What we learned from Seahawks mandatory minicamp Tuesday

RENTON — The Seahawks mandatory minicamp represents three straight days of getting what is maybe their most intense look yet at what they have in first-round picks Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Tuesday’s first minicamp workout offered some interesting insights into the two.

Witherspoon, a cornerback taken fifth overall out of Illinois, remains limited due to a hamstring injury. 

But he got regular snaps during a walk-through before the team hit the field for its full-speed workout. 

And a few of his snaps came in the slot, playing nickel corner, for what appeared to be the most work he has gotten inside this spring, having appeared to play mostly outside corner previously. 

He often lined up in the slot with Michael Jackson on the right side and Tre Brown on the left with Artie Burns also mixing in at the outside spots.

Those snaps came with last year’s starting nickel, Coby Bryant, remaining sidelined with an undisclosed issue (Bryant has done little in the workouts open to media this spring), so the Seahawks could just be using that as a way to get Witherspoon some work inside — this is the time of year to get players work at a lot of different spots.

Witherspoon also played in the slot some at Illinois — 109 snaps last season according to Pro Football Focus — and the Seahawks said on draft day that Witherspoon could get tried inside.

“He definitely can,” coach Pete Carroll said. “He was really excited about the thought that it could happen, too, so it’s in the future for him. There’s no question he can play in the slot if we wanted him to. He’s really good at the short area, aggressive coverage, and his hitting, tackling, and his ability to pressure is really exciting. too, so he gives us really versatility.”

If nothing else, the Seahawks appear to be exploring all options to get what they feel will be their best configuration of cornerbacks — and defensive backs in general — on the field.

Smith-Njigba, a receiver taken 20^th overall out of Ohio State, also has been limited at times due to a hamstring injury but has appeared to do more in recent weeks.

On one play Tuesday, Smith-Njigba caught a short pass, slipped and fell to the turf, then immediately got up and cut quickly back to the middle and sprinted downfield, not appearing hindered in any way. 

Veteran receiver Tyler Lockett has been continually impressed by Smith-Njigba’s progress.

“I think he’s going to be phenomenal, man,” Lockett said after Tuesday’s practice. “It’s always hard just being able to get adjusted when you first come in. But the way he runs routes, the way he’s understanding the way that (receivers coach) Sanjay (Lal) coaches, the sky’s going to be the limit. I think he’s going to be really good at all the things that the Seahawks — that we want him to be able to do. I’m excited to be able to go out there and work with him. Even though you’re a vet, you can still learn from the young guys, too.”

Mario Edwards Jr. hits field

As Carroll had said, veteran defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. was on the field, his first appearance during the offseason program as he had been absent while taking care of some family issues.

Edwards, who started seven games for Tennessee last year, appeared to typically work with the second unit, with Dre’Mont Jones and Jarran Reed usually working with the first defense at ends, flanking nose tackle Cameron Young, who got most of the reps with the starter at that spot Tuesday with Myles Adams out and Bryan Mone also still recovering from a knee injury.

Derick Hall signs contract  

Linebacker Derick Hall, a second-round pick out of Auburn, signed his four-year rookie deal Tuesday. That leaves just two of the team’s 10 draft picks unsigned — Witherspoon and second-round running back Zach Charbonnet of UCLA.

As the 37^th overall pick, Hall gets a deal worth up to $9.1 million that includes a $3.6 million signing bonus,

But while the years and overall values are predetermined based on draft slot, some items are negotiable such as the order of payments for bonus and future guaranteed salaries. According to NFL Media, Hall is getting 85% paid before training camp as well as a $100,000 guarantee in the fourth year of his contract, which it said are both firsts for a second-round pick. Second-round picks have typically had no, or only minimal, guarantees beyond the second year of their contract, but that trend is changing as teams are increasingly guaranteeing at least some of third-year salaries.

So who’s old?

As safety Quandre Diggs talked to the media, teammate Bobby Wagner stood with a few reporters and watched, with each throwing a few, well, digs at each other along the way.

“Hopefully as an old man he can still make plays out there,” Diggs said of Wagner, who turns 33 later this month when asked about Wagner returning after a year away.

“Don’t say old man,” Wagner protested.

It was a sequence that illustrated the strong relationship between the two, and also makes it fair to wonder if they could share the defensive captain role this season.

Wagner was voted as the sole defensive captain by teammates every year from 2018-21 (and also either was a sole or co-captain two other times). With Wagner in Los Angeles last year, Diggs was voted as a co-captain along with now-departed tackle Al Woods.

Asked about taking over more of a leadership role last year, Diggs, who turned 30 in January, joked “I think it gave me more gray hair, I’ll say that. But it definitely did open my eyes to — as a captain, people look at you different, expect you to do different things. For me, I’m just more of a guy that I kind of like to do things my way. And you do it, you do it the right way, but you feel like you do it the right way, which is your way. I think Bobby, he’s more of a chill leader. I’m one of those I’m going to do it my way you watch me do it. He can talk his talk but he can also walk his walk. I’m more a follow-me guy, and just go out and make plays. So I think it definitely helped me grow, but I love having him back. That’s why I lobbied so hard in the offseason (for Seattle to re-sign Wagner).”

Notes

A few other players sidelined Tuesday included rookie guard Anthony Bradford, nose tackle Jonah Tavai, cornerbacks Isaiah Dunn, Lance Boykin and Arquan Bush, linebacker Vi Jones, tight end Noah Gindorff and receiver Cade Johnson.