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Observations From Day 17 Of Seahawks Training Camp

News, notes and observations from the 17th practice of Seahawks camp.

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The Seahawks were back in pads Tuesday following a light session on Monday, giving them a physical, not to mention hot-by-Seattle-standards, practice to help get ready for Friday night's preseason game against Kansas City.

Here are five observations from Tuesday's practice, the 17th of camp and the last open to the public:

1. Richard Sherman was on hand and dispensing invaluable advice.

Early in a seven-on-seven period, Cooper Kupp got past Riq Woolen with a double move, but given his combination of speed and length, Woolen is rarely beat, even if a player initially gets past him. And sure enough, by the time the ball arrived, Woolen was back in position and able to make a play to prevent the completion.

And as Woolen jogged off the field, one of the first people to offer up some enthusiastic encouragement was Seahawks Legend Richard Sherman, who was on hand for a second straight practice. Throughout practice, Sherman was engaged and offering up pointers to defensive backs like Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, rookie Nick Emmanwori and others.

Having an All-Decade player and Super Bowl winner on hand to offer up his wisdom to young defensive backs is an invaluable resource, defensive coordinator Aden Durde noted.

"I just think it's great," Durde said. "On teams I've been on been on, when the Legend players come back and share with players, that's one of the most important things in football. Because it's not just technique, it's experience, it's understanding of the moment, it's understanding how important the little things are, and it really enforces everyone's message. You can't put a value on things like that."

2. The young defensive linemen had one of their best days of camp as a group.

With talented veterans like Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed and DeMarcus Lawrence leading the way, it can be hard at times for Seattle's young defensive linemen to stand out, but that wasn't the case on Tuesday. Rookie Jared Ivey had a couple of "sacks" in the team portion of practice, while he and several other young linemen, including Quinton Bohanna, Brandon Pili and Connor O'Toole were standouts in pass-rush drills while matched up with reserve offensive linemen.

"All those young guys were rolling today, I felt them," Durde said. "That's one of the best practices they've all had as a group. They're starting to learn how to play together."

3. Don't underestimate how important Abraham Lucas' return to full health is for this offense.

Not long after Seattle's defensive line depth got the better of Seattle's backup linemen in the aforementioned pass-rush drills, the starters on both sides of the ball got a turn, and first up were right tackle Abraham Lucas and right guard Anthony Bradford. That duo won multiple reps, working well together to handle stunts being run by their opponents, with Lucas looking especially decisive and physical.

Which brings us to the point of Lucas' return. One under-the-radar storyline in this year's camp has been Lucas not just being available, but being on the field every day and taking part in just about every rep available to him. At this time last year, Lucas was recovering from offseason knee surgery, and when he returned midway through the season, he was by his own admission far from being at 100 percent. Lucas was also slowed by a knee injury during the 2023 season, meaning this is the first time we're seeing a fully healthy version of him since his impressive rookie campaign. If the Seahawks can get this version of Lucas for a full season, it will make a huge difference for the offensive line and the offense as a whole.

4. Jaxon Smith-Njigba's route running is elite.

During a seven-on-seven portion of practice, Smith-Njigba, one of the league's best young receivers, lined up across from Devon Witherspoon, one of the league's best young corners. In this particularly battle of the two Pro-Bowlers, Smith-Njigba was able to get past his friend and fellow 2023 first-round pick with a nifty move and get open for a long catch. The play was noteworthy not just because of Smith-Njigba's route-running but because of how rare is to see Witherspoon get beat, and it served as a good example of just how good Smith-Njigba is at his craft.

This, of course, is a good time to point out that Witherspoon has had a training camp full of great practices, and he made plenty of plays Tuesday as well, including an impressive pass breakup in the end zone on a pass to Cooper Kupp that looked like a sure touchdown before Witherspoon reached from behind Kupp to rip the ball away.

5. Anthony Bradford is showing more consistency in his push for a starting job.

While Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald has made it clear that the starting jobs at center and right guard are not yet settled, Anthony Bradford is making a strong push for the right guard spot, which he held for the first 11 games last season before being sidelined by an injury. Bradford started the first preseason game and appears to be leading that competition heading into the final push before the regular season.

"AB has made great strides," offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak said. "Obviously he's a physical presence, but you see more consistency in his game throughout camp. So I see a guy that's playing more confident."

Check out photos of the Seahawks active roster during training camp.

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