Pete Carroll (left) and quarterback Russell Wilson (right) are a powerful duo. (Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports)
RENTON, Wash. — When the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks get back in action with their first training camp practice July 25 at the Virgina Mason Athletic Center in Renton, they will not hear or fear those naysayers who whisper this is a team that has only one way to go — down.
In fact, the Seahawks boldly proclaimed at the end of the June minicamp they are far better off than they were last year at the same time.
“I definitely believe we are way further ahead and it’s exciting,” quarterback Russell Wilson said after minicamp ended. “It’s something that you have an itch because you know how to do it at a very high level. And the best part about it is we can continue to do it better. There are a lot more ways that we can be better.”
Ever upbeat coach Pete Carroll agreed, of course, saying “I’m hoping that in a lot of areas we have improved some.”
There will be an important position battle at right tackle on an offensive line that needs improvement in several spots.
Seattle won the Super Bowl last year despite giving up 44 sacks, eight more than in 2012 and despite the presence of the athletic Wilson.
Last season, right tackle Breno Giacomini and left tackle Russell Okung each missed eight games. Okung sat out OTAs after having offseason surgery to repair the toe injury that hampered him last season. Giacomini is gone to the Jets as a free agent.
Second-year player Michael Bowie is competing with rookie second-round pick Justin Britt for the right-tackle job. Bowie was one of Seattle’s pleasant surprises in 2013, a seventh-round pick who ended up starting at right tackle when Giacomini was out, then started the playoff game against New Orleans at left guard.
The Seahawks sent a message to left guard James Carpenter, the team’s first-round pick in 2011, when it did not pick up an option on his contract for 2015 that would have paid him more than $7 million. The team could re-sign him later, and general manager John Schneider said the decision had more to do with salary-cap procedure than anything else.
Still, the team undoubtedly wants to see if Carpenter is worth a long-term investment — something he will get every chance to prove this season having been handed the full-time starting job at left guard when the Seahawks let Paul McQuistan walk in free agency.
Carpenter, who played at Alabama, has started 26 games with the Seahawks but has been bothered at times with knee injuries that also have hampered his conditioning and stamina. He has appeared healthy in workouts so far.
Rookie offensive tackle Garry Gilliam, an undrafted rookie from Penn State, may turn out to be the right man at the right time for the Seahawks.
Gilliam was primarily a tight end at Penn State and the Seahawks think his relative lack of experience at tackle gives this 6-foot-6, 303 pounder a ton of upside. The team also suffered a loss at the tackle spot when it was learned that sixth-round pick Garrett Scott will not be able to play for the foreseeable future due to a heart condition.
With Okung out during OTAs and minicamp with a foot injury, Gilliam was able to work with the second unit at left tackle behind second-year player Alvin Bailey and coaches liked what they saw.
Seattle did not suffer any significant injuries during the offseason. Of the 90 players on the roster, Carroll said all could be ready for training camp.
“Everybody is projected to have a shot at it,” Carroll said. “So that is what we are counting on right now.”
The two biggest question marks are receiver Sidney Rice and linebacker/end Bruce Irvin, each coming off surgery.
“I don’t know if he will be ready the first day of camp, but through camp he will find his way back,” Carroll said of Rice, who is coming back from an ACL tear in October. “He’s in great shape now, he looks fantastic, he can run routes and all. We are just really taking our time with it.”
Carroll said Irvin, who had hip surgery earlier this spring, is iffier. “Bruce is going to be up against it a little bit,” Carroll said. “He’s had a fantastic recovery already and he is going to work his butt off to get back. But we are going to have to wait and see.”
Carroll said safety Earl Thomas remained at the lead of the punt return competition as minicamp ended, but indicated that receiver Percy Harvin has also made a strong move. “It’s going to be a great competition,” he said. “Earl has been back there the most so he’s in the lead position right now. Percy really feels comfortable at this point and he’s looked great at it and we all know how explosive of a return person he can be. Richard (Sherman) can catch the ball really well. Doug (Baldwin) can catch the ball really well. So we’re situated with good guys. Bryan Walters is a really good catcher back there. So now we need to find out who has the best knack for it. The best feel for it.”
Here is a snapshot of the Seahawks’ roster heading into training camp:
–QUARTERBACKS: Starter – Russell Wilson. Backups – Tarvaris Jackson, Terrelle Pryor, B.J. Daniels.
–RUNNING BACKS: Starter – Marshawn Lynch. Backups – Robert Turbin, Christine Michael, Demitrius Bronson, FB Derrick Coldman, FB Spencer Ware, FB Kiero Small.
–TIGHT ENDS: Starter – Zach Miller. Backups – Luke Willson, Anthony McCoy, Cooper Helfet, RaShaun Allen, Chase Dixon.
–WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters – Percy Harvin, Doug Baldwin. Backups – Jermaine Kearse, Paul Richardson, Sidney Rice, Kevin Norwood, Ricardo Lockette, Bryan Walters, Chris Matthews, Arceto Clark, Taylor Price, Phil Bates, Kevin Smith.
–OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters – LT Russell Okung, LG James Carpenter, C Max Unger, RG J.R. Sweezy, RT Michael Bowie. Backups – LT Alvin Bailey, LT Garry Gilliam, LG Caylin Hauptmann, LG Jared Smith, C Lemuel Jeanpierre, C Greg Van Roten, RG Stephen Schilling, RT Justin Britt, G Bronson Irwin, T Nate Isles.
–DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters – LDE Michael Bennett, LDT Tony McDaniel, RDT/NT Brandon Mebane, RDE Cliff Avril. Backups – LDT Jordan Hill, LDE Cassius Marsh, T Kevin Williams, T Michael Brooks, T Jimmy Staten, NT Dewayne Cherrington, T D’Anthony Smith, T Jesse Williams, E Greg Scruggs, DE Benson Mayowa.
–LINEBACKERS: Starters – SLB K.J. Wright, MLB Bobby Wagner, WLB Malcolm Smith. Backups – SLB Bruce Irvin, SLB O’Brien Schofield, MLB Heath Farwell, SLB Mike Morgan, SLB Korey Toomer, WLB Kevin Pierre-Louis, MLB Mike Taylor, WLB Brock Coyle, WLB Horace Miller.
–DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters — LCB Richard Sherman, RCB Byron Maxwell, FS Earl Thomas, SS Kam Chancellor. Backups — CB Jeremy Lane, CB/S Deshawn Shead, CB Tharold Simon, CB Phillip Adams, CB A.J. Jefferson, CB Akeem Auguste, CB Chandler Fenner, SS Jeron Johnson, SS Dion Bailey, FS Terrance Parks, FS Eric Pinkins.
–SPECIAL TEAMS: K Steven Hauschka, P Jon Ryan, LS Clint Gresham, KOR Percy Harvin, KOR Doug Baldwin, PR Earl Thomas.
