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Watch the Seattle Seahawks’ right guard spot this week at Mandatory Minicamp for clues on the backup IOL battle burgeoning this preseason.
Seattle returns their entire Super Bowl-winning offensive line, but there’s room for some better backups in the mix. Starting RG Anthony Bradford injured his knee in OTAS, and although he was seen walking around after and could be back this week, he might be less than 100% going into Mandatory Minicamp Tuesday-Thursday which caps off the Seahawks’ spring offseason activities. They won’t meet as a team again until training camp begins in mid-July. This could be the perfect situation for backup guard candidates Christian Haynes, Beau Stephens, Mason Richman, and Bryce Cabeldue to rotate for first-team reps.
With Minicamp emphasizing mental reps and team periods, the likeliest outcome in this scenario is for the older ones to get the first crack and show their experience. However, the rookie of the bunch, Stephens, might have the most to gain. Haynes has struggled with length and technique in his first two years in the NFL, where Stephens is strong. If Stephens learns the playbook quickly and rivals Haynes’ understanding with two years less experience, Haynes will leave him too many advantages to be the better option on athleticism alone.
When replacing Bradford in the short-term, it would make sense to prioritize the player with the most similar playstyle for continuity’s sake. In the long-term, the Seahawks’ have seen the value of rugged, technical guard play in Grey Zabel and would love for Stephens to look half as good. If he can be a mid-tier NFL starter, it might reinvent the offense’s floor and ceiling.Head coach Mike Macdonald and players should be available for press conferences all three days, and it’ll be interesting to see who gets interviewed- but regardless, stay up to date on who’s getting the reps at guard and how they’re looking.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks’ backup guards to battle at minicamp if Anthony Bradford out
Continue reading...
Seattle returns their entire Super Bowl-winning offensive line, but there’s room for some better backups in the mix. Starting RG Anthony Bradford injured his knee in OTAS, and although he was seen walking around after and could be back this week, he might be less than 100% going into Mandatory Minicamp Tuesday-Thursday which caps off the Seahawks’ spring offseason activities. They won’t meet as a team again until training camp begins in mid-July. This could be the perfect situation for backup guard candidates Christian Haynes, Beau Stephens, Mason Richman, and Bryce Cabeldue to rotate for first-team reps.
With Minicamp emphasizing mental reps and team periods, the likeliest outcome in this scenario is for the older ones to get the first crack and show their experience. However, the rookie of the bunch, Stephens, might have the most to gain. Haynes has struggled with length and technique in his first two years in the NFL, where Stephens is strong. If Stephens learns the playbook quickly and rivals Haynes’ understanding with two years less experience, Haynes will leave him too many advantages to be the better option on athleticism alone.
When replacing Bradford in the short-term, it would make sense to prioritize the player with the most similar playstyle for continuity’s sake. In the long-term, the Seahawks’ have seen the value of rugged, technical guard play in Grey Zabel and would love for Stephens to look half as good. If he can be a mid-tier NFL starter, it might reinvent the offense’s floor and ceiling.Head coach Mike Macdonald and players should be available for press conferences all three days, and it’ll be interesting to see who gets interviewed- but regardless, stay up to date on who’s getting the reps at guard and how they’re looking.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks’ backup guards to battle at minicamp if Anthony Bradford out
Continue reading...
