Youth Movement Provides Cautious Optimism For Seattle Seahawks' LB Group

With Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson sidelined, linebacker remains a major question mark for the Seahawks, but a quartet of youngsters may inspire more confidence.

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Patrick O'Connell participates in a sled drill at OTAs. / Corbin Smith/All Seahawks

RENTON, Wash. - As part of a retooled Seattle Seahawks defense under new coach Mike Macdonald, no position group has been more heavily scrutinized and analyzed in recent months than inside linebacker, where the team will be breaking in a pair of new starters.

Further complicating matters, at least from an offseason perspective, the Seahawks just wrapped up their spring program without seeing free agent signees Jerome Baker or Tyrel Dodson on the practice field due to recovery from injuries. Per Macdonald, the team hopes both will be ready to go for the start of training camp in late July, but their respective status have left a dark cloud hovering over the position where Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks once resided.

Installing a new defense, not having Baker or Dodson available has made things a bit trickier for teammates acclimating to the scheme during OTAs and mandatory minicamp. While he expects both players will be ready to rock at some point early in camp, defensive tackle Leonard Williams understands the defense as a whole will have catching up to do once they return to compensate for the lost practice reps.

“That's been a little bit more difficult for sure," Williams said on Wednesday prior to the final minicamp practice. "Sometimes being out here on the field makes a big difference. I can even tell when I wasn't here for a few days, my first day back, I felt like I still had to get in the groove for a little bit. Even being back for a week, I kind of feel back in the groove. But I feel like both of those guys do a great job of communicating with guys off the field, talking to everybody and we understand when it's their time they're going to roll.”

With Macdonald and a new staff at the controls, there's no shortage of optimism off the shores of Lake Washington, as the new regime looks to be off to a strong start getting players to buy in. While the potential of Seattle's offense has drawn the most attention over the past several weeks, a stacked defensive line headlined by Williams as well as an uber-talented cornerback group anchored by rising star Devon Witherspoon provides hope the defense can quickly rebound from a tough 2023 season.

But if there's a potential Achilles heel that could hinder Macdonald's defense, the current situation at linebacker seems less than ideal. At the same time, however, if there's been a silver lining to Baker and Dodson being unable to practice all spring, their absences have created opportunities for others to impress on the practice field in their place.

Throughout OTAs and into minicamp, fourth-year veteran Jon Rhattigan and second-year linebacker Patrick O'Connell received the vast majority of the first-team reps. While these "passing camp" sessions as Macdonald termed them can be difficult to evaluate due to rule restrictions, both of those young players did a fine job acquitting themselves in front of a new staff and made the most of their extensive playing time.

In Tuesday's first minicamp practice, Rhattigan showed off unexpected chops in coverage, dropping back into zone and undercutting a crossing route to knock Geno Smith's pass up in the air. Though he juggled the ball a few times initially, he secured the deflection for a fantastic interception, drawing cheers from teammates and coaches on the sideline.

After cutting his teeth on special teams the past three seasons, Rhattigan could be a player ready for the opportunity to compete for snaps at MIKE linebacker on defense, and Macdonald sounded keen on the idea of him vying for playing time when camp arrives.

"I think Jon has improved every day. That's probably the highest compliment I can give him," Macdonald said. "That's what we want from the rest of our team, guys going out, taking the coaching, taking it to the field, and taking the next step and keep rolling. Jon will be an integral part of you our team, and wherever it shakes out at the linebacker position, we'll see. He's done a great job on for us and off the field. He's going to be a big special teams player for us as well. Cool to see him make some plays today for sure."

Alongside Rhattigan, O'Connell also made the most of his chances in the spring, including enjoying a strong two-day minicamp. The former Montana star recorded three pass breakups during team sessions in the two practices, including getting his hand into a passing lane on Smith's first pass attempt on Wednesday to pop a deflection into the air that ended up in safety Rayshawn Jenkins' hands for an interception.

Though undersized at 230 pounds, O'Connell previously played off the edge for the Grizzlies in college and produced a double-digit sack season. His athleticism and versatility should make him an intriguing fit at weakside linebacker in Macdonald's scheme and at worst, he improved his standing battling for a reserve spot after spending most of his rookie year on the practice squad.

Waiting in the wings behind Rhattigan and O'Connell, fourth-round pick Tyrice Knight has also shown solid progress at weakside linebacker with the second-team defense. Capping off his first offseason program in style, he jumped a Sam Howell pass and reeled in an interception in Wednesday's minicamp practice, quickly getting mobbed by teammates.

One of college football's most productive linebackers at UTEP last season, Knight has the athleticism and blitzing ability Macdonald covets at the position and few players were better at finishing tackles at the FCS level. But he has room to grow deciphering run concepts among other things and Macdonald has had to take him off to the side on several occasions for individual instruction, including during Tuesday's practice after he appeared to make the wrong read against a run play in a rare rep with the first-team defense.

Coming from Wyoming as an undrafted free agent, Easton Gibbs also had some positive moments during OTAs and minicamp. After racking up over 300 tackles in his last three college seasons, his nose for the football has been evident during team sessions and his former safety background shows up dropping back into coverage. If he can impress on special teams, there could be a path to a roster spot for him in August.

For the Seahawks to play to their potential this season defensively, getting Baker and Dodson back healthy will be critical, as they offer NFL experience that none of the aforementioned players can match. Aside from Rhattigan, who only has played 19 defensive snaps in the regular season himself, O'Connell, Knight, and Gibbs haven't played any defensive snaps, and relying on them to fill the void left behind by Wagner and Brooks' exit would be a huge risk.

If Baker or Dodson winds up missing extended time once camp opens, then it definitely could be time to worry in the Pacific Northwest.

But Macdonald earned a reputation as a linebacker guru during his time in Baltimore, including helping turn Patrick Queen into an All-Pro after two rough seasons to start his career. While training camp will provide a far more genuine synopsis of where the group stands, his presence already looks to be helping Seattle's young crop of backers, hinting that the situation at the position may be better than initially anticipated both short and long-term.