Jordyn Brooks has been 'Extraordinary' in Seahawks training camp
Seaside Joe 1249: Plus camp updates from the other three NFC West teams
The Seattle Seahawks are holding their annual mock game on Saturday at Lumen Field, “kickoff” around 2:30. One name that we may not hear from it is Jordyn Brooks, but not because he’s been lacking in effort or making exciting plays. In fact, Pete Carroll called Brooks’ camp “extraordinary” on Friday and it’s another reason to expect that the comparison I made between Brooks and C.J. Mosley last month could be on its way to fruition.
All that appears to be holding Brooks back from headlines this weekend is “tweaking a hamstring” at the end of practice on Tuesday and Carroll’s intention to be “really careful” with the situation.
Regular Joes can read my full preview of What to expect at Saturday’s mock game here, but I’ve also unlocked Wednesday’s training camp report if free subscribers want to go check out what’s behind the curtain.
The biggest differences between Mosley’s first two years in the league and Brooks’ first two could just be opportunity, position, and scheme. There’s not necessarily a big enough gap of talent to even sneak a beam of light through it.
When else has Pete used the word extraordinary? He’s used it in instances for Russell Wilson, for Doug Baldwin, for Paul Allen, for Jamal Adams, for Percy Harvin, for Richard Sherman, for Bill Belichick, for his mentor Jerry Burns, for the 12th man, for Marshawn Lynch, and again for Marshawn Lynch, and again for Marshawn Lynch.
Okay, maybe Pete Carroll just likes the word ‘extraordinary’ but he seems to reserve it for special talents usually. Even if Harvin wasn’t what the Seahawks were hoping for, we can all comprehend what made him a first round pick and so valuable at the time of his trade.
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I’ve reiterated throughout the offseason that I am not nearly as floored with Brooks breaking a franchise record for tackles as many others, because we should hope that he doesn’t get nearly as many chances to make those plays in 2022. Better than his impressive rate of getting to the ball and finishing tackles would be the splash plays—turnovers, sacks, lockdown coverage of tight ends—and Brooks enters year three with career totals of:
1 sack, 3 QB hits, 12 TFL, 0 forced fumbles, 0 interceptions, and seven batted passes
Coverage stats tell a concerning story so far and that was a worry that teams had going into the 2020 draft, so it will continue to be in any description of Brooks’ performances until it isn’t an issue anymore. And there should be hope whenever a linebacker gets a new defensive coordinator, one who might better understand Brooks’ strengths.
Consider the case of De’Vondre Campbell. A good player for four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Campbell only managed a one—year contract when he became a free agent in 2020. That lone season with the Arizona Cardinals was nearly the end of his career, as Campbell went from a one-year, $6 million contract with them to signing a one-year, $2 million contract with the Green Bay Packers in 2021.
In his first season with defensive coordinator Joe Barry, Campbell was named a first-team All-Pro. The Packers re-signed Campbell to a five-year, $50 million contract this offseason.
It seems like Jordyn Brooks is going to be well-positioned to succeed in Clint Hurtt’s scheme and Albert Breer made a point to say that Seattle’s linebackers could be among the fastest in the NFL between him and Cody Barton.
Among all linebackers tested in the 40-yard dash at the combine since 2010, weighing at least 230 (Brooks weighed 240), Brooks is tied for the 20th-fastest time. Barton’s time is .1 slower (4.54 to 4.64) but .01 faster than Mosley’s in 2014.
This season will be Brooks’ chance to earn his fifth-year option, which the Seahawks will have to decide in 2023 (for the 2024 season), and that’s not something that Seattle has even had the chance to consider very often.
A breakout season by Brooks would also mean that the Seahawks have a good chance of having significant talent at all three levels of the defense: Al Woods and Poona Ford front-and-center, Darrell Taylor on the edge (who I still rate above Uchenna Nwosu), Brooks in the middle, and Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs covering deep-middle and roaming back-and-forth.
Of course, we can get into discussions about plenty of other players, from Boye Mafe to Coby Bryant, Tariq Woolen, and Alton Robinson. But for those who have already given us evidence in the NFL to expect high quality play this season on defense, Woods, Ford, Taylor, Brooks, Adams, and Diggs make for an interesting core to that unit.
How many of them will play on Saturday? Read the preview if you get the chance, I’ll be back later to report what happened in another Seaside BO-NUS.
Speaking of Bonus content, I also wrote about what’s going on with Seattle’s NFC West opponents in training camp this week. Please do the Seaside Joe community a favor by sharing this website/newsletter with your Seahawks friends!
49ers camp notes: Trey Lance “hasn’t thrown a pick since Monday”
When the “positive” reports about your quarterback amount to how many days in a row he’s gone without throwing a practice interception, fair to say that reasonable 49ers fans are skeptical about what this season will bring at quarterback.
I’ve been adamant at Seaside Joe that we stay reasonable by not counting practice passing statistics, but in case you were distracted by “9-of-13,” most of those throws were described as being short attempts. None of his completions were deep attempts. If San Francisco was worried about practice stats, then Nate Sudfeld might be in line to start because he was even better on Friday.
I don’t get my hands dirty with fantasy football, but I would guess that Elijah Mitchell is going to have a productive season. The Niners rushing attack was terrible in the postseason, with Mitchell gaining 169 yards on 55 carries in three games. All signs point to Mitchell remaining the starter and getting a heavy workload in 2022.
Former Seahawk Malik Turner is having another good camp, per 49ersWebZone:
Malik Turner continues to shine as a receiver, winning a 1-on-1 rep against Samuel Womack, who had good coverage on the play, but a great catch by the receiver won Turner the rep. Turner appears poised to win the sixth receiver spot, with him and Martin being the top candidates at the moment should the 49ers want an extra pass-catcher on the 53-man roster.
Fresh off of extending Deebo Samuel, the team is expecting a breakout season from 2020 first round pick Brandon Aiyuk. 49ers blogs regularly cite Aiyuk as “the best offensive player on the field today.” It’s not as though Aiyuk has been bad, only that he seems to have the potential to be great. San Francisco is also high on 2020 seventh round pick Jauan Jennings, the probable WR3.
Jennings had six catches on seven targets for 94 yards and two touchdowns in the 2021 regular season finale against the Rams.
The 49ers should have another strong year on the offensive line with Trent Williams and Mike McGlinchey at tackle and Aaron Banks, rookie fourth round pick Spencer Burford at guard. There is a competition at center between Jake Brendel and Daniel Brunskill. There is definitely concern about center and right guard, but those issues should be mitigated by having an elite left tackle.
Add in George Kittle and there continues to only be one clear blind spot on the 49ers offense. John Lynch spent three first round picks in their attempt to shore it up … we won’t know if it worked until the regular season begins.
Defensively, former Seahawk Kerry Hyder is back in San Francisco and he’s been getting practice reps at defensive tackle. His versatility should help him make the roster and get into the rotation with Arik Armstead, Javon Kinlaw, Nick Bosa, Kevin Givens, and rookie second rounder Drake Jackson. Per All 49ers:
Took some reps at defensive tackle during 11 on 11 drills and beat Burford for a sack. The 49ers clearly are looking for a defensive end they can move to the interior like Arden Key did for them last year. Hyder looks effective in that role.
Peter Panacy of Niner Noise named 5 standout players this week: RB Jordan Mason (UDFA rookie), DB Tarvarius Moore, G Spencer Burford, CB Charvarius Ward (potentially a guy who turns into a true NFL star this year), and Aiyuk.
Ultimately, I think we all know that the 49ers are talented on both sides of the ball and capable of getting back to the NFC Championship if they have decent play at quarterback. What we don’t know is if the 49ers are even decent at quarterback.
Rams camp notes: Matthew Stafford managing pain in throwing arm
The big story in L.A. is the health of the quarterback, but I will tell you that after doing some extensive coverage of Stafford for two years, “Something something Stafford injury concerns something” is a NORMAL headline for him. You don’t get much more evidence that a guy can play through pain than the fact that Matthew Stafford has only missed eight games in the last 11 years and those were ALL in 2019 because of a back injury.
That includes 21 games in 2021 and Stafford was only ever off of the field because the Rams were blowing a team out.
Does this mean that I guarantee a healthy normal season for Stafford? Obviously not. But consider this: Stafford reported elbow soreness during offseason workouts, the team made a plan for how to manage it, they’re now currently executing that plan by regularly having Stafford work on the sidelines while backup John Wolford works with the starters.
It may not be ideal, but Stafford is in his 14th season and has proven to have a great connection with Cooper Kupp already. Until Sean McVay officially rules out Stafford for a game, I won’t believe it’s an issue worth monitoring closely. I will tell you that if the team has to turn to Wolford for a game (I think quarterback “load management” where a team does rest a starter for a week or two is in the future for some players, maybe including Stafford) this Rams team won’t be the same Rams team. It’s not even the same as Marc Bulger replacing Kurt Warner, it would just be a bad offense.
As for Stafford’s weapons, Allen Robinson II has been one of the top-three camp standouts and there’s little holding him back from a career year. Another wide receiver to watch is 2021 second round pick Tutu Atwell, a 5’9, 155 lb stick of dynamite who really only started learning the position a few years ago at Louisville.
The team is dealing with injuries to several other receivers, including Van Jefferson, so by Week 1 it looks like Kupp-Robinson-Atwell-Ben Skowronek will be the top four options, alongside tight end Tyler Higbee.
Similar to the Seahawks, the offensive line is going through one major change in that they replace a veteran left tackle with a new player. In L.A.’s case, the player is fifth-year veteran Joe Noteboom, but the 2018 third round pick is getting his first chance to be the starting left tackle following Andrew Whitworth’s retirement. My evaluation of Noteboom is that he’s “not bad” and if anything, the Rams’ have bigger worries in the interior with newly re-signed Brian Allen at center and a competition at right guard.
Bobby Wagner: Very popular!
However, the Rams defense deserves a lot of credit for their Super Bowl win that they probably don’t get. Bobby Wagner has fit in as well as you would expect Wagner to fit in with any team because he’s Bobby Wagner. His teammates love and respect him and he’s been drawing praise from Aaron Donald, who says it is a joy to have another guy who prepares as much as he does.
Second-year linebacker Ernest Jones had a great Super Bowl and now he’s taking advantage of his time with a future Hall of Famer at the position.
Similar to Seattle, the Rams are excited about their young cornerback picks in the draft: fourth rounder Decobie Durant and sixth rounder Derion Kendrick have both been starring at training camp. I would not expect either to get a lot of snaps this season, as Jalen Ramsey, Troy Hill, and Robert Rochell figure to be the starters, but L.A. is probably expecting one or both to be starters long-term. Kendrick has probably shined brighter than Durant so far.
One of the great things about the NFL is that teams often surprise you, in a good way or a bad way, but the Rams are one of three NFC teams that can’t miss the playoffs this year without it being an embarrassment. As you expect, the Packers and Bucs are the other two. Perhaps the 49ers make four.
Maybe you have a different take?
Cardinals training camp: Every bit as “Cardinals” as we’ve come to expect
First the team forever cursed their own franchise quarterback with taunting material that will last for his entire life.
Then his own head coach started taunting him.
But off-field issues extend from Hollywood Brown getting arrested for driving too fast (of all things that an NFL wide receiver should not being doing right now) to an assistant coach being placed on leave only after the media found out he had a domestic violence charge in May, Arizona insists on being the same old Cardinals…the “Just for Laughs Festival” of football.
And yet, this team was 10-2 at one point last season.
I wish I had more to say about the actual roster but reporting on the actual team has been so light as opposed to coverage on all the usual Cardinal calamities. Kyler Murray was out all week on the Covid reserve list, making it even more difficult to judge the offense based on camp reports.
Last week, a friend told me about how careful he has had to be with not getting Covid because he’s a commercial actor who sometimes books a commercial. It’s a wonder how a quarterback wouldn’t have taken the same precautions right after signing a $230 million contract, as compared to my friend who doesn’t want to blow an opportunity worth $2,300.
This is Cardinals camp highlights:
My general sense on the Cardinals is that in spite of all their efforts to fail, there’s still enough talent on both sides of the ball to compete for a wild card berth in a generally weak conference.
But Arizona’s first three games are against the Chiefs, at the Raiders, and back at home against the Rams. An 0-3 start is possible given that DeAndre Hopkins is suspended for six games. Then the Cardinals face the Panthers, Eagles, followed by a game against the Seahawks at Lumen Field, the last without Hopkins.
Seattle could be hosting a 2-3 or 1-4 Cardinals team with Kliff Kingsbury desperate to save his job. Or maybe a 4-1 “surprise” Cardinals team that is only a year removed from starting 7-0.
They need to show a lot of franchise maturation first though.
I don't care if the Seahawks finish 3-14 as long as the three wins are over Denver and 2x over the Niners!
Is it too early to compliment Cody Barton?