Analysis: Five questions for the Seahawks to consider ahead of training camp

RENTON, Wash. – The Seahawks ended their offseason program with a final workout for the team’s rookies, quarterbacks and a few others Wednesday afternoon at the VMAC.

Those players were then free to leave town, joining the bulk of the team’s vets, who had ended their portion of the offseason program with minicamp last week.

The team is off until reporting for training camp July 25.

As the team heads into the summer, let’s address five questions about what we saw and also look ahead.

What’s the biggest offseason storyline?

For once, that’s a hard question to answer.

Most seasons at this time of year there was something still left hanging – whether it be if/when mammoth contract extensions would get done for the likes of DK Metcalf or Jamal Adams the past two summers, or the continual drip-drip-drip of news concerning Russell Wilson that increased markedly his final few years.

But this offseason, the Seahawks feel like Team Harmony.

There are no lingering contract situations at hand like the Adams or Metcalf deals (Uchenna Nwosu is the one possible candidate for an extension, which we’ll get to later), the quarterback situation is settled allowing for clear leadership going forward and everyone appears enthusiastically on board with where things are headed.

It feels like an un-Seahawks-y way to head into the summer.

But coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have probably never been happier.

And to answer the question raised at the top, maybe the dominant offseason storyline is that there really isn’t one.

So what will be the biggest thing to watch when camp begins?

The main question hovering over the team is the health of a few key veterans, and in particular Adams, who is still in rehab mode from a torn quadriceps suffered in the season opener last September against Denver.

The team has not put an ETA on his return, saying that won’t be clear until camp begins.

But after Adams attended minicamp, allowing the team to get a good in-person look at him after he spent most of the season rehabbing in Texas, there appears to be growing optimism he could be ready for the start of camp.

If not, Adams could go on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list as a hedge until everyone feels he’s fully ready to return, and allow for some roster flexibility later, if needed.

The same is true for linebacker Jordyn Brooks and nose tackle Bryan Mone, each still recovering from knee injuries and with no clear ETAs.

Cornerback Riq Woolen (yep, that’s how he is referred to now on the team’s official roster) also sat out OTAs after having arthroscopic knee surgery in May.

But he is expected to be ready for the start of camp.

What was the biggest story of the offseason program?

Maybe the most eye-catching development from a personnel standpoint was the use of first-round pick Devon Witherspoon, who was taken fifth overall out of Illinois.

Witherspoon began OTAs playing almost solely on the outside at left cornerback, with Michael Jackson moving to the right side to replace the injured Woolen. But the final week or so, Seattle mostly used Witherspoon at the nickel spot filling in for last year’s starter, Coby Bryant, who was sidelined with a toe injury. That had Jackson starting on the right side and Tre Brown and Artie Burns getting snaps on the left.

Carroll billed the move as mostly an attempt to see how Witherspoon looked playing nickel and gather information heading into the summer.

But he got enough snaps inside that the team is obviously seriously considering it as a way to not only get its three best cornerbacks on the field at what they feel are their best positions, while also potentially allowing Witherspoon’s physical play – which the team cited as a key factor in drafting him – to be more of a factor playing in the middle of the field, as well.

What will be the big position battles to watch when camp begins?

While Carroll will preach “Always Compete,” the Seahawks appear to have a number of spots pretty set. And with QB being one of them, there is nothing as compelling as there was a year ago.

But here are four that stand out:

Cornerback: As noted, the Seahawks moved some pieces around in the offseason program and likely will continue to tinker with combinations in the early part of camp to see which is the best trio of Woolen, Jackson, Witherspoon, Bryant and Brown.

Center: Veteran free-agent signee Evan Brown worked most consistently as the starting center through the offseason. But rookie fifth-round pick Olu Oluwatimi also got some snaps with the starters and will be given every chance to win the job.

Right guard: It has been expected that fourth-round pick Anthony Bradford of LSU will compete with holdover Phil Haynes for the starting job. But that didn’t really materialize during minicamp after Bradford was held out following a “fender bender” in which he “bonked” his head – Carroll’s term – and was held out. It might take a lot for Haynes to lose the job, but as with Oluwatimi and center, the Seahawks will give Bradford every opportunity.

Nose tackle: With it unclear when Mone will be back and Al Woods having been released and signing with the Jets, this may be the most uncertain position on the roster. Fourth-round pick Cameron Young out of Mississippi State worked with the ones during minicamp with veteran Myles Adams – who had been getting some snaps there earlier in the offseason – also sitting out. Young and Adams appear to be some combo of 1-2 at the nose heading into camp. But expect the Seahawks to explore all options as other teams make moves in the preseason.

What is the salary cap situation?

As has been often noted through the spring, Seattle doesn’t have much. OvertheCap.com lists the Seahawks with $7.1 million, less than all but five other teams.

But if that sounds like enough to go sign a veteran or two, most of that will be eaten up when Seattle finally signs two of its top picks who have yet to ink their rookie deals – Witherspoon and second-round running back Zach Charbonnet.

The combined cap hits for those two projects at a little over $5 million.

That means the Seahawks may need to make a move or two to simply create enough cap room necessary for things such as the practice squad and the injured reserve list during the season.

One player whose contract some have speculated could be extended to open up some cap space is Nwosu.

Nwosu has a cap hit of $13.01 million for 2023, fourth highest on the team, in the final season of a two-year contract he signed in 2022. That includes a nonguaranteed base salary of $7.5 million.

An extension could create more than $5 million in cap space for Seattle while securing the future of Nwosu in Seattle for a few more years – he tied for the team lead in sacks last year with 9.5 and doesn’t turn 27 until December.

But as summer break began, there was no indication the Seahawks were considering making such a move with Nwosu.

Seattle might instead be content to try to do a few simple restructures – in which salary is turned into signing bonus to spread out the cap hits into future years – to try to open up some space.