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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. — If DK Metcalf had any doubt at the end of last season whether he’d get a contract extension from the Seattle Seahawks, you couldn’t tell based on this response:

“It’s gonna get done, in my opinion,” Metcalf said in January. “I’m just gonna let the chips fall where they may and let God and the Seahawks and my agent take care of the rest. I know everything is going to work out just fine.”

A lot has happened since.

The Seahawks traded quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. The wide receiver market skyrocketed to the point that Seahawks general manager John Schneider expressed sticker shock at some of the megadeals signed early in free agency. And most recently, Metcalf skipped mandatory minicamp — without permission from the team — in what seemed like a clear indication that he and his representation were unhappy with where his contract negotiations stand.

The Seahawks have expressed optimism both publicly and behind the scenes since then that a deal will get done, but it hardly seems like a slam dunk.

Let’s take a look at some of the key questions.

What should we make of Metcalf skipping minicamp?

• Where things stand with Seahawks, DK Metcalf
• Evaluating Russell Wilson, Broncos
• Aidan Hutchinson already impressing Lions
• Dennis Allen ‘keeping the DNA the same’
• Dick Vermeil’s unconventional HOF career

It was mildly surprising for a couple of reasons.

Metcalf had participated in some of the voluntary portion of the team’s offseason program. He showed up in the early stages even though his recovery from foot surgery meant he couldn’t participate in workouts.

The recent trend with Seahawks players (and others around the NFL) who are seeking new contracts has been to attend the mandatory portions of offseason work (i.e. minicamp and training camp) but not take part in practices. For the player, the “hold-in” is a best-of-all-worlds approach because it allows him to avoid fines as well as the risk of injury, all while making a statement about his desire to get paid. Bobby Wagner did it in 2019. Jamal Adams and Duane Brown did it last summer.

Metcalf’s foot surgery gave him an easy out to do the same thing during minicamp, yet he stayed away entirely. That subjected him to more than $93,000 in fines for missing all three days. He’d be subject to $40,000 in fines for every day of training camp he misses. He also risks losing an accrued season toward free agency by not reporting on time.

Coach Pete Carroll said he’s no less optimistic about getting a deal done with Metcalf than before his minicamp no-show, citing the team’s strong track record of extending players it wants to keep long-term. The Seahawks typically finalize big-money extensions after the start of training camp.

“These are crucial weeks to get something done, and we’ll see what happens and hope that we can work something out,” Carroll said earlier this month. “[We’ve] really intended to get that done.”

What Metcalf’s market?

The short answer is that it’s probably in A.J. Brown territory but below Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill territory.

Adams and Hill signed deals early in free agency averaging $28 million and $30 million per year, respectively, prompting Schneider to express “a sense of shock” at where the market has gone. Brown then got a four-year, $100 million extension that includes more than $57 million in guarantees after the Philadelphia Eagles acquired him from the Tennessee Titans during the draft.

Metcalf and Brown, college teammates at Ole Miss, entered the NFL together as second-round picks in 2019. They’re both 24. So Brown’s deal might be a more apples-to-apples comp for Metcalf than those of Adams and Hill, who are both in their late 20s and have accomplished more over a longer period.

Over his three seasons, Metcalf has more catches (216), targets (358), yards (3,170) and touchdowns (29) than Brown. Hill and Adams have Metcalf beat in all four categories over that same span.

ESPN polled three NFL agents who aren’t involved in the Metcalf negotiations but are well-versed in the receiver market. One predicts the Seahawks will extend Metcalf on an annual average similar to Brown’s $25 million. Another thinks they won’t go any higher than $25 million per season and around $60 million guaranteed — assuming a four-year extension, Seattle’s preferred length. The third agent doesn’t think the Seahawks will go that high and predicts they team will trade Metcalf.

All three agents noted the massive base salaries in the final year(s) of the aforementioned deals, which artificially inflate their overall averages and make it tougher to pinpoint Metcalf’s range.

What kind of cap shape are the Seahawks in?

They’re fine.

OverTheCap.com lists them with around $16 million in available 2022 cap space, taking into account their recent extension for defensive tackle Bryan Mone. Metcalf is set to make just under $4 million in the final year of his rookie deal. An extension could be structured so that his 2022 cap number would be increased by only a couple million dollars or so, which would leave enough for other expenses like the practice squad and in-season injury replacements.

The Seahawks will start to reap the cap savings from the Wilson trade next year, with OTC ranking them third in 2023 cap space at around $58 million. The agent who predicts a Metcalf trade thinks his representation will drive a hard bargain knowing Seattle has the financial freedom that comes with Wilson’s huge contract no longer being on the books.

Don’t Metcalf and Brown have the same agent?

Yep. Tory Dandy also represents three other big-name receivers: Mike Williams, Chris Godwin (both just got deals averaging $20 million per season) and Deebo Samuel (who’s seeking an extension).

Schneider said at the owners meetings that Dandy’s representing those other receivers shouldn’t complicate negotiations with Metcalf, noting that the Seahawks have an “awesome” relationship with Dandy.

But two of the agents polled by ESPN think Dandy will be more motivated to top Brown’s deal than he would be if another agent negotiated it.

Could the Seahawks really trade Metcalf?

The fact that they didn’t do so before the draft suggests some optimism that a deal will get done, because waiting until after the draft would mean having to wait a year to reap the benefits of a trade.

ESPN simulated the Metcalf trade possibility in April, with NFL Nation reporters making offers on behalf of the teams they cover. None of the seven offers matched the Seahawks’ presumed asking price of two first-round picks or something of similar value.

The Seahawks received calls from teams interested in trading for Metcalf before the draft and, according to a source, told those teams they weren’t looking to trade Metcalf. But they’d have to at least start listening to offers if, whenever negotiations resume, they don’t feel like a deal is possible.