The Seahawks may not have spent the offseason making noise the way some other teams did, but they’re still the defending Super Bowl champions. That alone changes the temperature around the roster. Nothing comes easy now, and even getting on the field is going to feel like a prize.
That pressure shows up most clearly in the secondary, where Seattle has kept adding names and bodies to the mix. The starting picture looks set, but the competition behind it is getting crowded in a way that should sharpen everyone involved.
Seattle is projected to roll with Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe at outside cornerback, with Nick Emmanwori in the slot, and Ty Okada and Julian Love at safety. Mike Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde also like to move pieces around from drive to drive, so there should be enough snaps to keep plenty of players involved.
The turnover at corner has opened the door for younger options, too. With Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant gone, the Seahawks will likely lean on rookies Julian Neal and Bud Clark right away.
There’s more depth coming behind them. Seattle also drafted Michael Dansby and Andre Fuller late, and while both could have a hard time cracking the 53-man roster, they should at least be in the practice-squad conversation. The team also brought in Brandon Johnson after a run of pre-training camp workouts.
More bodies do not automatically mean better players, but they do give Seattle choices. Different skill sets and different backgrounds can help the defense present a variety of looks, and that matters when a unit wants to stay unpredictable.
Last season’s defense helped carry the Seahawks, and that’s saying something for a franchise that has also had the Legion of Boom. There’s no need to line up eras side by side, but the point is clear: with some continuity, this group has a chance to be special for a while.
The message from all these additions is pretty straightforward. Seattle isn’t signaling distrust in the players already in the building. It’s pushing for urgency, making sure everybody stays sharp in practice, in drills, and in every rep.
Josh Jobe is the perfect example of how quickly things can change when a player keeps grinding. He went from an afterthought and a practice squad player to a three-year, $29.2 million deal and a starting job on the defending Super Bowl champions. That kind of rise should have everyone else on the roster bubble paying attention.
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Seahawks Camp Had A Hard Knocks Moment Macdonald Couldnt Ignore
The cameras are a new wrinkle at Seahawks training camp, but Mike Macdonald has been clear that the show cannot change what the team is about. HBOs Hard Knocks is following Seattle through camp, and the first practices have already offered a look at how a group tries to stay normal while being watched closely, with Macdonald stressing that the teams culture has to remain authentic. Sam Darnold has said the players have mostly gone about their business the same way, which is usually the best sign that the spotlight has not taken over.
Still, there is always a moment when the presence of a documentary crew makes everyone a little more aware of themselves, and Macdonald has already had to navigate that reality. He has pushed the idea that the Seahawks need humility and accountability even with the cameras rolling, a reminder that the show may be about football, but it is also about how a team handles being seen. Hard Knocks premieres Aug. 4 and will track Seattles early camp work, so the first impressions are about to become part of the record. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Defense Just Got Hit With Another Brutal Disrespect Shot
Seattles defense had every right to expect a little more respect after finishing last season at the top of the league in points allowed per game, but Madden NFL 27 did not exactly hand it out. The games latest defensive ratings place the Seahawks tied for No. 9 at 82, a spot that feels a little light for a unit that spent most of last year making life miserable for opposing offenses.
The sting gets sharper when the teams ranked ahead of Seattle are the ones with the offseason buzz, from the Rams, Eagles and Ravens to the kind of headline-grabbing additions that tend to drive video game ratings. Seattle, meanwhile, mostly kept its core intact, with Leonard Williams and Devon Witherspoon still front and center and only a small personnel change in the secondary, which makes the gap feel less about what the Seahawks actually did and more about how Madden seems to reward reputation and star power. [Read more 🡒]
Why Seahawks Took Another Look At A Crowded Receiver Battle
Kyre Duplessis is getting another NFL look in Seattle after signing with the Seahawks and arriving at training camp as the receiver room keeps filling up. The former Delaware and Coastal Carolina wideout walks into a crowded depth chart, which is exactly why the team is taking a closer look at a player who has bounced around enough to know every rep matters this time of year.
Duplessis is not entering this battle as a likely path to the 53-man roster, but he does have a chance to make enough of an impression to stick around on the practice squad. Seattle likes the developmental possibilities enough to keep him in the mix, and he is now part of a wider competition that includes several other receivers fighting for the same limited opening. [Read more 🡒]