Squeeze play

Published on August 19, 2011 by Seahawks.Com News (Feed)     

The Seahawks put the wraps on their second training camp under coach Pete Carroll on Thursday, but they’re still in a hurry-up mode after the 136-day lockout and no two-a-day practices in camp.

A training camp like no other has come to an end for the Seahawks.

Instead of the usual hurry-up-and-wait scenario, the Seahawks took a wait-and-then-hurry-up approach to their second summer session under coach Pete Carroll.

That will happen when a 136-day lockout erased the spring minicamps and OTAs; the new CBA limited teams to one practice a day during camp; and the free agents signed by the club were not allowed to join practice until Aug.4 – a group that included quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, wide receiver Sidney Rice, fullback Michael Robinson, left guard Robert Gallery, tight end Zach Miller, linebacker Leroy Hill and defensive tackles Brandon Mebane and Alan Branch.

All are expected to be starters this season. All got off to a late start in the preparation process for not only Saturday night’s preseason home opener against Minnesota Vikings at CenturyLink Field, but also the Sept. 11 regular-season opener against the division rival 49ers in San Francisco.

What’s a coach to do? Make do with what was there.

“This happened way too fast,” Carroll said Thursday after one last two-hour practice. “Every day we spent here has been so important, and we just need more of them.

“It’s gone well. We’ve had great competitiveness, which is what we always hope for. The players rallied around the style of practice, the high tempo and energy we expect of them and competing every day. They did that. So I think we’ve done what we can.”

The condensed camp was especially tough on Darrell Bevell, the new offensive coordinator who is installing a new system.

“You have to cut back,” Bevell said. “You can’t do as much as you would if you had all those OTAs, because you like to go through your system a couple times and then once you get to training camp they’ve heard it all. Now they’re comfortable with it. So in training camp you put all of it back in again, and then you start adding wrinkles.

“Well, we’re still in that first stage.”

So we’ll have wrinkles to look forward to as the coaches and players press on?

“We will,” Bevell said. “But you’ve got to get the base system in first.”

For their part, the players also have been in adapt-mode.

Squeeze play.

Tags: Brandon Mebane, coach pete carroll, Couple Times, Darrell Bevell, free agents, Fullback, Home Opener, Leroy Hill, Linebacker, Lockout, Michael Robinson, Minnesota Vikings, offensive coordinator, Seahawks, Season Opener, Sidney Rice, Summer Session, Tight End, Wide Receiver, Zach Miller