New Seahawks OC Ryan Grubb: ‘Bones of everything we need to do are there’
RENTON, Wash. – As is custom in the NFL these days, the Seattle Seahawks figure to not show a whole lot of what they have been working on the past two weeks in training camp when they open the preseason Saturday night in Los Angeles against the Chargers.
But first-year offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb – hired in February by new head coach Mike Macdonald to run the offense after two years at the University of Washington – said the major part of installing his playbook has been completed.
“We’re close,” Grubb said when he talked to the media Tuesday for the first time since camp began on July 24. “We’re probably 70 to 80% there. I feel like the bones of everything we need to do are there. There are probably some of the finer details and some of the motions and movements and things like that that you can add to some of the concepts that we already have in. I feel like we got a lot of the basic structure. So now there’s some of the fine-tuning that still has to happen, some of the late-game mechanics, situational football, things like that, that we have to continue to build.”
The Seahawks worked on a lot of those situations during a noncontact – but still basically full speed – practice on Tuesday. The practice ended with some 11-on-11 2-minute drills.
It also featured some big plays from the offense, including two long Geno Smith touchdown passes to DK Metcalf, another to Jake Bobo and another on a screen to Kenny McIntosh. There was also some sloppiness, including two apparent drops from Dee Eskridge, the 2021 second-round pick who appears in a fight for a roster spot.
But Grubb said he felt the offense has begun to come on in recent days after what has generally appeared to most watching as a lot of practices won by the defense.
“I’m really encouraged by the last couple of days here in our run game,” Grubb said. “Obviously, today was not a padded practice, but yesterday and at times on Saturday it felt like we were able to come together and start moving some people off the line of scrimmage. Which was really encouraging. And obviously, that’s something you want to be able to hang out on, is that you can establish a line of scrimmage, have a good run game, and set up the rest of your game plan.”
As that comment indicates, Grubb felt he’d seen some specific improvement from the offensive line in recent days.
“We’re getting there,” he said. “We’re getting there. I told (general manager) John Schneider yesterday we might have 10 O-line coaches, but we’re going to get that run game right. I’m excited about them. They’re starting to run off the ball a little bit the last couple of days and attack the line of scrimmage. There’s a little bit more of a unified front. Communication has been at a higher level and especially the last couple practices. I’m really hoping that we’re starting to set the right trend there.”
Grubb made those remarks just before it was learned Seattle has agreed to terms with veteran free agent Connor Williams, who is regarded as one of the better run-blocking centers in the NFL when healthy – he is coming off an ACL tear in his left knee last December but passed a physical during a visit to Seattle on July 24.
The Seahawks surely hope that helps the running game.
But Grubb noted that finally putting the pads on last week allowed for him to get an even better look at what he has to work with in third-year running back Kenneth Walker III and how much he may help the offense this season.
“I think Ken grows every day,” Grubb said. “He gets better every single day; the sky’s the limit for him. He’s a really talented, powerful back that’s a true three-tool guy. He’s going to be able to run the ball every run you got. He’s going to be able to catch the football, he’s going to be able to pass-protect … He … knew what to do with the ball in his hand, and now, he’s intelligent in the pass-protection scheme. He works really hard at it. I think he’s getting a lot better, and he’s electric out of the backfield as a pass catcher.”