Seattle Seahawks Training Camp Battles to Watch
Cornerback and Nickel
Losing D.J. Reed in free agency signified that Seattle was looking to rebuild almost as much as the Russell Wilson trade and releasing Bobby Wagner. While there will be a pronounced dropoff at linebacker and quarterback, Pete Carroll’s presence ensures that won’t be an issue at corner.
The Sidney Jones reclamation project was successful last season, and he’ll likely be one of the two starters. Everywhere else is up for grabs, and Seattle has a plethora of options. Free agent acquisition Artie Burns played well for the Chicago Bears last season, but that doesn’t guarantee him a starting spot.
Burns will compete with rookies Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen. Tre Brown also looked good at times but was inconsistent during his rookie season.
Bryant excelled in an impressive Cincinnati Bearcats defense. He and Ahmad Gardner led a unit that was 2nd in pass yards against (behind only the Washington Huskies) and 4th in points against. Sauce Gardner stole the headlines, but Bryant showed off his impressive ball-hawking ability – stealing nine interceptions and breaking up 35 passes in college.
Mamba mentality.
📺: 2022 #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC#GoHawks x @CobyBryant__7 https://t.co/C47boX0N99
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) April 30, 2022
Woolen has 12s wondering if he’s the next Richard Sherman. A former wide receiver, Woolen stands at 6’4″, and is an incredible athlete, boasting a 4.26 40-yard dash. With only two years of experience at corner, he is a raw prospect. But if anyone can get the most out of him, it’s Carroll.
Justin Coleman, Marquise Blair, and Ugo Amadi have the most experience playing in the slot, but none of them have an inside edge on the job. There is a chance that Seattle experiments playing Jones, Burns, Bryant, or Brown on the inside to see if any of them have the fast twitch required to play the slot.
MARQUISE BLAIR ‼️
Gotta love a defensive touchdown 😏 pic.twitter.com/4lqdoL1wEf
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 29, 2021