RENTON — DK Metcalf returned to full scrimmaging.
So his spring and summer of wowing shows resumed.
And that was bad news for the Seahawks’ starting cornerbacks on Tuesday.
Metcalf was full go in the 10th practice of training camp for the first time since he strained his oblique muscle Friday then missed two days of scrimmages. During 11-on-11 work Metcalf jumped high over Tre Flowers. The 6-foot-4 rookie wide receiver was simply bigger than the 6-3 starting cornerback. Then Metcalf grabbed Russell Wilson’s deep pass toward the left sideline and decisively ripped the ball away from Flowers, securing it into his stomach during his tumble to the ground.
Metcalf’s leap, lunge and lock-down of possession made Flowers’ tight coverage irrelevant.
Left tackle Duane Brown loved Metcalf’s play so much, the 33-year-old left tackle rumbled 40-plus yards down the field to congratulate the 21-year-old rookie.
Moments later on the opposite, right side of the field, Metcalf continued his equal-opportunity burning of Seattle’s starting cornerbacks. He sprinted past Shaquill Griffin to catch another deep pass from Wilson in stride for a touchdown. Griffin slapped both his hands together in frustration.
Coach Pete Carroll had said Monday, when Metcalf was limited to position drills only, that “it looks like” one of the biggest excitements of Seattle’s spring and summer would be able to play Thursday in the Seahawks’ first preseason game, against Denver at CenturyLink Field.
It looked Tuesday like the physical freak and second-round draft choice was more than ready.
Earlier, in 7-on-7 work, Metcalf ran a sharp-cutting in route across the middle in front of safety DeShawn Shead. Metcalf deftly kept the veteran on his back. Wilson’s pass led Metcalf into the ball with Shead still trapped behind Metcalf’s 229-pound body, with no chance to contest the completion.
Flowers is 6-3. That is why the Seahawks converted their fifth-round draft choice last year from college safety to first-time cornerback. That length and size is why Flowers is Seattle’s starting right cornerback.
If Metcalf is out-leaping and out-fighting a 6-3 corner in Flowers for his throws in daily practices, and using his famously muscular body to wall off defenders as he did Shead on Tuesday, the famously risk-averse Wilson will likely be more confident to throw high in Metcalf’s direction this season. Carroll has stated his top goal on offense is to throw deeper more often. Metcalf’s more often going to be guarded by 6-1 or 6-0 cornerbacks. Those are far more numerous than the Flowers types on the outside across the NFL.
That’s why Seattle traded up to get into the bottom of the second round to draft Metcalf in April.
“I mean, obviously, DK Metcalf doesn’t look or get any better in terms of his talent level,” Wilson said.
What else I saw, heard and thought from the 10th practice of training camp:
Returners taking shape
Tyler Lockett, David Moore, Rashaad Penny and Metcalf were fielding kickoffs again at the start of practice, in that order. Carroll was close by them watching and giving pointers, especially long ones to Metcalf.
He remains raw in his fielding and returning skills; the starring pass catcher at Ole Miss joked last week about Seattle’s coaches trying him at punt returner in practices: “Pray for me.”
With Lockett this season moving into the primary and slot-receiver roles opened by Doug Baldwin retiring, the Seahawks want to lessen Lockett’s role on kickoff and punt returns when they can. Lockett remains the team’s number-one option in returning kicks; that’s how he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2015.
But don’t be surprised if Moore, who scored a touchdown on a return that got called back by penalty last preseason, and Penny, who returned kickoffs for scores in college at San Diego State while leading major-college football in rushing two years ago, return kicks in the four exhibition games this month and then more in the regular season.
Thing is, when Seattle absolutely has to secure possession on a punt and the return yardage may be secondary—say, late in games to protect a lead or down one score trying to rally, the Seahawks want Lockett back deep to catch that punt.
“Well, I’m going to keep him back there until Coach tells me not to,” special-teams coach Brian Schneider said. “The number-one thing is with punt return, he is so secure with the football. There’s a lot of decisions to be made, there’s a lot of opportunities for turnovers, and he’s been excellent. You always start there and then just see how it plays out.
“We do have some guys who can do it, but we just have a lot of trust in Lockett.”
Ifedi, Marsh tussle some
The daily pass-rush drill when the Seahawks are in shoulder pads, as they were again Tuesday, is the most intense and competitive action of each practice.
This day’s featured starting right tackle Germain Ifedi pushing starting defensive end Cassius Marsh out past the quarterback—and then some more well after the play ended. Marsh didn’t let that, and let Ifedi know it.
Coaches run the drill in sets of two; the same offensive and defensive players take consecutive turns against each other. On the ensuing rematch, Marsh revved up and slammed into Ifedi’s chest plate on his shoulder pads, driving him back like a ram would another in an open clearing. Ifedi pushed Marsh again after the play. Marsh charged Ifedi again and pushed him under the chin.
Teammates separated them before it got overheated, and the drill ended without incident.
Geno Smith out
It’s possible Paxton Lynch will quarterback the Seahawks for the final three-plus quarters Thursday night against the Broncos, after Wilson exits early.
Geno Smith, who has been the number-two QB ahead of Lynch, missed practice with what appeared to be a well-taped left knee.
Carroll, the team’s lone official source on injuries, did not speak to the media.
Dissly looks all the way back
Will Dissly looks all the way back from the patellar-tendon surgery in his knee that ended his impressive NFL debut in September.
He had two touchdowns down each seam in the first four red-zone plays Monday. Tuesday, during 11-on-11 scrimmaging in the middle of the field, the tight end and former University of Washington defensive lineman ran from the right side of the field diagonally to the left side on a deep route. Dissly ran past starting safety Bradley McDougald, and Wilson’s arcing throw hit Dissly in stride for the long gain.
Told that route showed his was fully recovered from the injury and surgery, Dissly characteristically downplayed he had much to do with the play.
“Nah,” he said. “That was just a great throw by Russ.”
MYERS BOOMS
New kicker Jason Myers made three of his four field goals in the interlude between scrimmaging. He missed way wide right from 43 yards. That must have angered him, because on his next kick, a 60-yard try, he boomed the ball exactly down the middle of the uprights and into the top of the net behind the goal post. It would have been good from 70.
“He’s been fabulous,” Schneider, the special-teams coach, said.
HILL STILL WAITS
Lano Hill did position drills for the second day in a row since passing his physical exam and coming off the physically-unable-to-perform list. But the candidate to start at strong safety watched team scrimmaging again instead of participating. It’s unlikely he will play Thursday.
Rookie second-round pick Marquise Blair, who also recently came off the PUP list, has been increasing his team scrimmaging each day. He seems more likely than Hill to play on Thursday.
MINGO FOUL
It could be known as the Michael Bennett Punishment.
Barkevious Mingo, last year’s strongside linebacker off the ball, jumped offside trying to get a jump on the offensive line pass rushing during a scrimmage. Mingo then had to run around the perimeter of the field as punishment.
To Mingo, it was worth the risk of guessing the snap count to gain a step or three.
“Take a shot, you know. I thought I took my shot,” he said. “I was obviously wrong that time.
“If you’re not getting off, you’re not ever going to get there. So I might as well.”
Two weeks ago, coming off a one-sack season and with one years left on his contract, Mingo looked like a candidate to perhaps get released; Seattle could save $4.1 million against this year’s salary cap if it did that.
But now, after rookie first-round pick L.J. Collier likely out into September with a rare sprain of his foot and ankle and top pass rusher Ziggy Ansah still a ways from practicing for the first time following shoulder surgery, Mingo is getting an extended shot to be an edge pass rusher the Seahawks desperately need.
Ansah’s conditioning work progressed from running against air to firing out of his stance into a blocking sled.
PROSISE OUT—AGAIN
C.J. Prosise missed practice with an unspecified issue.
He’s had nine different injuries in his three years plus one preseason since Seattle drafted him in the third round in 2016.
There are still plays in Seattle’s playbook specifically for him, based on his two wondrous games in his rookie year at New England and against Philadelphia on consecutive weekends. But his time is running out. This is the final year of his rookie contact. The former Notre Dame wide receiver can’t stay on the field long enough to compete to be the third-down running back in passing situations.
HOMER WATCHES
Another candidate for third-down back, because of his blocking, is rookie sixth-round pick Travis Homer. But he also missed practice on Tuesday.
“He’s a hard worker. He brings the energy every day,” starting running back Chris Carson said. “He’s really good at pass protection. That’s like one of the hardest things for rookies to pick up coming in, but he’s great at it.”
Number-two running back Penny broke his finger this time last summer practicing his pass blocking.
JONES DEPARTS
Nazair Jones left practice with ice on his knee.
Jones has a chance for featured playing time as a pass-rushing defensive tackle now that Jarran Reed is suspended for the first six games from a domestic-violence incident.
BARTON BACK
Rookie Cody Barton, the third-round pick slowed the last week by a groin strain, practiced in position drills. He has a chance to see plenty of time Thursday in the middle of the defense and calling coordinator Ken Norton Jr.’s signals, with Bobby Wagner out.
WAGNER’S PEACE
Wagner missed his second consecutive practice since going away for a platelet-rich plasma (PrP) therapy injection in his aching leg.
The All-Pro linebacker is expected to miss a couple week. When he came out onto the field during scrimmaging, the fans on the berm above the sideline 20 or so yards away cheered. Wagner flashed them a peace sign.
