Tyler Lockett didn’t expect to be the veteran voice in Seattle quite this soon.
But after the Seahawks’ offseason shakeup - including the trade of Russell Wilson and the release of Bobby Wagner - that’s exactly where he stands. The wide receiver is now the longest-tenured player in the locker room, and the change has not been lost on him.
“You made me feel old when you said that,” Lockett said Tuesday after Seattle finished its latest offseason workout. “It’s a lot different since Russ and Bobby is gone.
Mentally you feel like you’ve got to step up. You feel like you’ve got to fill in the gaps and those voids that’s gonna be missing.
But for me, I just try to continue to be myself. I don’t try to put extra pressure on myself.”
The new reality in Seattle is hard to miss. Lockett is the only player left from the Seahawks’ 2015 draft class, and he’s one of only two players on the roster who joined the team before 2018. Long snapper Tyler Ott is the other, after arriving in 2017.
Still, Lockett sees something energizing about the overhaul. He has been Seattle’s leader in receptions or receiving yards in each of the past four seasons, and now he’s adjusting to a team that looks and feels different around him.
Even the quarterback situation is changing in a big way. With Geno Smith and Drew Lock expected to be the leading candidates to replace Wilson, Lockett is getting used to a competition he hasn’t really watched play out in the NFL before.
Since turning pro, he said, he can only remember a quarterback battle from high school.
“It’s something new, but it’s something that’s very interesting just to be able to see when it comes to that competitive nature, two people, three people being able to compete for a spot,” Lockett said. “We saw it when I first got here at receiver.
We had lots of talent, loads of talent at receiver. And loads of talent at (defensive back).
There was people at DB that didn’t make the team and I was shocked, when I was a rookie. And it’s just that competitive nature that takes you to different places.”
Lockett has spent years building chemistry with Wilson, and the numbers back up how productive that connection was. He’s coming off three straight 1,000-yard seasons, and even last year - when Wilson missed a month with a finger injury - Lockett still posted 73 catches for 1,175 yards and eight touchdowns.
Now he’s watching Lock settle into Seattle’s offense after coming over from Denver, and he says he’s been impressed with how quickly Lock has picked things up. He’s also noticed Smith carrying himself differently this offseason, knowing the path to the starting job is open in a way it hasn’t been since his early days with the New York Jets.
As for what the offense will look like without Wilson, Lockett says OTAs have already shown plenty of moving parts.
“During OTAs, I think you might see some mixtures, you might see a lot of things that are different, there’s not really going to be a lot of things that stand out,” Lockett said. “I just think that right now we’re just playing with a lot of stuff.
We’re doing a lot of things differently. I mean, you guys saw it today, I thought we had a really good practice today.
And so we’re just trying to build and just see how far we can be able to go.
“This is where you test limits.”
In Other News...
Seahawks Camp Is Already Creating Early Winners And One Tough Roster Reality
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Arroyos early momentum has been one of the more encouraging developments for a team trying to reload without losing its edge, especially as the offense looks to build rhythm in camp. At the same time, not every storyline has been as clean, with some players dealing with uneven practices or setbacks that could quickly tighten the competition and force some difficult decisions before the roster starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Worrying Robbie Ouzts Situation In Camp
Fullback Robbie Ouzts has been a quiet absentee at Seahawks training camp, and his absence is starting to stand out because Seattle has not offered much detail about what is keeping him sidelined. The issue is still being described only in general terms, but for a team trying to get its offseason pieces settled, any missed practice time from a player battling an unspecified problem is worth watching closely.
The concern is obvious because Ouzts was dealing with a neck injury late last season, and Seattle already had to manage his availability down the stretch. The coaching staff has not gone into specifics yet, but there should be some clarity soon, which at least gives the Seahawks a chance to learn whether this is a short-term camp blip or something more lingering. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks May Need Bud Clark Sooner Than Anyone Expected
Rookie safety Bud Clark has already drawn praise from Mike Macdonald, and it is easy to see why the Seahawks think he can get on the field sooner rather than later. Seattle has made a point of valuing interchangeable defensive backs, and Clarks positional flexibility fits neatly into what the coaching staff wants to do on the back end while he continues to establish himself.
The urgency around Clark could grow if the secondary remains thin, with Nick Emmanworis ankle situation adding another layer of uncertainty. For a young defensive back, that means the job is not just about lining up and reacting, but about helping Seattle disguise coverages and handle the moving parts that come with Macdonalds system. [Read more 🡒]