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RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks report to 2022 training camp on Tuesday at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Here’s a closer look at a few storylines:

Biggest question: Can the Seahawks be competitive without quarterback Russell Wilson? Despite how it might have looked to casual observers when the Seahawks parted with Wilson and linebacker Bobby Wagner, this is a team in transition as opposed to a full-on rebuild. Shelling out big money to keep 29-year-old safety Quandre Diggs and other veteran players like running back Rashaad Penny and tight end Will Dissly says as much. Those re-signings, plus other marquee returning players (receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, safety Jamal Adams) plus two sure-fire starters they got back in the Wilson trade (tight end Noah Fant and defensive end Shelby Harris) plus a big free-agent addition (edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu) and a promising draft class that featured their first top-10 pick since 2010 (offensive tackle Charles Cross) leave the Seahawks with a solid roster … outside of quarterback.

Their defense and backfield look strong enough to keep them in games if quarterbacks Drew Lock and/or Geno Smith can be capable game managers. But can they avoid enough mistakes to play that way? And can they deliver in crunch time like Wilson so often did? If Lock doesn’t show that he’s worthy of a longer look, Seattle has the extra 2023 first-rounder from the Wilson trade to target his long-term replacement in next year’s draft.

The most compelling position battle: Will Lock’s upside or Smith’s familiarity win out? Lock and Smith are duking it out in the Seahawks’ first quarterback competition since 2012. That was the year that Wilson (an electric rookie) beat out free-agent pickup Matt Flynn (the presumed starter for much of the offseason) and incumbent Tarvaris Jackson (whom the locker room loved). The intrigue in this competition won’t come from name value but from how close it might be.

Some in the organization have anticipated that Lock’s talent (which hasn’t been his issue in three up-and-down seasons) will win out. But there’s a thought that he may have to win convincingly or else Seattle’s coaching staff will opt for the more known commodity in Smith and award anything close to a tie to the 10th-year veteran who’s backed up Wilson the last three seasons. Pete Carroll made it clear that Smith was still ahead when the offseason program ended.

The player with the most to prove: Can Adams return to his 2020 form? In his debut season in Seattle, Adams recorded a defensive-back record 9.5 sacks en route to his third straight Pro Bowl. He looked worthy of the big price the Seahawks paid to get him (a package that included two first-round picks) and to keep him (an extension that made him the NFL’s highest-paid safety). Then 2021 happened.

Adams was held without a sack and had as many forgettable plays in coverage as productive ones. He also played through injuries for the second straight year until his season ended after 12 games because of a re-torn left shoulder labrum that required another surgery. Adams’ dropoff in pass-rushing production last season was largely the result of all the attention opponents started paying to him after his record sack binge, which led Seattle to blitz him less often. He may benefit more than anyone from the scheme changes they’re implementing because he should be harder for offenses to pinpoint pre-snap. But he has to stay on the field for any of that to matter.

Fiercest fantasy relevant position battle: Can Penny last as RB1? Chris Carson‘s chances of returning from neck surgery continue to look iffy, with word still yet to emerge on whether he’s been medically cleared. There’s no question as to who would be the No. 1 option in his absence. Penny is the guy after his stellar finish to last season, when he led the NFL in rushing by a wide margin over the final five games. But you know the deal with Penny: his long injury history makes it unlikely that he’ll be there for all 17 games.

Even when he is healthy, the Seahawks will almost certainly try to manage his workload with an eye towards keeping him fresh. Second-round pick Ken Walker III figures to factor heavily into the backfield rotation one way or another. He’s a must-have handcuff for any fantasy player with Penny on their roster.

As NFL training camps swing into action, NFL Nation looks at the top storylines and offers a prediction for each team.
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What’s the deal with Metcalf’s contract situation? The Seahawks typically don’t finalize big-money extensions until the start of training camp, so they aren’t necessarily behind schedule with Metcalf. And they’ve sounded optimistic that they’ll get a deal done, but it doesn’t seem like a slam dunk given everything that’s happened since March. The receiver market exploded, leading general manager John Schneider to express sticker shock at some of the megadeals. Then Metcalf skipped mandatory minicamp with an unexcused absence, which was surprising given that he had taken part in some voluntary work.

The steep fines are a huge disincentive for training-camp holdouts, but the recent trend with Seahawks and other players in Metcalf’s position has been to “hold in,” meaning they show up to camp but don’t participate in any on-field work, thereby avoiding fines and the risk of injury. Will Metcalf do the same?

Camp prediction: Coby Bryant will be a Week 1 starter at cornerback. Seattle’s rookie corner has more than a famous name. He also has a ton of college experience (53 career games) and some serious ball skills (the best of any defender in this year’s draft, if you ask him). Those traits could make him more NFL-ready than most rookie corners drafted in the fourth round.

It also helps that the position is wide open. Sidney Jones IV looks like a favorite to start at one of the spots, but no one is entrenched. Tre Flowers won a starting job at corner as a rookie in 2018 — even as a converted safety. So Carroll isn’t afraid to trust young players at that position. For that matter, fifth-round rookie Tariq Woolen could factor into the competition along with Tre Brown and Artie Burns.

RENTON, Wash. — Drew Lock learned an important lesson last offseason while battling Teddy Bridgewater to be the Denver Broncos‘ starting quarterback. He fixated on who won each practice, and as he realized after losing the competition, that mindset did him no good.

“I tried to compare the whole time: ‘Did Teddy beat me that day, or did I win that day?'” Lock said during this past week’s Seattle Seahawks minicamp. “And overall, if you start thinking like that, it’s just not good for your mental. It’s not good for your process of becoming a better quarterback. It’s not about who won that day. It’s about, ‘Did I get better today to make the guys around me better?'”

Lock has been focusing on himself, not Geno Smith, as the two compete to replace Russell Wilson in Seattle’s first quarterback competition in a decade. And while Lock might not be keeping score, Smith was still in the pole position as the Seahawks wrapped up their offseason program earlier this week.

That was evident as Smith consistently took reps with the first team and as coach Pete Carroll assessed the competition at the end of minicamp.

“They’ve been really impressive,” Carroll said of Smith and Lock. “And it’s not been any one sequence here or one day here. They have just been solid throughout. We’ve shared a ton of reps. Geno has gone with the first group throughout, but they’ve had very close to equal reps in situational opportunities throughout. … They’ve done a terrific job so far. They look in control.

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“Geno’s still ahead — you can tell that — but it’s not going to be too much for Drew to be caught up. By the time we get through camp, he’ll be there. He’s really bright. It makes sense to him. He’s really sharp in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage and all of that, so it’s just time that he needs …”

Carroll concluded by saying the Seahawks are in “great shape” at quarterback, wording he later repeated. That felt like Carroll’s way of trying to quell persistent speculation that Seattle could add another big-name quarterback like Jimmy Garoppolo or Baker Mayfield.

Carroll has already said he doesn’t “at all” envision the Seahawks trading for a veteran QB, so it would likely take the San Francisco 49ers or Cleveland Browns releasing their former starters for either to seriously be in play for Seattle. San Francisco almost certainly wouldn’t deal Garoppolo to a division rival, anyway.

Garoppolo and Mayfield have better résumés than Lock or Smith. But both are coming off shoulder surgeries and, this late in the offseason, would be behind in learning a new offense and building chemistry with a new group of pass-catchers.

As for his own acclimation to offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s playbook, Lock said he was “a little overwhelmed” at first but much more comfortable now. It’s helped that Waldron’s system is similar to what Denver ran during Lock’s rookie season in 2019, when he played the best football of his career while leading the Broncos to four wins in their final five games. Lock has been plagued by turnovers since, with 21 in 19 games.

“I feel really, really, really good about this offense,” he said. “I feel like I could go out and play a game tomorrow and succeed.”

The feeling among some inside the Virginia Mason Athletic Center is Lock will overtake Smith to win the starting job. But some believe he may have to win convincingly or Seattle’s coaches will favor the greater familiarity with Smith — who backed up Wilson the past three seasons — over the bigger upside with Lock and award anything close to a tie to the incumbent. Carroll has raved about the way Smith played in his third and final fill-in start last season, when he led Seattle to a blowout win after two narrow losses.

Smith mentioned that familiarity when asked how Seattle’s offense suits him.

“I think the up-tempo style, similar to what I played in college,” he said. “Also, just my ability and Shane’s trust in me to get in and out of plays, to see coverages, understanding our offense and moving our guys around to be able to create mismatches. I think Shane believes in my ability and my knowledge as a quarterback and I think that is something that suits us well.”

There may be no resolution to Smith’s pending legal case before the season begins. He was arrested in January on suspicion of DUI, but the King County Prosecutor’s Office is still awaiting blood-test results, which take about 10 months to process. Smith said recently he doesn’t foresee “any problem” resulting from the arrest.

Jacob Eason is the only other quarterback on the Seahawks’ 90-man roster after they waived undrafted rookie Levi Lewis, though Eason is a developmental prospect who isn’t expected to factor into the Smith-Lock competition.

“We’re in good shape at the position and we just have to see what happens,” Carroll said. “The [preseason] games are going to be important, and everything will be important.”

Carroll declined to say whether he plans to alternate Lock and Smith with the first-team offense once training camp begins in late July.

“It’s going to be a real battle,” he said. “It’s going to be really an exciting time for our team, for those guys in particular, and for our people watching. I’m pumped about it. I really am.”

RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks‘ first quarterback competition since 2012 began in earnest Monday, when they were allowed to begin holding on-field drills as part of their voluntary offseason workout program. Things will start to get more real when OTAs begin on May 23.

In a battle that doesn’t have nearly the intrigue as when then-rookie Russell Wilson beat out Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson a decade ago, it’s Drew Lock vs. Geno Smith vying to take over Wilson’s starting spot. And while the Seahawks could still acquire someone else to make that a three-man race — Baker Mayfield the most obvious candidate — developmental prospects Jacob Eason and undrafted free agent Levi Lewis are the only other quarterbacks on their depth chart for now.

So much for the widely held belief that they needed to take a QB1 in this year’s draft.

Malik Willis was a popular mock pick for Seattle at No. 9 overall. The Seahawks passed on Willis four times before he was taken 86th overall — feeling he was nowhere near NFL-ready, according to one source — and didn’t think enough of the other quarterbacks to take one with any of their nine selections.

“It’s hard for rookies,” general manager John Schneider said after the draft, explaining the decision to not take a quarterback and hinting at how lousy this year’s QB class was. “It’s very hard on rookies to come in here and [compete right away]. You have to have unique, unique qualities … Continuously throughout the draft, it just didn’t fall the right way for one reason or another.”

In many ways, the Seahawks declining to take a quarterback this year was a repeat of 2011.

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Back then, they let long-time starter Matt Hasselbeck walk in free agency before signing Jackson to a modest short-term deal that made it clear they viewed him as a bridge option. They had long-term uncertainty at quarterback and not many attractive options in what was considered — and proved to be — a weak draft at the position.

The Seahawks had interest in Andy Dalton but passed on him late in the first round, with not everyone in their football operations in agreement that he was the answer. It turned out to be the right decision not because of who they took — tackle James Carpenter — but because not forcing the Dalton pick paved the way for Seattle to draft Wilson a year later.

While the Seahawks didn’t consider taking Willis or any other quarterback at No. 9 like they considered Dalton at No. 25 in 2011, there was a coincidental parallel in taking a tackle instead.

And the Seahawks were fortunate that Charles Cross fell to them.

With the top two pass-rushers (Travon Walker and Aidan Hutchinson), the top two corners (Derek Stingley Jr. and Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner) and two of the top three tackles (Ikem Ekwonu and Evan Neal) taken among the first eight picks, Cross was the only player left the Seahawks wanted to draft at No. 9, according to a source. They needed pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (whom they didn’t like) and receiver Drake London (whom they didn’t need) to come off the board in order for Cross — their second-rated tackle behind Ekwonu — to still be there.

While the Seahawks were on the clock, the Jets wanted to flip picks and move up one spot, worried that another team wanted to move up in Seattle’s spot for the receiver New York wanted, Garrett Wilson. The Seahawks then would have taken Cross at 10, but with no deal, they stayed put and took him at 9.

“We’re just really excited that we have a pillar at left tackle,” Schneider said.

But they still have a long-term quarterback question.

The Seahawks believe some of Luck’s struggles over his first three seasons with the Denver Broncos were the result of tough-luck circumstances, including a coordinator change and a COVID-truncated offseason after he finished his rookie year strong. They think he’s got enough untapped potential to warrant a one-year look, provided he can beat out Smith.

They like Smith’s command of their system and believe they uncovered the offensive formula that best suits him when he led the Seahawks to a blowout win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in his third and final fill-in start for Wilson last season.

But both Smith (13-21) and Lock (8-13) have career records well below .500, so there’s more hope than certainty that either of them can stick.

“Geno Smith is the guy that did the most playing for us and has the most background, so Drew is in the catch-up mode right now,” coach Pete Carroll told NFL Network during the draft. “We’ll get on the field for the first time Monday and get a chance to see what he looks like, and we can really get a feel. I love the potential. We loved the guy coming out. I’m liking him in our culture and the way we’re going to approach things. We’re going to support this kid and give him every opportunity to find the best he has to offer. I think he’s really going to take to it and we’ll see how far it goes. He’s got some real weapons around him.

” … So whoever wins this thing in the competition is going to have a good surrounding supporting cast, and Drew will try to take advantage of that.”

As for the Mayfield possibility, the former Cleveland Browns starter and 2018 No. 1 overall pick guessed on the “Ya Never Know” podcast last month that Seattle would “probably” be his most likely landing spot. But there has been no firm indication that the Seahawks have anything more than tepid interest in Mayfield. It would likely take the Browns eating much — if not most — of his guaranteed $19 million salary for 2022.

Lock is making less than $1.5 million on the final year of his rookie contract. Smith’s one-year deal has a base value of $3.5 million and incentives worth another $3.5 million, but there’s only $500,000 guaranteed. That gives the Seahawks flexibility to add someone else at the right price and/or move on from Smith if he doesn’t emerge as their starter.

With the Browns in a holding pattern, the Seahawks might have time to evaluate their current options then revisit the Mayfield possibility after the offseason program if needed.

“We’re really happy with the guys we’ve got, to see them battle, and we’ll see what happens,” Carroll told NFL Network. “You never know what’s going on down the road. We’re always looking.”