Seattle’s first padded practice of training camp brought the kind of edge that changes the temperature of a roster. Once the pads came on, the competition sharpened, and a few players started to separate themselves in a hurry.
Byron Murphy II was one of the biggest winners of the day. The third-year defensive tackle has made it clear he wants 10 or more sacks this season and plans to dominate every snap, and that urgency showed up in the 1-on-1 work. Murphy was said to have repeatedly beaten guard Christian Haynes and looked locked in throughout the session.
The other standout battle came on the other side of the line, where Anthony Bradford and Rylie Mills kept trading blows. The right guard and the defensive end/tackle went at each other hard, with both showing up well and splitting the wins. Mills, in particular, could become a major issue for opposing offenses in what would be his first fully healthy season, while Bradford’s camp performance has started to create real positive conversation about where he fits going forward.
There was also encouraging work from George Holani. Brian Fleury is still testing what the offense can do on the ground and through the air, but Holani has been getting a different kind of spotlight because of his pass protection.
After earning praise in the postseason for that trait, he backed it up in padded work by holding up well against Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight. That only strengthens the case that Holani is the No. 2 back and an important part of the offense.
Not everything was trending up, though. Injuries remain part of the picture, with Jake Bobo, Brandon Pili and rookie cornerback Julian Neal among the players dealing with issues.
Pili and others are working through minor injuries, while Bobo has a hamstring injury and Neal is dealing with a leg issue. Both have now missed multiple practices, though Mike Macdonald said neither situation is long-term.
The most notable injury update involved Nick Emmanwori. The second-year slot cornerback was placed on the PUP list shortly before camp, and now it’s been learned that he underwent ankle surgery earlier in July.
Macdonald still hasn’t offered a timetable for his return, and there’s a real chance Emmanwori won’t be ready by the start of the season. That has pushed Devon Witherspoon into plenty of slot reps and Nehemiah Pritchett onto the outside.
There were also some rough moments for players fighting to stick. A number of running backs lost ground in pass protection, and Jacardia Wright and Velus Jones Jr. both struggled badly in those drills. With roster spots at a premium, those are the kinds of reps that matter.
Christian Haynes also had a tough day when he needed one to go better. After struggling in recent practices, he was looking for a reset in the 1-on-1 work, but that didn’t happen. Haynes again had trouble in those matchups and was involved in a fight after a play.
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