything else that is going on. Where the defense is, what their coverage was in the beginning so you have a sense in your head where everybody is at but then also knowing Russell and his tendencies. Getting the reps in practice so you know where he likes to scramble and where he is typically looking at when he is scrambling to those sides. It's just repetition.
• Think it is over stated about Paul's speed. Yes he is extremely fast football player but he's also a very good wide receiver in general. He has great routes. He can do all of the underneath stuff. He can do all the short stuff but then yes he has that speed to take the top off the defense and so yes it is going to help us tremendously when he is in there because they have to respect his speed. But it also helps him individually because yes they have to respect his speed but they also have to respect his route running capabilities.
• Would be lying if he said he didn't doubt he'd be able to get paid how he did in this run heavy offense. It's a mindset you have to have when you come to the Seahawks or any run-first offense. You have to realize you are going to be called upon to block more so than scoring touchdowns. That is a reality that the receivers fast year in and year out but again they try to focus on the positive not the negative. Their optimistic in their room and they say every ball thrown to them is a good ball and if it is in the air it has got to be ours. They're just trying to make the best of their opportunities regardless of what they think they are going to get throughout the course of the season. Ultimately try to help the team win.
• They have a mentality in their room called the dog mentality. The goal first and foremost is to help the team win. They do that by bringing a dog mentality every day on the practice field, in the meeting rooms and in the game room. What that entails is they are going to be relentless, they're going to be persistent, they're going to sacrifice for their teammates and that is going to be a gift they give no only to themselves but to their group, the offense and ultimately to the team. Once they do that they are able to go out there and win games. That is what Doug tells the guys; every day that you step on this field he doesn't care if you make a mistake or don't know your assignment but do it 100 MPH. If you make a mistake do it 100 MPH. The mistake can be corrected but the effort part of it is what they need to see. All of the guys have bought into that and that is why they are doing so well right now.
• Doug sees fantastic stuff from Tanner McEvoy. He's picked up the offense. He's really dove into his playbook to get everything he can from it and he's asking the questions, he's asking the right questions. Then he is going out onto the practice field and is giving 100% effort. Doug was basically just telling him the simple things; good route but maybe just think about this or on his release don't go so wide. The simple things. The smaller things that he is capable of picking up now because he's done all the hard work to get to the point that he's at now.
• They adopted that dog mentality a few years ago.

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Kris Richard:

• At the SAM spot Eric Pinkins has a ton of strength and speed. He brings the youthful exuberance and effort that you expect from the young guys out here. You're looking at a big, powerful man that runs a 4.4 forty. More speed and strength out there on the field helps us get better.
• It is really fun to have positional flexibility with the cornerbacks because it stirs the air of competition. We have competition all throughout this defense and just because you have been consistently a starter here doesn't mean you won't have to come out and consistently earn your position. So it is awesome to have guys that understand that and are willing to rotate and compete.
• Tharold Simon has been looking fantastic these first two days here. He's a guy we have always counted on because we know what he is capable of but it has been unfortunate because he hasn't been able to stay healthy consistently. But when he has been out there he has proven he can come out and help this football team be successful.
• The SAM position is a five to six man battle right now. Every player is going to have an opportunity to play with the first group because that is the right they have really earned. They've been here. They have been busting their butt and they have been doing everything we have asked of them. They deserve that opportunity to be out there with the first group.
• Seattle will be playing more nickel and sub packages due to the flexibility of the cornerback depth. Of course it is all predicated upon the looks they are getting from the offenses. But with our linebackers, you put a DB on you pull a LB off, you put a DB on you pull a defensive linemen off, they want to make sure they do a great job being able to match-up with any and all personnel groups an offensive can give us whether we are in base or nickel.
• Kam is a huge, influence member of this defense and it is vital that he's here. It's vital Michael Bennett is here, it is vital that we have everybody because we need everybody and everybody on this defense knows and understands that.
• Expects Frank Clark to be a versatile defender. If they need to stand him up, if they need him to put his hand in the dirt, if they need him to buzz to the flat, if they need him to play a hook, he is a guy that is athletic enough to be able to do multiple things out there on the field. And he is in his second year so he has gone through that rookie year you have to go through in order to learn. So he is more mature, he is bigger, stronger, faster than he has been. Really looking forward to seeing what he can do for us during the season.
• Saw speed, quickness and his power when Frank rushed from the inside last season. He creates a mismatch for those guys inside because he brings a quickness that rarely they see. He has the quickness and speed of a man that can pass rush from the outside and the power of a man that can pass rush from the inside.
• Cassius Marsh has done a real good job with the move to SAM. He has done a really good job. He is a fine athlete. And he has proven that consistently playing on special teams. Naturally seeing a guy of that nature being able to go out there and contribute on special teams where the game is all about space you would think that transition would be natural for him or a little bit easier for him from a guy that has had his hand in the dirt and now he is able to stand up and he has been doing a real good job in the transition.
• Using Marsh at SAM will work like it did with Bruce Irvin; they can use him to rush when needed. In the NFL it is the more you can do. We certainly look for guys that have a tons of versatility that can help our defense in many different fashions.
• Tyvis Powell has been doing fantastic. What Kris really likes from him is he has already improved on some plays where he may have made a mistake in the spring. They have come out here already and tried him on a couple of those plays and he has made the necessary adjustments in order to help this team be successful. That's a guy who is steadily improving and that is a guy who shows right now that he has the level of intelligence that it takes to fix a problem on the go. So if something happens to him during a game he will be able to come to the sideline and fix it. Granted from spring to now he had a ton of time to think about it but he fixed it and we're talking about a rookie so that is awesome.
• All of the safeties are trained to play both safety spots. You're neither free or strong in that sense. They're universal. Now the thing about Tyvis is he will be able to play some corner for Seattle. So that is where he is going to be able to create a little bit more value for himself.
• The plan is to start Browner out at safety. Now obviously he is moving on with twelve years of professional football, right? So he is getting a little older but he is still able to maintain his size and speed. So now we want to be able to transition him back to his original spot at safety which is what he played in the beginning of his career when he gets to college and now towards the end of his career they want to move him back inside and let him finish there.
• It's just a simple fact that we got a bigger body, a guy who knows this defense, a guy that has been a part of our secondary. It's just fantastic to have him (Browner) back and have him be a part of the group and the unit again. Of course yeah, a bigger guy who has been able to play man to man on wide receivers, you take him and put him inside and play him on tight ends and running backs and things of that nature. Yeah it is appealing, but that isn't the end of it all. He is here to play safety. We want to utilize him, play him in the post. We want to utilize him playing half field and everything else.
• Tye Smith is still kinda in the nickel. Those reps will come at some point in time during camp. It is still just the second day so these guys understand that even though they may not be getting the reps they desire that they still have to prepare to go inside and play. So that is where you have to make sure to take in your mental reps, take full advantage of the walkthroughs and take full advantage of the time with your coaches.
• It's still early in camp but they are still very excited about Ryan Robinson's future and the promise that he brings for our defensive line. Looking for that next edge rusher. So naturally if you look at the depth chart, with Clemons decided to retire, he's the next in line. So now next man up. Let's see what you can do.
• Robinson has fully recovered from the injury and has been looking really good. He looks explosive out there.
• Robinson has speed, length and he's got some strength. Everything you really look for in a rush end. He has the physical attributes. We just want to make sure he can go out there and put it together consistently in a football game.

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My Thoughts:

• I am not really taking much insight into who is playing with the first, second or third group on defense and that comment from Richard really validates that. Everybody in the position battles is rotating around and playing with each group. It will likely mean more towards the end of camp and definitely after the first few preseason games when certain players are playing with the first group and others aren't.
• I knew Tyvis and McCray have gotten time at both safety spots but I was not aware that our team viewed safety as a single position and taught both strong and free to all their safeties.
• I was not aware Tyvis could play cornerback. That is fantastic, not only because it adds versatility which can help him make the 53 man roster but because it gives us a 6'3, 210lb, 4.4 forty defensive back who can play both safety spots and corner. That on the field versatility, especially from a Chancellor-esque player in body and physicality is fantastic.
• I was surprised to hear Doug talk so highly about McEvoy as a wide receiver. I know he played it some in college but my expectation was that because he played almost everything in college that he wasn't all that good at any one thing, especially not wide receiver. But apparently Doug has great things to say that make me think he is far beyond what I had assumed of him at receiver and that is fantastic because he is very athletic and 6'6 tall. I also think he was moved to wide receiver because it is potentially the play he can best man the roster (specifically the practice squad) where as if he stuck to the crowded defensive back group he wouldn't have much of a shot. You might say receiver is crowded too and I'd agree but at 6'6 he is unique in what he could add to the receiving group.
• It's wild to think about Michael being the leader and veteran of the running back group but it is true. I personally am high on his potential, and not just because of what he could do but because of what he did do and proved last season. If he has stayed grounded, humbled, and disciplined like I saw when they got him back last season I am hyped for what he can bring in terms of depth to the running back corp. If Rawls, C.J. Prosise and Alex Collins are healthy I doubt he sees the ball but if someone goes down having a back like him, arguably a RB1 talent, ready to step up and fill in is fantastic.