The Seattle Seahawks have wrapped up the tenth practice on their 2023 training camp schedule at the VMAC in Renton, Washington. Today’s was an eventful session, with a reported new level of physicality, another franchise legend paying a visit and a potentially-significant injury.
Here are 10 takeaways from Monday’s training camp practice.
The chippiest practice so far
Perhaps it was the presence of Cliff Avril and the playfully-combative Michael Bennett. Maybe it was anticipation for the team’s first preseason game of the year on Thursday night. Whatever it was, something was in the air that made this practice just a little bit different – and chippier than any other beat reporters have seen so far this year.
Apparently wide receiver Dee Eskridge and rookie safety Jerrick Reed got into it, among other scuffles and shenanigans.
Seahawks practice is over. Easily their most intense and chippiest of camp. A couple brief scuffles, including one between Dee Eskridge and Jerrick Reed. Lots of hooting, hollering etc.
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 7, 2023
This is pretty healthy and typical for this time of year. Teams are ready to start hitting somebody else. As long as nobody’s seriously hurt, there’s no harm done.
Joey Blount carted off
Speaking of serious hurt, Seattle has suffered its first injury of training camp. Backup free safety Joey Blount was carted off the field after suffering a back injury while attempting to break up a pass in the end zone.
Joey Blount just carted off with what appeared to be a back injury. Was diving to try to corral a tipped pass in end zone.
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) August 7, 2023
Head coach Pete Carroll was not available to the media after practice, so there’s no word yet on the exact nature of Blount’s injury or his condition.
Ken Walker is still out
In the backfield, starting running back Ken Walker remains sidelined by a groin injury. However, rookie running back Zach Charbonnet appears to have responded well to his first practice since returning from the shoulder injury that put him out for a few days.
Rookie running back Zach Charbonnet back to doing more coming off his shoulder injury. Seahawks still without lead back Kenneth Walker (groin) @thenewstribune pic.twitter.com/OP2Zi5zPCp
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 7, 2023
K.J. Wright latest legend to show up
The Legion of Boom tour continues, as several legendary members of the team’s all-time great defense have been making appearances at training camp recently. Richard Sherman has dropped by and apparently both Avril and Bennett will be around all week.
Former Seattle linebacker K.J. Wright is the latest legend to visit practice.
KJ Wright also here today, here with Bobby Wagner and Quandre Diggs.
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) August 7, 2023
Wright retired last year after spending one season with the Raiders.
Phil Haynes spells Damien Lewis at LG
Thanks to another DNP up front, we got a closer look at the team’s interior offensive line rotation. With left guard Damien Lewis not practicing today, Phil Haynes moved over from right guard to take Lewis’ place. Meanwhile, Jake Curhan took over for Haynes on the right side.
Damien Lewis not practicing today, so Jake Curhan is with starters at right guard and Phil Haynes on left side.
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) August 7, 2023
Curhan was the team’s lowest-graded offensive player last season by a pretty significant margin, so he may need to show something this year to earn a second contract.
Dre'Mont Jones' toe injury is NBD
One of several injury notes we got from head coach Pete Carroll yesterday was that defensive end Dre’Mont Jones hurt his toe near the end of practice. Apparently whatever went wrong it wasn’t enough to put him on the sidelines for even a day. Jones was back in action with a helmet today.
DE Dre’Mont Jones has his helmet with him at the start of practice, so he appears to be OK after hurting his toe yesterday. pic.twitter.com/ElTKIP9P0l
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 7, 2023
Evan Brown is still C1
Another Monday note from Carroll regarded the team’s center competition. By all accounts, it appears Evan Brown is on his way to starting in Week 1. The team had been rotating reps here, but as the preseason approaches Brown has been running with the ones more and more and today that trend continued.
Evan Brown working with the starting line as the center again today.
As we noted Friday, that competition with rookie Olu Oluwatimi has turned in the veteran Brown’s favor @thenewstribune pic.twitter.com/Th3tGJ26R6
— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) August 7, 2023
Rookie Olu Oluwatimi and veteran Joey Hunt are also in the mix.
Derick Hall wreaked havoc
One player who seemd to thrive on the extra chippiness at today’s practice was rookie outside linebacker Derick Hall. During the team blitz drills Hall posted two sacks in quick fashion.
Derick Hall is wreaking havoc against the second-team OL during this team blitz period. Pretty sure he just had two “sacks” over the course of like 4 plays. Quick sacks, too.
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) August 7, 2023
Hall doesn’t have the experience of Boye Mafe or Darrell Taylor, but he’s about as fast as pass rushers come, which could give him an edge at some point down the line as he competes for playing time.
Seahawks bring back Jordan Ferguson
Speaking of edge rushers, there’s one transaction to report from today. The team has re-signed former Middle Tennessee State defensive end Jordan Ferguson, according to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL Network.
The #Seahawks are signing FA LB Jordan Ferguson, source said, after working him out today. The Middle Tennessee St standout also spent time with them in the spring.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 7, 2023
Ferguson took part in the team’s rookie minicamp earlier this year. He totaled 17 sacks and 33.5 tackles for a loss his last two years in college.
First unofficial depth chart released
Last but not least, we got our first unofficial depth chart of the season from the Seahawks PR department. It’s unofficial for a reason, but teams are required to put these out before the first preseason game of the year.
As we all know, preseason NFL depth charts are pretty darn unofficial. But, in the interest of passing along a pretty darn unofficial Seahawks depth chart for Thursday's game, here you go, as prepared by the team's PR department: pic.twitter.com/7B2J7qMnP6
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) August 7, 2023
The Seahawks will be hosting the Vikings at Lumen Field at 7:00 p.m. Pacific time on Thursday night.
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Sights and sounds from Thursday’s practice
