News, notes, and injury updates from Day 1 of Seahawks 2023 training camp

Opening day of Seattle Seahawks training camp for the 2023 NFL season is all wrapped up, and it was certainly an eyebrow-raising day with news of rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon not appearing at camp. It’s reported that his signing bonus payment schedule is the hold-up for not putting pen to paper, so that still needs to be resolved. Of the 259 players taken in the 2023 NFL Draft, Witherspoon remains the only unsigned player.

With Witherspoon and Woolen both absent, Tre Brown and Mike Jackson Sr were the first-team cornerback pairing. Carroll said “he can’t imagine” that Devon won’t be practicing with the team soon.

Here are some other notes, injury updates, and quotes from Pete Carroll following Wednesday’s practice.

There might be more to Devon Witherspoon at nickel than realized

Remember when Devon was getting some looks in the slot at minicamp? Well keep an eye on Witherspoon potentially usurping Coby Bryant as a nickel corner, because the competition is on.

This might be one of those situations where Seattle sees versatility at the cornerback position such that Witherspoon can be moved around everywhere when needed. I can imagine the annoyance of some fans who may hold a negative view of the No. 5 overall pick possibly starting out in the slot and not on the outside. Maybe there’s a grander plan at the corner position that we’ve yet to see.

First-team offensive line reps go to veterans over rookies

With both tackle spots and left guard pretty much set in stone, all attention on the offensive line has been focused on the center and right guard positions. On Day 1, center Evan Brown got first-team reps over fifth-round rookie Olusegun Oluwatimi, likewise for Phil Haynes at right guard over fourth-round choice Anthony Bradford.

Jamal Adams and Jordyn Brooks are “close to ready” but maybe not Week 1 ready

Two of Seattle’s key defensive players have started training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Adams is recovering from a quad injury, whereas Brooks tore his ACL in January against the New York Jets.

When asked for a status update on the pair, Carroll said they’re both in “really good shape” and “close to being ready” for a return to the field. He paused a bit and was noncommittal on either of them being good to go for the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, but didn’t rule it out. In other words, don’t expect them out there in Week 1.

Jarran Reed to nose tackle

There have been plenty of concerns over the nose tackle position and the lack of depth. It looks as if Jarran Reed’s return to Seattle comes with a position switch from 3-4 defensive end to nose tackle.

Coach Carroll said Reed “playing nose tackle for us is crucial,” when asked about the interior defensive line. To what extent he’ll be aligned at that position remains to be seen, but in Wednesday’s drills he frequently lined up on the interior alongside Mario Edwards Jr and Dre’Mont Jones.

Noah Fant on PUP due to knee surgery

Tight end Noah Fant’s inclusion on the PUP list may have caught fans off guard. It turns out Fant had knee surgery but he shouldn’t be out for too long.

For what it’s worth, Riq Woolen is also supposed to be returning from PUP soon after his own surgery in May.

Alton Robinson’s release

On Tuesday, Seattle let go of 2020 fifth-round pick Alton Robinson without an injury designation. When asked why he was let go, Carroll cryptically said that “it just didn’t work out.”

Bobby Wagner’s back

Let’s wrap this post up with a video of Bobby addressing fans at VMAC, who welcomed him back with open arms after he spent last season with the Rams.

Seattle is back at it on Friday, July 28 with their second public practice. There is a closed doors practice on Thursday.