Five things as Seahawks open first training camp of Mike Macdonald era | Analysis

At 1 p.m. Wednesday, give or take a minute or two, the horn will blow to kick off the first Seahawks training camp of the first season of the Mike Macdonald era.

It’ll be the first time since the ill-fated Jim Mora single season of 2009 that a coach other than Pete Carroll will roam the fields of the VMAC for training camp.

How the 90 players in camp adapt to Macdonald’s personality — which to paint with the broadest of brushes has so far appeared a bit more close-to-the-vest than the perpetually effervescent Carroll — and learn his schemes looms as the defining storyline of the season.

But it’s hardly the only one.

Here are five other things to watch as camp begins.

How will the defensive front come together?

Macdonald has spoken of plans to move around players on the defensive line as much as possible to try to create mismatches as well as confuse the offense.

Some of the vets — such as Dre’Mont Jones, who figures to be used more on the outside — were not on the field for every workout during the offseason program.

They will be now, giving Macdonald that much more info on what he has and how best to use it.

The Seahawks will hopefully get their first on-field look at the new inside linebacking tandem of Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker, who were each sidelined during the offseason program and placed on the physically unable to perform list last week, with it unclear when either will begin practice.

Macdonald’s goal is to form the most effective front for a team with a secondary that figures to usually feature five defensive backs.

That secondary is led by second-year corner Devon Witherspoon, who will serve a dual role playing outside and inside, with Macdonald scheming to place him most often in the best spots for his playmaking ability to shine.

Can Sam Howell be a quarterback of the future?

To reiterate, there is no quarterback competition for the 2024 season — the job is Geno Smith’s.

The Seahawks will want to learn as much as they can about Howell, whom they acquired in a trade with Washington in March, understanding as well as anyone that the quarterback spot is basically a year-to-year proposition. Smith has two years remaining on his contract but no guaranteed money after this season, and a $10 million roster bonus due March 20.

The Seahawks will probably give Smith minimal, if any, real work in preseason games and leave most of it to Howell to get a sense of how he is acclimating to the scheme of new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.

What they will be looking for most out of Howell is cutting down turnovers after he threw 21 interceptions, which tied for the most in the NFL last season, as the full-time starter for the Commanders. He was also tied for the NFL lead in taking 65 sacks.

Sacks obviously are also the fault of the offensive line. But NFL QBs are also given ample responsibility to avoid sacks, and Howell’s decision-making will be heavily scrutinized by the Seahawks this preseason.

Can Jaxon Smith-Njigba take the next step?

The second-year receiver out of Ohio State was the offensive star of the offseason program, appearing set to take the kind of leap from his rookie to sophomore season the team eagerly anticipates.

Those sessions tend to favor receivers, and things are different when the pads go on for the first time early in camp and some contact is allowed, and the Seahawks will want to see Smith-Njigba continue that same course.

There is also the hope that everyone on offense benefits from the scheme of Grubb’s, which helped the University of Washington become one of the most feared passing offenses in college football a year ago.

Smith-Njigba emerging as a legitimate top threat would not only help the offense this year. It could also have some long-ranging ramifications as the Seahawks will face decisions this offseason regarding DK Metcalf (who will likely want an extension on par with the top salary scale for receivers in the NFL) and Tyler Lockett (who turns 32 in September and has no guaranteed money on his contract for 2025 but a cap hit of almost $31 million).

Who will win starting spots at center and right guard?

The offensive line appears to have three certain starters — left tackle Charles Cross, left guard Laken Tomlinson, and Abraham Lucas at right tackle if he’s healthy (Lucas was placed on the PUP list last week), or George Fant if Lucas either has a setback or isn’t ready to again be a full-time starter.

The right guard and center spots appear more fluid as camp begins.

Second-year man Olu Oluwatimi worked consistently with the first team at center in the offseason program, with free agent signee Nick Harris with the second unit.

Harris, a former UW standout whose time there overlapped with new offensive line coach Scott Huff, could make more of a run at the job once things pick up in camp.

Right guard may be the most up-for-grabs spot on the entire roster.

Second-year player Anthony Bradford appears the front-runner after starting 10 games there last year.

But Bradford sat out much of the offseason program because of an ankle injury and in his absence, McClendon Curtis usually worked with the first team, with third-round pick Christian Haynes with the second unit. Bradford, though, passed his physical Saturday and will apparently be ready for the start of training camp.

But while Bradford and Curtis may be ahead of him on the depth chart, the Seahawks surely hope Haynes will make a serious run at the job once he gets more acclimated to the NFL and the new scheme, potentially creating a three-man competition.

Just as important in the team’s eyes is the possibility that all that competition will create a much deeper offensive line than they had a year ago, making them better able to weather injuries.

Which other rookies will emerge?

Training camp will also give the team a better sense of what it may realistically expect from its rookie class this season.

First-round pick Byron Murphy II seems sure to play significantly in the rotation at defensive tackle.

But as camp opens, none of the other seven picks appears to have a set role.

Those who appear best-positioned to earn regular playing time are Haynes (as detailed above), fourth-round pick Tyrice Knight, who will compete for time at inside linebacker, and specifically on the weakside; tight end AJ Barner (who missed much of the offseason program with a hamstring issue but returned at the end and healthy now) and cornerbacks D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett (each of whom was placed on the non-football injury list last week).

It would be a good sign for the long-term future if two or three make some significant leaps in camp and show themselves worthy of getting on the field in the fall.