Today is the day that Seattle Seahawks football is officially back. Training camp begins at 10 a.m., giving fans the first opportunity to see this year’s team in action.
There is quite a bit of intrigue surrounding the Seahawks as camp gets started. Will Bobby Wagner and the Seahawks get a contract done? How will the Seahawks replace Jarran Reed during his suspension? How will rookie wide receiver DK Metcalf fare against real opposition?
Those and more will be discussed in this quick look at the five biggest storylines going into training camp.
Wagner’s extension
Historically, the Seahawks get extensions worked out right around the start of training camp, so this may not be a storyline for long.
Wagner, 29, is entering the final year of his four-year, $43 million contract. Representing himself in negotiations, the star linebacker is looking to get an extension that will pay him at or above what the highest-paid linebackers in the league are making, which will put him in the ballpark of $17 million to $19 million annually.
Wagner deserves to be paid as the best linebacker in the league, as his performance clearly shows. Coming off one of the strongest seasons of his career, Wagner has five straight Pro Bowl appearances and earned three straight All-Pro nods.
The Seahawks have the salary cap space to get a deal done, and all signs indicate that Wagner wants to stay in Seattle long-term.
The logistics of the deal may take more time, but expect an announcement on an extension in the near future. That will allow Wagner to get back to playing football, instead of watching from the sideline.
Metcalf against real competition
Metcalf exploded onto the NFL scene following an electric performance at the NFL combine. The 6-foot-3, 228-pound receiver ran a blistering 4.33 seconds in the 40-yard dash, making for a rare combination of size and speed.
However, his limited route-running abilities and underwhelming performance in college caused him to slip on draft day, and the Seahawks took advantage by trading up into the second round and snagging him at No. 64 overall.
Now, the Seahawks and their fans can begin to see what they have in Metcalf. Will his incredible athleticism translate in the pros, allowing him to excel as at the “X” receiver spot in an offense with Russell Wilson, one of the best QBs in the league at throwing the deep ball?
Or will his lack of route-running skills leave him exposed in the NFL, making him yet another early-round bust for the Seahawks at wide receiver?
Metcalf looked great during minicamp and OTAs, but the real test will come in training camp when he is going up against legit defenders in full pads. It will be one of the most interesting and fun things to watch at camp.
Chris Carson vs. Rashaad Penny
The battle in the backfield between third-year back Carson and second-year back Penny will loo large in the minds of not just Seahawks fans, but fantasy football owners as well.
After dominating to the tune of 1,151 rushing yards and nine touchdowns last season, Carson looks poised to handle the every-down back duties again in 2019. However, coach Pete Carroll has made it clear that he wants Carson and Penny to be a two-headed monster in the backfield, calling them 1A and 1B, and even going as far as to say he doesn’t know which is 1A and which is 1B.
Therefore, a strong camp from Penny could elevate him into the top spot in Seattle’s backfield, even if Carson is healthy and coming off an excellent season.
Who will step up on the defensive line?
The defensive line took a massive hit following the announcement that Reed will be suspended for the first six games of the 2019 season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
The team struck quickly by signing veteran Earl Mitchell, who joins a defensive line unit comprised of Poona Ford, Al Woods, Nazair Jones, DeMarcus Christmas and Jamie Meder.
Ford is almost certainly going to start, and Reed will start once he returns from his suspension, but that starting spot opposite Ford is up for grabs at the moment.
Woods and Mitchell are the two veterans of the group, and it seems likely that one of them will step into a big role while Reed is out. The team could also opt to slide one of their defensive ends, likely Quinton Jefferson or rookie L.J. Collier, into the defensive interior, especially on passing downs.
This is likely Seattle’s weakest position group, and it is anyone’s guess who will step up and play big-time snaps for the first few games of the season.
Who will return kicks?
The Seahawks made it clear they’d like to let Tyler Lockett focus on his new role as the team’s No. 1 receiver instead of serving as the team’s primary return man.
Although Lockett was already a huge part of the offense last season, he still returned every punt and 19 of the team’s 29 kicks, so switching returners is a big change.
The Seahawks have a handful of options to choose from, although Carroll made it clear that the top dog, at least at the moment, is running back/wide receiver J.D. McKissic.
“J.D McKissic has always been one of the guys we’ve liked putting back there,” Carroll said during minicamp last month. “He can catch punts and kickoffs. That’s the first guy we think of so that would be the guy we go to.”
Winning the return job is probably McKissic’s best avenue toward keeping a spot on the 53-man roster this season, so you can bet he will do his best to prove he can be close to as competent as Lockett is as a returner.
If the team doesn’t go with McKissic, they could look toward Penny, who handled some return duties last year, although his expected role in the offense likely will keep him away from that role.
Other options include receivers Keenan Reynolds, Gary Jennings and John Ursua, although they’ll be fighting primarily just to secure a spot on the roster.
The last option is rookie safety Ugo Amadi, who returned kicks during minicamp and drew praise from Carroll for his performance. Amadi returned 14 punts for 223 yards and a touchdown at Oregon and could be a dark-horse candidate to replace Lockett.
