Seattle Seahawks Training Camp Takeaways: Veteran LBs Flash in Debut

Though the pads have yet to come out, the Seahawks celebrated the start of training camp by happily welcoming two of their biggest additions to the practice field.

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson prepares for a drill during the first practice of training camp. /

RENTON, Wash. - Officially kicking off the 2024 season on a beautiful day at the Virginia Mason Athletic Complex, the Seattle Seahawks opened a new era under first-time head coach Mike Macdonald on Wednesday with a far healthier roster than they had during OTAs.

Most notably, after not being able to practice at all in May or June, veteran linebackers Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson could be seen partaking in individual and team drills sporting their No. 17 and No. 0 practice jerseys for the first time as well as second-year cornerback Lance Boykin. Additionally, rookies Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James were back in action after briefly being on the Non Football Injury list leading up to camp.

Soaking up the noise from an enthusiastic crowd in the Seahawks first open camp practice of the new season, here are five quick takeaways from Wednesday's opening session:

1. Looking healthy and spry, Baker and Dodson didn't appear to be limited in their first action as Seahawks.

Following the departures of Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks in free agency, the Seahawks swiftly signed Baker and Dodson as their replacements with the expectation both former AFC East standouts would be able to step in and fill the void. However, neither participated in OTAs and minicamp coming off injuries and initially were placed on the PUP list last week, indicating they wouldn't be ready to practice at the start of camp.

Fortunately for Seattle, however, Baker and Dodson passed their physicals earlier this week, paving the way for them to finally make their practice debuts. Adding to the good news, while they will gradually up their workload as camp progresses, both players participated throughout practice from individual drills through team sessions, working with the first-team defense and moving well around the field without any noticeable limitations.

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Jerome Baker in his stance during a drill at the first training camp practice. /

During linebacker drills, Baker showed some rust with a couple of passes clanking off of his hands during coverage drills, drawing playful jeers from coaches and teammates. But he accelerated well out of his cuts and back pedals, showcasing the athleticism and quickness that made him a solid starter for the Dolphins over the past six seasons, an excellent sign following a long layoff.

Dodson also looked sharp from the outset, playing with fast feet, popping sleds with heavy, violent hands, and settling right in barking out calls from his middle linebacker spot during team drills. Simply happy to see both players on the field, Macdonald didn't elaborate on what he saw from either player, but his excitement could be seen with a big grin ear to ear at the podium after practice.

"It was great. All the guys that came back, just to see the smile on their face," Macdonald said. "Those guys have been working really hard. It's great to see it start paying off for them."

2. Throwing tight spirals all over the field, Geno Smith picked up where he left off after a strong offseason program.

As Macdonald acknowledged, the tempo and structure of the first handful of training camp practices mirror spring offseason practices prohibiting contact and playing the football, putting the rules in favor of the offense. Still, after spending the past several weeks working out with teammates in final preparations for his third year as Seattle's starter under center, Smith continued to look quite comfortable in coordinator Ryan Grubb's offense slinging the ball all over the field.

Coming out of their individual period, Smith opened a quick red zone situational session by dumping off a pass to Noah Fant in the flats and the veteran tight end outran Riq Woolen to the pylon for six points. Two plays later, he found the end zone, this time lofting a perfectly placed goal line fade to DK Metcalf over the outstretched arms of cornerback Tre Brown for six points to the delight of the crowd on the berm.

Among his other notable throws on the afternoon, Smith hooked up with Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a deep out route as the second-year receiver pulled the ball away from cornerback Mike Jackson with the two players falling to the ground. He later added a fantastic back shoulder throw to receiver Tyler Lockett for a 15-yard gain, demonstrating great command of Grubb's system as he worked through his progressions and quickly fired darts from the pocket.

As for backup Sam Howell, the newcomer wasn't near as sharp as Smith, misfiring on a couple of potential touchdowns during the red zone period and still showing signs of not being fully comfortable running a new offense. He did unload arguably the best throw of the day, however, rolling out to his left before throwing a dime 40 yards downfield to the opposite sideline and dropping the ball right in the bucket for receiver Dareke Young on a corner route.

"I thought they were sharp," Macdonald said of Seattle's quarterbacks after practice. "Really impressed with those guys. Working through progressions, poise, I thought the accuracy was good. You saw us connect on some deep balls, so really excited about them."

3. With Abraham Lucas still working his way back, Seattle's offensive line undergoes significant changes in rotations compared to OTAs.

While the Seahawks were finally able to see Baker and Dodson on the practice field, the same cannot yet be said for Lucas, who remains on the PUP list as he rehabs from offseason knee surgery. The third-year tackle out of Washington State could be seen walking up and down the sidelines without a brace on his knee, but Macdonald's latest update didn't provide any clarity on when he may be able to return to action.

"It's tough with Abe," Macdonald commented. "The guy works incredibly hard, so it's a process right now. The timetable, I can't tell you, but... we're trying to get there as fast as we can. I think it would be fair to say we were hoping it would go a little faster up to this point. But we're in the process of bringing him back. We have a plan for him, but we can't tell you right now when exactly he'll be back. When those things start to become clearer, we'll let you know for sure. We're not trying to pull a fast one."

Without Lucas able to practice yet, Seattle once again rolled with veteran George Fant in his absence. But behind Fant, the team slid McClendon Curtis, who spent the entirety of OTAs with the first-team offense at right guard, back out to tackle where he previously starred at Chattanooga.

The decision to move Curtis back outside comes on the heels of the Seahawks releasing guard Tremayne Anchrum prior to the start of practice in a series of moves shaking up the offensive line depth chart. Per Macdonald, the second-year blocker could be in the mix at guard again down the road, but his best fit in the present is at tackle where his versatility can shine through with Lucas still sidelined.

"He's working his butt off. It's tough when you're not in the same spot all the time, so kudos to him for the execution he's at and where his mind has been, the shape that he's in. Right now, probably a little bit more right tackle than inside based on what's going on with the roster, but we're so early in these things. But the more moving pieces you can have and flexibility, especially early in camp, that's pretty good."

4. Differing from his successor, Macdonald has an open mind when it comes to traveling cornerbacks.

Over the past 14 years, former coach Pete Carroll enjoyed tremendous success developing cornerbacks from Richard Sherman to Deshawn Shead to most recently current starter Riq Woolen, and he did so with the philosophy of keeping his boundary corners on the same side rather than moving with top receivers. Last year, Devon Witherspoon was an anomaly in that regard due to his talent playing in the slot.

In a bit of a contrast, at least looking back on his recent stints in Michigan and Baltimore, Macdonald expects to mix things up a bit more with how he deploys his cornerbacks in general. Opposing matchups likely will dictate how he handles such strategies on a week to week basis, but for the time being as his players continue to learn the intricacies of his defense, the cornerbacks are currently staying on the same side similar to Carroll.

"We've done several things," Macdonald elaborated. "We've matched guys, we've played field and boundary, we've played right and left. I think it depends a lot on who you're playing and their operation. If they're going to be hiding guys and moving a lot and you're matching, that's a lot tougher. If one guy is on one side, it's a little bit easier to match. The skill set of the guys on your team. Those are things we will consider as we go."

Given Seattle's talent and depth at the cornerback position, Macdonald shouldn't have to wait too long to start mixing things up with personnel. As evidenced during OTAs, Witherspoon will continue to play a ton of snaps inside to wreak havoc as a dynamic playmaker out of the slot. At the boundary spots, Woolen, Tre Brown, Mike Jackson, and Artie Burns all have the skills to play either side, and even rookies Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James offer some positional flexibility to move as well.

Regardless of how Macdonald employs his wealth of riches in the secondary, if Wednesday serves as an indicator, the competition for reps will be a fierce one at cornerback. Burns and Pritchett both made excellent pass breakups in coverage in the first practice, while Brown impressively ripped the football away from Metcalf's hands for a forced fumble during a team session, showcasing the fantastic depth at the position.

5. Connor Williams indeed visited the Seahawks, which could spell trouble for one of the team's young linemen.

Off the field, the Seahawks generated significant buzz on Monday when reports surfaced via ESPN's Adam Schefter that the team would bring Williams in for a free agent visit. Adding to the report on Wednesday, Schefter said the veteran passed his physical and had begun negotiations with the team while maintaining contact with other interested parties.

Without having to worry about tampering-related issues since he's unsigned, Macdonald confirmed Williams had been in town and that the visit went well. But while the two sides have started discussing a possible deal, a signing doesn't appear to be imminent at the moment.

"We had a great visit, I think he's a great player. But it's a process with these things, people being free agents coming off injuries and things like that. Time table is a little up in the air right now, but we'll see where it goes," Macdonald said.

A former second-round pick out of Texas, Williams played more than 3,300 snaps at left guard in his first four seasons with the Cowboys. After joining the Dolphins as a free agent before the 2022 season, he transitioned to center, where he played at an All-Pro caliber level before suffering a torn ACL last December, allowing just six pressures and one sack in nine games.

Due to his versatility, Williams could be an option at either guard spot if the Seahawks sign him. But Macdonald hinted that if a deal does come together, the team plans to keep him at center, which would at minimum turn up the heat on second-year pivot man Olu Oluwatimi, who currently looks to be the favorite to replace departed starter Evan Brown and has been working with the first-team offense throughout the offseason program leading up to camp.

"He's got position flex, but last year he did a great job at center, so I think that's where you would find him if he was here."