RENTON, Wash. — Almost 3,000 miles away from our last stop, here are our Takeaways from Seahawks camp where the team had an “ACT” practice …
• What does ACT stand for? Alignment, communication, technique. Here, it’s code for Seattle running, in place of a full-on practice, an extended walkthrough that’s hyper-focused on the details. And watching it was, to me, another sign of this becoming Mike Macdonald’s show in the 38-year-old’s second year. That doesn’t mean everything about the Pete Carroll Era has been thrown overboard. The toughness, run game focus, and edgy defensive culture is something the brass here has tried to retain. But one thing that’s continued to come up is how everyone is on the same page going into Year 2, and a big part of that is the Seahawks having the offseason to keep reshaping the roster. New OC Klint Kubiak was with Sam Darnold in San Francisco, DC Aden Durde was with DeMarcus Lawrence in Dallas, while first-rounder Grey Zabel (North Dakota State) and second-rounder Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina) bring tough-guy reps from tough-guy college programs to fit their new environment. And remember, this is a team that’s coming off a 10-win season.
• Darnold’s coming off a very solid spring, and his experience is showing in his easy-going, unselfish style of leadership as a newcomer—which is marked by the experiences he’s had as a guy on his fifth team. And Kubiak's experience with Darnold has made this a really strong fit. In 2023, with Kubiak on Kyle Shanahan’s staff, Darnold pushed Brock Purdy in a lot of different ways, in doing so showing how natural he was in the offensive scheme with his ability to throw with accuracy, move around and play faster without the weight of the world on his shoulders. Through the spring, and now into the summer, he’s shown all that, plus great velocity on the ball, capability to adjust with his receivers to different defensive looks and a willingness to be aggressive in getting the ball downfield. I’m excited to see where Darnold’s headed, because I do think he landed in the right place.
• Improvement elsewhere on offense will have to be internal. Zach Charbonnet, for one, has had an excellent offseason, and looks capable of carrying a heavy load with his violent style of running, endurance and football IQ—he’s learned different positions in Kubiak’s offense, so Seattle should be capable of moving him around and maybe even playing he and Kenneth Walker III on the field together. Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s another guy whose growth could come in his versatility; he’s working both inside and outside, and has shown himself to be a very willing blocker in the run game (which is important for receivers in that offense). And young tight ends A.J. Barner, who already looks like a program guy, and Elijah Arroyo have plenty of promise. That leaves the offensive line as the big question mark. Charles Cross, who just had surgery on his finger but hopes to be back for the opener, will be the left tackle. Zabel will almost certainly be the left guard. The other three spots are up for grabs (though Abraham Lucas probably outdistances Josh Jones at right tackle).
• For a team, again, looking for guys internally to make the leap, the defensive line is another big area to watch. Byron Murphy II, the team’s 2024 first-rounder, already is a top-end run defender, and has shown through the last few months that he might be on the verge of busting out as a pass-rusher. Getting Johnathan Hankins back healthy should give the coaches more flexibility to use him that way, and then the question will be how they split reps inside between Murphy, and veterans Leonard Williams (who’s looked youthful this summer and has been a big-time leader for his group) and Jarran Reed. Lawrence has been a good add to a young group of edge guys, working with Derick Hall (whom he’s played big brother to) and Boye Mafe as that crew awaits the return of Uchenna Nwosu. And if this all comes together, the strength in numbers could allow for Macdonald and Durde to be creative in how they get after the quarterback.
• Perhaps the strongest unit on the team, though, is the secondary. Julian Love’s become a rock at safety for the staff, and is riding the momentum of a nice offseason, and the corner group appears to be set with Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen and Josh Jobe in the mix. To me, the most interesting thing is how super-sized rookie safety Nick Emmanwori fits into the mix. Athletically, he’s similar to what Macdonald had in Baltimore in Kyle Hamilton. But where the Ravens got Hamilton started playing a deep safety spot early on, the Ravens are likely to play Emmanwori closer to the line in more of a hybrid nickel role, because that’s where he’s needed right now (and because Love and Coby Bryant are pretty good already at safety).
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Seahawks Training Camp 2025: Sam Darnold Seems to Be a Good Fit in Seattle.