By Scott M. Johnson
Herald Writer
KIRKLAND – Only a day and a half. Barely enough time to figure out where to line up in certain formations. Or even to get to know all of your teammates.
A lousy day and a half. That’s all the time Jerramy Stevens had to make an impression on the Seattle Seahawks before training camp.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Stevens showed up at this weekend’s minicamp in tip-top shape, only to come down with a minor hamstring pull on Saturday afternoon that kept him out of the final two practices. He will also be unavailable for next month’s minicamp, as NFL rules won’t allow him to be there because the University of Washington will still be in session.
So Stevens, the Seahawks’ top pick in last month’s draft, has made all the on-field impressions he’ll be able to make before the team heads to Eastern Washington University at the end of July.
“It’s tough,” he said. “But I was trying as hard as I could while I was out there. I felt like I made a good impression while I was out there.”
Despite his limited action – Stevens took part in a total of three practices on Friday and Saturday – he has already opened a few eyes.
“Some (rookies) will start thinking too much when they get here, and it will show,” offensive coordinator Gil Haskell said after Saturday’s practices. “With Jerramy, it didn’t. He was able to play just like he normally does. He’s smart and understands what’s going on.”
Outside linebacker Tim Terry was taken by Stevens’ uncanny size-speed ratio.
“He’s a big guy, runs good routes, and he’s pretty athletic, so I think he’s going to do well,” Terry said of the 6-foot-7, 260-pound tight end. “He’s got such a big body that he can shield guys from the ball. And he’s a pretty athletic guy. So I think he should do well once he learns everything he has to learn and gets acclimated to the changes from college to the pro game.”
Although it is only May, the Seahawks are already envisioning the tight end position as being a bigger part of Seattle’s passing game during the upcoming season. Haskell said the system will remain the same, but that Stevens’ size and ability to get open mean he’ll probably see a lot more passes than Seattle tight ends of the recent past.
No Seahawks tight end has ever caught more than 37 passes in a season, a source of frustration for coach Mike Holmgren during his three years here.
“The tight end has always been a very important position in this offense, and we haven’t utilized it the way I would like to in the last couple of years,” Holmgren said. “Hopefully now we can. But, that (depends on) a combination of things.”
Stevens, 22, welcomes the opportunity to make the tight end a bigger focus in the passing game.
“I think that’s one of the reasons they brought me in, to change that,” he said. “I hope so. I obviously feel like I can be a threat, and I hope they see me in that same way. I just hope I can help the team win. That’s the bottom line.”
How he’ll fit in to Seattle’s offense is a question that remains to be answered. The Seahawks targeted him in the first round of the draft (No. 28 overall) mainly because of the extra dimension Stevens brings to an offense. Stevens has more speed than former starter Christian Fauria, more potential than current starter Itula Mili, and more size than … well, any skill position player currently on an NFL roster. (Unsigned tight ends O.J. Santiago and David LaFleur are also 6-7.)
“Most of the tight ends I’ve been around are like 6-3, 240, and they’re good. Very good tight ends,” Haskell said. “But this guy’s so much bigger. He’s 260, holy cow. And to run like a smaller man, that is different. He’s different.”
If Stevens is going to have any substantial impact in Seattle’s passing attack, the offensive line will have to consistently give the quarterback protection. Injuries have wreaked havoc on the o-line over the three seasons of the Holmgren era, causing him to often pull back the tight ends to help out in pass blocking.
Of course, Stevens’ progress will also be a major factor. He’s only participated in three practices, and he still has a long way to go to before he even solidifies himself as the starter. But it did not take him long to make an impact in the weekend minicamp.
Stevens admittedly got off to a slow start Friday, but by the end of the day he may well have caught more passes than anyone else on the field. He continued to shine Saturday morning before the hamstring injury sidelined him.
“I was looking forward to going out there (Saturday) afternoon, but my hamstring just wasn’t agreeing,” Stevens said. “I felt like I accomplished what I wanted to do. I just didn’t get to finish it out.”
The Seahawks will be back for another minicamp at the beginning of June, but rookies whose colleges are still in session will not be eligible to participate. Because UW does not get out until June 15, Stevens and his new teammates have to wait until the end of July to continue their on-field chemistry.
“I felt like I picked up the offense pretty well while I was out there,” Stevens said with a shrug after watching Sunday’s minicamp session from the sideline. “I’ll be able to practice all that stuff on my own. I’ll be ready when training camp starts.”
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