The Seahawks kicked off 2024 training camp on Wednesday, their first under Mike Macdonald, making this a significant day for Seattle's new head coach.
"This is a special time," Macdonald said. "We do a great job, everybody behind the scenes setting up training camp, getting the 12s out, man, you can't take the smile off your face. To be in this setting, this organization, this city, these fans, our guys, it's a special day. It's awesome. Great start with the guys, day one in the books. A long ways to go, but we're off to a great start."
As for the on-field action, here are five observations from Day 1 of camp:
1. Geno Smith was dialed in on Day 1.
Maybe it's just his talent and experience, or maybe it was the work he put in this offseason, traveling to places like Los Angeles and Dallas to work with his teammates, but whatever the reason, Geno Smith looked very sharp on his first day of camp.
There were a couple of batted balls at the line of scrimmage and one pass in which he and his intended target clearly were not on the same page, but other than those miscues, the ball rarely hit the ground all day when it left Smith's right hand. After declaring he is “still getting better” heading into his 12th season, Smith showed it on the first day of camp.
It should hardly come as a surprise but some of the biggest plays of the day came when Smith targeted veteran receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, each of whom had several nice catches.
"I think it just shows you what type of guy Geno is, the type of guys we have on our offense, him as a leader, the mission that he's on," Macdonald said of Smith's offseason workouts with his teammates translating to camp. "Just really respect how he's approached everything. We're on the record with how much we love him, how much of a great worker he is, and he looked really good today."
Macdonald liked what he saw not just from Smith but also quarterbacks Sam Howell and PJ Walker..
"Man, I thought they were sharp," he said. "I'm really impressed with those guys. Working through progressions, (the) poise. I thought the accuracy was good, you saw us connect on some deep balls. I'm really excited about them."
2. Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson are back in action.
You can't evaluate too much off of just one day of practice, especially when players aren't yet in pads, so while it will take some time to learn what linebacker Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson will bring to Seattle's defense, what was clear on Day 1 is that it was encouraging to see both on the field early and often in practice. Free-agent signings who are both expected to contend for starting jobs, Dodson and Baker both missed most of the offseason workout program due to injury. Both were then placed on the physically unable to perform list last week when injured players reported early, but both later passed their physicals, clearing the way for them to practice.
"It was great," Macdonald said when asked about the two linebackers returning to action. "All the guys who have come back, and to see the smiles on their face. Lance Boykin made a play out there. He was all fired up. Those guys have been working really hard, and it's great to see it start to pay off for them."
3. Coaches want to see versatility from cornerbacks early on.
Throughout his career coaching defenses, Macdonald has deployed his cornerbacks in different ways, be it having them stick to one side of the field, or have one cornerback match up with an opposing receiver, or having boundary and field cornerbacks, meaning one who plays the wider area of the field and one who plays the narrower part relative to which hashmark the ball is on.
As Macdonald explained, those decisions can be made based on the skills of the cornerbacks on the roster, as well as on how teams use their different receivers. And while it's far too early to know how the Seahawks will use their outside cornerbacks this season, what Macdonald wants to do early is move them around a bit to get them comfortable playing different spots, which can mean Riq Woolen, normally a right cornerback in his first two seasons, will get some action on the left side, while Tre Brown, who has played both sides during his career, will also move around.
"We've done several things," Macdonald said. "We've matched guys, we've played field and boundary, we've played right and left. I think it depends a lot on who you're playing and their operation. If they're going to be hiding guys and moving a lot and you're matching, that's a little bit tougher. If one guy's on one side, it's a little bit easier to match the skillset of the guys on your team, so those are things that we'll consider as we go. Right now, the guys are playing right and left, and we do the same thing with safeties. As camp starts to declare and the roster starts to declare, then we start to move them around and get a little bit more specialized."
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4. Tie goes to the receiver?
In what will surely go down as most memorable contested catch in Seahawks history, Smith connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a long gain, one of several connections between those two. Cornerback Michael Jackson, however, did not agree with the call, thinking instead that he had an interception. On the play in question, Smith fired a long pass down the left side of the field and Jackson immediately began tracking the ball for a potential pick, but just as he leapt to make the grab, Smith-Njigba arrived to also go up for what was suddenly a jump ball. Both players went to the ground still hanging onto the ball and after a brief struggle, the play was ruled a catch for the offense.
Again, it was definitely the most noteworthy occurrence of a receiver and defensive back fighting over a catch in franchise history… or not.
5. Mike Macdonald is wasting no time connecting with fans early.
On his way onto the field for his first training camp practice as a head coach, Macdonald stopped to give a few high fives to fans and even sign some autographs before getting to work. And he wasn't done showing some love to the 12s, making plenty of time for them after practice as well. Macdonald first had some business to attend to, holding his post-practice press conference, but for the fans on the berm who waited, Macdonald went over more than a half hour after practice ended and spent a long time signing and chatting with fans.
Check out the Seahawks initial 53-man roster heading into the 2024 season.
This is a 2024 photo of Tyrel Dodson of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of September 5, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson (0)
This is a 2024 photo of Rayshawn Jenkins of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks safety Rayshawn Jenkins (2)
This is a 2023 photo of Michael Dickson of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seattle Seahawks active roster as of June 5, 2023, when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4)
This is a 2023 photo of Jason Myers of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seattle Seahawks active roster as of June 5, 2023, when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5)
This is a 2024 photo of Sam Howell of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell (6)
This is a 2023 photo of Geno Smith of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seattle Seahawks active roster as of June 5, 2023, when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7)
This is a 2024 photo of Coby Bryant of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback/safety Coby Bryant (8)
This is a 2024 photo of Kenneth Walker III of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9)
This is a 2023 photo of Uchenna Nwosu of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seattle Seahawks active roster as of June 5, 2023, when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (10)
This is a 2024 photo of Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11)
This is a 2024 photo of DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14)
This is a 2024 photo of Tyler Lockett of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16)
This is a 2024 photo of Jerome Baker of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Jerome Baker (17)
This is a 2024 photo of Jake Bobo of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks rookie receiver Jake Bobo makes his first touchdown catch on a pass from Geno Smith in the fourth quarter.
This is a 2024 photo of Julian Love of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks safety Julian Love (20)
This is a 2023 photo of Devon Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seattle Seahawks active roster as of June 5, 2023, when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21)
This is a 2024 photo of Tre Brown of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Tre Brown (22)
This is a 2024 photo of KíVon Wallace of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks strong safety K'Von Wallace (24)
This is a 2024 photo of Kenny McIntosh of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25)
This is a 2024 photo of Zach Charbonnet of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26)
This is a 2024 photo of Riq Woolen of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27)
This is a 2024 photo of Nehemiah Pritchett of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett (28)
This is a 2024 photo of Dee Williams of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Dee Williams (33)
This is a 2024 photo of Brady Russell of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end Brady Russell (38)
This is a 2024 photo of Chris Stoll of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks long snapper Chris Stoll (41)
This is a 2024 photo of Drake Thomas of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42)
This is a 2024 photo of Tyrice Knight of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48)
This is a 2024 photo of Trevis Gipson of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of September 5, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Trevis Gipson (50) runs out of the tunnel prior to an NFL preseason football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
This is a 2024 photo of Olu Oluwatini of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks center Olu Oluwatimi (51)
This is a 2024 photo of Boye Mafe of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe (53)
This is a 2023 photo of Dre'Mont Jones of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seattle Seahawks active roster as of June 5, 2023, when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive end Dre'Mont Jones (55)
This is a 2024 photo of Connor Williams of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of September 5, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
This is a 2024 photo of Derick Hall of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58)
This is a 2024 photo of Jalen Sundell of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of September 5, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks offensive lineman Jalen Sundell (61)
This is a 2024 photo of Sataoa Laumea of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Sataoa Laumea (63)
This is a 2024 photo of Christian Haynes of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Christian Haynes (64)
This is a 2024 photo of Michael Jerrell of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tackle Michael Jerrell (65)
This is a 2024 photo of Charles Cross of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
This is a 2024 photo of Laken Tomlinson of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Laken Tomlinson (70)
This is a 2024 photo of George Fant of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tackle George Fant (74)
This is a 2024 photo of Anthony Bradford of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Anthony Bradford (75)
This is a 2024 photo of Stone Forsythe of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tackle Stone Forsythe (78)
This is a 2024 photo of Laviska Shenault Jr of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (81)
This is a 2024 photo of Dareke Young of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Dareke Young (83)
This is a 2024 photo of Pharaoh Brown of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end Pharaoh Brown (86)
This is a 2022 photo of Noah Fant of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 6, 2022 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (87)
This is a 2024 photo of AJ Barner of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88)
This is a 2024 photo of Jarran Reed of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks nose tackle Jarran Reed (90)
This is a 2024 photo of Byron Murphy II of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91)
This is a 2024 photo of Mike Morris of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive end Mike Morris (94)
This is a 2024 photo of Myles Adams of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive end Myles Adams (95)
This is a 2024 photo of Johnathan Hankins of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins (97)
This is a 2024 photo of Leonard Williams of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99)
