There could be a potentially significant development in the right guard competition.
The Seattle Seahawks kicked off August with their ninth training camp practice of the season, and Field Gulls was in attendance at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on a warm afternoon in Renton. Yours truly and HawksZone Rundown podcast host Bryce Coutts watched Seattle practice for over two-and-a-half hours, longer than advertised but nevertheless eventful. There were plenty of kids enjoying their day out and the only thing louder than the ‘SEA-HAWKS’ chants were the Blue Angels in town for Seafair weekend.
Now that I’m back in my hotel room, here are our takeaways from Friday’s practice. As a reminder, I’m not going to be overly descriptive; it’s a rule meant for credentialed media members but I don’t want to break rank just because I watched from the berm.
Notes and observations
Offense
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Christian Haynes did not get any team reps. I do not believe Haynes was injured; he had his helmet on with no wrapping or anything suggesting an injury picked up in warmups. Haynes did get some work in at center with Drew Lock prior to team drills, and it’s hard to ignore how slow his snaps look. Mike Macdonald had no media availability so we don’t know what was up on that front. Sautoa Laumea had a significant uptick in right guard snaps, while Anthony Bradford was the main guy with the first team. Jalen Sundell continues to work at C and RG. Unless he’s injured, I think it may genuinely be time to show concern regarding Haynes. Josh Jones was the starting left tackle with Charles Cross out, while Abe Lucas held down the right tackle spot.
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Sam Darnold looked sharp. And by sharp, I’m describing his confidence, accuracy, and decision-making in team drills. Yes, this was not a super physical practice and we didn’t see a whole lot from the pass rush, but there’s no denying Darnold’s talent. I’d say his chemistry with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp looked on point, with Kupp in particular seemingly healthy and running smoothly. Darnold did throw an interception to Devon Witherspoon on a fade route to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but I think that was a mixture of good coverage and a not good MVS route. We’ll get to his other interception to Nick Emmanwori a little later.
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Tory Horton was outstanding. I won’t hide my bias, I think Tory Horton could be a huge part of the Seahawks offense in the short- and long-term. His best play was a ridiculous touchdown grab on a pass from Darnold that was a little bit short, but he was able to reach back and essentially vacuum the ball in off of Josh Jobe’s back. Jobe insisted it was incomplete but he had to take the L there. Horton also had a long touchdown grab in a 1-on-1 versus Isas Waxter, as well as a beautiful grab over the middle on a throw by Drew Lock....
Field Gulls
