The Seahawks held their 11th practice of camp a day ahead of their second mock game at CenturyLink Field, and a day after the defense stood out, the offense responded with a strong session, particularly in the red zone with Russell Wilson and his weapons hooking up for several touchdowns.
Here are five observations from Tuesday's practice:
1. Wilson to Lockett? Yup, that still works.
There has, justifiably, been a lot of hype in camp about second-year receiver DK Metcalf, and there's always going to be interest in new players (Phillip Dorsett II) and youngsters trying to break through (John Ursua). But while new and up-and-coming players are always exciting to watch this time of year, we shouldn't ignore the connection that has been Seattle's most productive over the past two seasons: Russell Wilson throwing to Tyler Lockett.
During a red-zone session that saw the offense succeed repeatedly, one highlight was Wilson hitting Lockett for touchdowns on consecutive plays, the second of which was followed by Lockett running to an adjacent practice field to celebrate.
2. It was a good day for the passing game overall.
As was noted in this space a day earlier, Seattle's defensive backs had a strong day Monday, breaking up numerous passes, but on Tuesday Wilson and his targets were dialed in. In addition to Lockett's two touchdowns, Metcalf had a nice leaping touchdown grab during the same red-zone session, while David Moore, who is getting more reps right now with Dorsett sidelined by a foot injury, had a number of nice catches. Also turning in impressive catches were rookie Freddie Swain, tight end Jacob Hollister and rookie running back DeeJay Dallas.
3. Your daily Jamal-Adams-Is-Good update.
A good day for the offense didn't mean there weren't still big plays on defense, and as he has done seemingly every practice, Jamal Adams made his presence felt. As you no doubt saw if you watched Seahawks Training Camp Live on Q13 FOX, or on Twitter, Adams had some sort of protective wrap on his hand Tuesday, but that didn't keep him from practicing and from making plays.
A day after Seahawks coach Pete Carroll raved about Adams' blitzing ability—he had 6.5 sacks last season with the Jets—Adams again showed off that knack for timing a blitz, getting a free run at Wilson for a "sack," a play he celebrated by sprinting halfway down the field.
4. Quinton Dunbar is a physical cornerback.
Cornerbacks are best known for their coverage ability, and Quinton Dunbar has been very good at that in his career, but he also has a reputation of being a physical cornerback who isn't afraid to mix it up in the running game. Dunbar showed that ability in the aforementioned red-zone session, Dunbar met Dallas at the line of scrimmage and put a solid hit on the rookie back, stopping him for no gain.
5. The defensive depth is apparent.
While a big splash like the trade for Adams is the most obvious change to Seattle's defense, one of the most noteworthy things about that unit in camp has been the improved overall depth. In the secondary, either Dunbar or Tre Flowers, a two-year starter, will end up with a backup role to start the season, while at safety Ugo Amadi and Lano Hill have looked very solid playing behind Adams and Quandre Diggs. Perhaps no position is deeper than linebacker, particularly the off-ball positions of middle and strongside linebacker where behind Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright the Seahawks have 2019 draft picks Cody Barton and Ben Burr-Kirven, as well as 2020 first-round pick Jordyn Brooks. And while there are still some questions to answer about the defensive line, the pass-rush depth looks improved with the additions of Benson Mayowa, Bruce Irvin and rookie Alton Robinson, and should only get better when second-round pick Darrell Taylor is able to make it back from a leg injury.
Photos from the 10th practice of Seahawks 2020 Training Camp, held on Tuesday, August 25 at Renton's Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Seahawks Training Camp is presented by Safeway.