A couple weeks ago when Field Gulls’ own Gavin Feek wrote about his experience at the Seattle Seahawks training camp, he set the scene so well that I won’t even attempt to do so. I’ll just say that the Virginia Mason Athletic Center is truly a picturesque venue and just being there felt like a much needed vacation. The weather was sunny with temperatures in the mid 80s, which may sound like a pleasant summer afternoon, but if you ask me, it’s awful football weather. That’s my only gripe.

I stepped off the bus and was immediately greeted by Blue Thunder, and I don’t know about you, but drumlines never fail to get me fired up. Already the vibes were immaculate. I worked my way through the crowd and found myself a comfortable spot on the berm, in between the 40s and just behind the fence.

The first player I saw on the field was second-year tight end Brady Russell, who was getting loose by stretching, dancing, and generally having himself a good time. In my opinion, he’s been a training camp standout, not only for his performance, but also for his overall presence. There’s no replacing guys like Nick Bellore or Luke Willson, but Brady Russell certainly fills that personality void. He really seems so excited just to exist, and that sort of thing can be infectious. I’ll be shocked if he isn’t a fan favorite before this season is over.

After Blitz and the MC of the event, Andy Dooley, fired up the crowd, the other players began making their way onto the field. It was quickly apparent that this was going to be another ACT, or ‘Alignment, Communication, Technique’ practice, which, to my misfortune, meant no pads or helmets. I was really looking forward to another high intensity practice to get a first-hand account of how our guys are looking, but a light day of practice was probably best for the team given the events of the previous day. Instead, I was able to get a sense of what Geno Smith and his offense intend to do this season.

There’s a few points worth mentioning, but the most obvious thing is that Coach Mike Macdonald wasn’t just talking when he said they want to feed DK Metcalf this season. I wish I had kept count, but there was a stretch during scrimmage drills where Geno went to DK at least four plays in a row. It also felt like there may have been some emphasis on getting the ball to DK over the middle, though he was putting work in on the entire route tree. As has been the case throughout camp, Riq Woolen was handcuffed to DK on most plays.

You asked for it, and it would appear that #morebobo is indeed on the menu. Jake Bobo’s value really cannot be overstated, and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb knows it. Bobo was heavily involved with both the first and second team offenses and certainly had his fair share of targets. Naturally, the crowd loved it. I didn’t get the sense that he’s being viewed as the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart, but rather another weapon in our arsenal.

I wish I had more to say about Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but please don’t take that to mean anything negative. His role in this offense is very clear, and he easily had the most targets during scrimmage behind only DK. He looks to be every bit of the blue chip talent he’s expected to be.

The one player that surprised me a bit was Pharaoh Brown, as he seemed to be making a lot of plays. Of course Noah Fant has been nursing a minor injury, so more reps for Brown are to be expected, but my impression up to this point was that he was largely going to be utilized as a blocking tight end. This may still be the case, but in multiple tight end packages, or in rotation, Brown looks like a reliable target in short yardage situations.

While a walkthrough practice like this really just highlights the offense, the play of the day belongs to defensive lineman “Big Cat” Leonard Williams, who dropped into coverage and got his hands on the ball, pulled it in and rumbled to the endzone for six. I couldn’t see through the wall of very large men to the other side of the field where this occurred, so I’m not sure who the intended target was, but what I could see was both the offense and defense (and possibly Big Cat himself) being completely caught off guard by it, as evidenced by the momentary pause before anybody reacted. Once again, the crowd loved it and so did Uchenna Nwosu, who seemed to be having fun all day.

Nwosu wasn’t the only one having fun. The whole team seemed to enjoy the day, especially during the four separate lateral drills, simulating a desperate last second attempt to snatch victory. It was definitely funny to watch, but that’s one play I hope we don’t run this season.

As is expected, many of the players stayed out to sign autographs, including Geno Smith, Riq Woolen, DK Metcalf, Byron Murphy II, Uchenna Nwosu, and Hayden Hatten, but long after they had all returned to the locker room, McClendon Curtis and Tyler Lockett were still out there. I can’t say for sure, but I think they both signed for every single person who asked. I’m personally pretty introverted, so I don’t fault any of the players for not hanging around to sign a ton of autographs, but as a dad, it’s impossible not to notice the guys that put in the extra effort to make a kid’s day.

All in all, the day was a perfect way to treat myself, and my excitement for this season continues to bubble over. If you’ve never been to Seahawks Training camp, I couldn’t possibly recommend it more. Just don’t forget the sunscreen! Huge shoutout to Whitney for providing me with some, you absolutely saved me.