The Seattle Seahawks are about to get their first up-close-and-personal look at their 2016 rookie class.
Seattle’s rookie minicamp opens Friday at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, giving the Seahawks, their draft picks and their rookie free agents their first chance to get acquainted. Rookie minicamp continues through Sunday.
The Seahawks selected 10 players in last weekend’s NFL draft, led by first-round selection Germain Ifedi, an offensive lineman out of Texas A&M who was picked 31st overall. Seattle general manager John Schneider said during the week the Seahawks also signed 13 undrafted free agents. Those 23 are expected to be on hand, with the rest of camp filled out by undrafted players who were invited to try out.
Among those reportedly invited to attend is Archbishop Murphy High School alum Taniela Tupou, who just completed his eligibility as a defensive tackle at the University of Washington.
Ifedi was one of three offensive linemen Seattle selected in the draft as the Seahawks look to address their issues on the offensive line following the free-agent departures of starting left tackle Russell Okung and starting right guard J.R. Sweezy. During the draft Schneider and coach Pete Carroll said Ifedi would start out as a right tackle, but earlier this week Carroll said during a Sirius XM interview that Ifedi would start out as a right guard.
Rees Odhiambo, selected in the third round out of Boise State, is expected to start out as a left guard. Joey Hunt, taken in the sixth round out of TCU, will be right in the mix at center following Wednesday’s release of center Drew Nowak.
The rookie who may have the most immediate impact for Seattle is defensive tackle Jarran Reed. Reed, a run-stopping specialist selected in the second round out of Alabama, is a prime candidate to fill the early down role previously filled by Brandon Mebane, who departed via free agency.
One position that will be under the spotlight at rookie minicamp is running back. Seattle selected three running backs in the draft — Notre Dame’s C.J. Prosise in the third round, Arkansas’ Alex Collins in the fifth round and Clemson’s Zac Brooks in the seventh round.
Seattle has several potential openings in the backfield. Star running back Marshawn Lynch retired, and his heir apparent Thomas Rawls is coming off a season-ending ankle injury, though he’s expected to be ready for the start of the season. The Seahawks also don’t have a returning fullback on the roster, with undrafted free agents Tre Madden of USC and Brandin Bryant of Florida Atlantic — and possibly Tupou — considered candidates.
Another position sure to be under scrutiny this weekend is quarterback. Seattle went into the draft with only one quarterback under contract, that being starter Russell Wilson. The Seahawks did not select a quarterback in the draft. However, they have two high-profile undrafted rookies scheduled to attend rookie minicamp. TCU’s Trevone Boykin, the Big-12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2014, was signed as a undrafted free agent, while Vernon Adams, a former star at Eastern Washington before transferring to Oregon for his senior season, was extended an invite. Jake Heaps, a former Washington prep star at Skyline High School in Sammamish, was also signed as a free agent and will provide more competition.
The competition to be Seattle’s backup quarterback is wide open, though Tarvaris Jackson, who served as Wilson’s backup the past three seasons and is now a free agent, is still a candidate to be re-signed.
On the eve of rookie minicamp, the first two of Seattle’s 10 draft picks signed with the Seahawks as reports surfaced Thursday that Reed and Collins signed rookie contracts with the team. The signing of draft picks is largely a foregone conclusion as dollar amounts are slotted based on when a player was taken in the draft.
Seahawks place Lynch on retired list
Seattle made the retirement of Lynch official on its end Thursday, placing the running back on the reserve/retired list.
Lynch indicated his intention to retire during the Super Bowl when he tweeted a photo of his cleats hanging from power wires. As of last weekend he had yet to file his retirement papers with the NFL, but Schneider reaffirmed Lynch’s intentions to retire. Should Lynch have a change of heart, Seattle would retain his rights.
By placing Lynch on the reserve/retired list, the Seahawks save $6.5 million against the salary cap. Seattle must still absorb a $5 million cap hit in dead money. By placing Lynch on the reserve/retired list prior to June 1, all $5 million will count against the 2016 salary cap rather than be spread over the next two seasons.
Lynch finished his career with 9,112 yards on 2,144 carries with 74 rushing touchdowns. He tallied 6,347 yards and 57 rushing TDs during his six seasons with the Seahawks, making four Pro Bowls and being named first-team All-Pro in 2012.
Check out Nick Patterson’s Seattle Sidelines blog at http://www.heraldnet.com/seattlesidelines, and follow him on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
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