The Seattle Seahawks have been back at training camp for a little over a week now, so on Saturday afternoon they took to the field for a scrimmage. It was the first chance for the new members of the team to show what they can do, and the first chance for fans to see what those new members of the team can do.
So, without wasting any time, let’s take a little jump into who had a good day, and who had a not so good day.
Winners
Chris Carson: It’s no secret that Carson is the lead back for the Seahawks. In 2017 he was the team’s leading rusher when he went down with an ankle injury in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts, and in 2018 he became the first member of the team not named Marshawn Lynch to run for 1,000 yards in a season since Pete Carroll’s arrival in 2010. Carson underwent an operation on his knee during the offseason, so there has been some concern about whether or not that would impact his on field performance in 2019. He looked good on Saturday, so hopefully that answer will be no.
Carson TD pic.twitter.com/hfWojuzP5P
— Tony Blakeley (@Cyoplasm) August 3, 2019
Jazz Ferguson: The competition in the wide receiver room will be tight in the coming weeks, with a whole lot up for grabs behind Tyler Lockett. David Moore had a couple of good catches on the day, but Ferguson stole the headlines with two late touchdowns, including the game winner.
Here’s a clip of Ferguson’s first touchdown, which came after a deflection by Tre Flowers.
Jazz Ferguson TD off deflection pic.twitter.com/Qb7cUGVEFc
— Tony Blakeley (@Cyoplasm) August 3, 2019
Keenan Reynolds: Reynolds has been on and off practice squads for the past three years while he learned how to play wide receiver after having starred as a triple option quarterback at the Naval Academy. He is one of the players considered to be in competition to help attempt to fill the void left in the slot by the departure of Doug Baldwin, and he showed some of what he can do Saturday. According to Curtis Crabtree, Reynolds finished with two catches for 42 yards.
Barkevious Mingo: Following a lot of talk heading into the 2018 season about how the team might be able to take advantage of Mingo’s speed and explosiveness off the edge, he had a rather quiet season. However, during the scrimmage he recorded back to back sacks of Paxton Lynch. With Seattle having a solid core of linebackers in Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and Mychal Kendricks, along with the addition of Cody Barton and Ben Burr-Kirven in the draft, Mingo needs to show something to stay on the roster come cut time at the end of the month. If he can show the ability to be a dangerous edge rusher, that would not only help the team address a significant area of need, it would likely ensure him a place on the 53.
Losers
Jamarco Jones: While Mingo gets praise for recording two sacks, Jamarco Jones was the poor soul surrendering those sacks. Jones is a player much like Orlando Brown of the Baltimore Ravens who is very technically and fundamentally sound, but whose athleticism is lacking. Brown, to the surprise of many observers, put up a strong rookie season in 2018, while an injury landed Jones on IR. Whether his athletic limitations will prevent him from securing a spot on the roster, it’s certainly not great to see him victimized by the speed and explosiveness of Mingo on consecutive plays.
Barkevious Mingo as DE beats LT Jamarco Jones on consecutive snaps for sacks of Paxton Lynch. Another 3 and out for 2nd O vs 1st D. #Seahawks
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 3, 2019
This is 2nd time I’ve seen Mingo get Jemarco with the inside feint step. Easy sack. pic.twitter.com/vleik0D3YE
— Tony Blakeley (@Cyoplasm) August 4, 2019
We’ll see how things go for Jones when he gets a chance to take on the Denver Broncos pass rush in a real game Thursday, and hopefully he will fare better in that matchup.
Injured youngsters: Practice time is extremely limited under the current collective bargaining agreement, and young players need all the reps they can get in order to develop. So, unfortunately, there was a seemingly long list of rookies who did not suit up for medical reasons. Obviously L.J. Collier won’t be suiting up anytime soon, but there were a host of others who were held out on Saturday as well.
Per Gregg Bell of the News Tribune DK Metcalf has a strained oblique, but should be back on the practice field Monday after the off day Sunday.
Pete Carroll: DK Metcalf has a strained oblique. Got it on last play of practice Friday. Hope is he can return to practice Monday, after players day off Sunday. #Seahawks @thenewstribune pic.twitter.com/zLEoHy4NiZ
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 3, 2019
Third round pick Cody Barton also missed the scrimmage, though his injury is a little more serious than that of Metcalf.
Also, Cody Barton has a first degree groin strain. May not be able to play in Thursday's game.
— Andy Patton (@andypattonSEA) August 3, 2019
The Hawks have a day off on Sunday before getting back to practice on Monday. With just four days to go until Seattle plays Denver in Week 1 of the Preseason, things are starting to get exciting.