Seahawks training camp through 4 days: Geno Smith-Drew Lock comp hasn’t really started yet

That Seahawks quarterback competition?

It’s yet to really become one.

Yes, it’s early. The Seahawks have had four days of practices, three of them open to the media.

Geno Smith has been the starting quarterback with the number-one offensive line for all but two snaps of camp so far.

Drew Lock got two snaps late in the second practice, Thursday. One was a hand-off to Rashaad Penny, the other a quick pass outside into the hands of running back Travis Homer.

Smith has made veteran-quality throws, at times. He’s also struggled. He dropped three snaps and threw a 4-yard pass into the ground in front of impressive new wide receiver Marquise Goodwin on Friday.

Saturday Smith made it a point to throw to DK Metcalf, who went first in drills, and to Tyler Lockett, who went last in each round. Russell Wilson used to do the same thing, arrange his reps to match Metcalf’s and Lockett’s every time. That is, until Seattle traded Wilson to Denver in March. That created this battle that has yet to truly begin at the sport’s most important position.

The competition to succeed Wilson won’t be real until Smith and Lock alternate time as the No. 1 quarterback, in practices and the three preseason games. Those begin Aug. 13 at Pittsburgh.

“You’ll see,” coach Pete Carroll has said when asked how they will have Smith and Lock compete through August.

We’re still waiting.

Best so far

It’s still July, yet here are The News Tribune’s most impressive players through four days of camp:

Leader of the QB Derby: Smith, by familiarity and opportunity. And not by much. Neither he or Lock have been brilliant. Each has missed at times on accuracy and decision-making with their throws. Jacob Eason is a distant third. He gets every sixth or so throw in drills, and few series to run himself in 11-on-11 scrimmages.

Defense: rookie cornerback Coby Bryant and defensive tackle Al Woods.

Offense: Goodwin and rookie running back Ken Walker. Walker has done nothing to suggest he won’t contribute a lot this rookie season. It’s working toward a 1 and 1A partnership with Penny and Walker in Seattle’s running game.

Metcalf returns

Metcalf was back, and right to the head of the line.

One day after he signed his new $72 million contract with the highest signing bonus for a wide receiver in NFL history at $30 million, Metcalf ended his camp hold in. Again, he noticably was the first wide out in each drill Saturday.

That meant the end of Cody Thompson running with the first offense.

Defense wins most, not all

In 11-on-11 scrimmaging, Metcalf, Smith, Lockett and Lock had problems connecting against the defense. That’s been a theme through the first four days of camp.

It started well Saturday. Smith threw a dart to Lockett on an out route to the right sideline with cornerback Sidney Jones in tight coverage on the first scrimmage snap. That was one of Smith’s best throws Saturday.

Bryant continued his standout first week as the second left cornerback behind Jones. He stayed right on Thompson shoulder to shoulder on the wide receiver’s double move deep down the right sideline. Lock’s pass was on target, but so was Bryant. He leaped and knocked the long pass away.

Then Bryant had the day’s most impressive play. In a red-zone drill the fourth-round draft choice from the University of Cincinnati jumped with 6-foot-7 tight end Colby Parkinson in the back of the end zone. Six inches shorter, Bryant still out-jumped Parkinson and ripped the ball down, forcing an incompletion.

The entire defense — starters and reserves — roared to celebrate Bryant’s play. About half of that sideline ran to the opposite sideline into the end zone to congratulate him.

This past week Carroll said Bryant and fifth-round pick Tariq Woolen, the curiosity of camp at 6 feet 4 with a 4.26-second time in the 40-yard dash, are going to be entering the competition with Jones, veteran Artie Burns and 2021 rookie starter Tre Brown (whenever Brown returns from the physically-unable-to-perform list) to start at cornerback.

Burns broke up two more passes Saturday, continuing his strong spring into summer. The Seahawks signed him this offseason from Chicago, where he played for 2021 Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai. Carroll hired Desai this offseason to remake the Seahawks’ coverages and schemes in the secondary.

Bryant later batted down another test throw at him by Lock deep down the sideline.

“Right now, Artie and Sid have done some good things. Artie had a couple good PBUs today, as did Coby,” defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt said Saturday. “Just continuing to see that progression in the competition come along with those four guys, nothing is solidified.

“We will see them continue to compete every day. But we are excited about the two young kids, too.”

About the only time through four days Bryant’s truly been beaten for a catch came on the play after his wowing breakup of Lock’s throw to Parkinson.

Lock went at Bryant again, on a back-shoulder throw into the end zone to Goodwin. Goodwin, the former San Francisco 49er who has had a strong start in his bid to be the third wide receiver, leaped and spun in the same motion to grab the ball for a touchdown before the well-positioned Bryant could get his hands across Goodwin to the ball.

“Really sharp in his attention to detail,” Hurtt said of Bryant. “Really good feel on the scheme, and has a good football sense and awareness for a football player.”

Goodwin is a 31-year-old ninth-year pro. He has shown his Olympic-team speed but also veteran savvy running routes and in technique getting off press coverage.

Josh Jones, starting at safety with Jamal Adams away getting his broken finger examined in Texas, grabbed Smith’s deflected pass into tight coverage for an interception.

The defensive players teased Lock for having to run out of bounds on their sideline because coverage by Bryant, Woolen and others was so tight on one play in a 2-minute drill.

Smith and Lockett beat Jones in the end zone on an inside route for a touchdown. That play had secondary coach Karl Scott asking questions of Jones, fellow safety Ryan Neal and the secondary.

Lock’s second touchdown pass was to Walker. The rookie second-round pick ran a seam route down the hash marks into the end zone and made a deft catch while falling down. It was a good sign for Walker’s strong chances to be a major contributor this season. Michigan State had him run, but didn’t feature him much as a receiver. The quickest way for rookie running backs to earn extensive playing time for Carroll is to block and catch throws in the pass game.

Burns knocked a pass by Smith to Lockett into the end zone.

It went so well for the defense, after another pass breakup late in practice that nickel back Justin Coleman danced and skipped to the sideline as Ugo Amadi replaced him.

Amadi then broke up Lock’s throw to the sideline at him.

Hurtt wasn’t satisfied even though his unit won the day. Again.

“Ehhh, it was 50-50,” Seattle’s former defensive line coach said. “I don’t want to give the offense everything. This is our team, I love it, so I want them to do great all of the time. But for the competitive nature, we will get each other between the white lines, I want to kick their ass every day.

“There were some good things that were done. Obviously, we have some things that we have to continue to clean up to get on the same page, but that’s all in a good day’s work.”

Nwosu, as planned

Saturday was 2020 sixth-round draft choice Stone Forsythe’s turn to start at right tackle. Jake Curhan started there Wednesday and Thursday (Friday’s walk-through practice was closed to the media).

Outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu sped around Forsythe in on the QB on consecutive plays off the edge at the start of another 2-minute drill.

Nwosu is practicing fast, like he already knows the defense. Because he does. The Seahawks signed Nwosu from the Chargers this spring, because Seattle’s new 3-4 defense with outside backers as edge rushers is what Nwosu played in Los Angeles.

“Oh, man, that dude he is everything I hoped for in a pass rusher and a coverage guy,” opposite starting outside linebacker Darrell Taylor, entering his second full season, said. “And I think he’s doing everything. I’m learning from him. You know, he’s been in the NFL longer than me, so I learn from him everyday on how to be a professional, how to play the game, and how to look for clues and everything. To play fast and make plays every single day.

“So I’ve been learning a lot from him and I’m grateful for it, man, it’s exciting. That’s all I can say.

“It’s exciting to be here and be a starter now and get what I deserve,” Taylor said.

He had 6 1/2 sacks in a more situation role as a rush defensive end last season.

More from day 4

*Parkinson is getting a lot of time with the starting offense, often with fellow tight ends Noah Fant and Will Dissly. Multiple tight end sets are a staple of the Los Angeles Rams’ offense, the system Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron ran before coming to Seattle.

*With veteran right guard Gabe Jackson getting a rest day coming off knee surgery this offseason, Phil Haynes was the starting right guard.

*Neal was the first-team safety with Jones because Quandre Diggs got a veteran rest day.

*It was 94 degrees at the field during the mid-afternoon practice. Some of the many hundred fans on the berm waiting for post-practice autographs didn’t wait through the nearly 2-hour workout’s end.