5 takeaways from Seahawks' first open OTA practice

Seattle Seahawks' Kasen Williams (18) and Brandon Cottom run through a drill at NFL football practice Thursday, May 26, 2016, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Seattle Seahawks' Kasen Williams (18) and Brandon Cottom run through a drill at NFL football practice Thursday, May 26, 2016, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson) Photo: AP Photo: AP Image 1 of / 71 Caption Close 5 takeaways from Seahawks' first open OTA practice 1 / 71 Back to Gallery

RENTON -- The Seahawks held their third organized team activities (OTA) session -- and the first one open to reporters -- Thursday on a cool, overcast day at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.

The practice wrapped up Seattle's first week of the third phase of their offseason program. Like the first two offseason phases, participation in OTAs is strictly voluntary, and four veterans -- defensive ends Michael Bennett and Chris Clemons, linebacker K.J. Wright and tackle Garry Gilliam -- missed Thursday's session along with rookie linebacker Pete Robertson.

Bennett stayed away for the second straight year in a show of his displeasure with his contract, while 11-year veteran Clemons sat out because he's earned that right. Wright was attending to the birth of his son, while Gilliam was recovering from surgery to remove a cyst from his knee. Robertson's status is unknown.

Thursday's session was a spirited one -- or as spirited as an NFL practice can be when players aren't wearing helmets during any drills that pit offensive players versus defenders.

"The attitude of this team is really obvious," head coach Pete Carroll said afterward. "They like working and they're enjoying it and we're making good progress."

We'll caution against reading too much into practices in late May, here are six takeaways from our first glimpse at OTAs.

Offensive line is a work in progress

The Seahawks' oft-maligned offensive line will be a unit under much scrutiny all offseason, with five starters at new positions in front of franchise quarterback Russell Wilson.

With Gilliam out on Thursday and presumed starting right tackle J'Marcus Webb watching from the sidelines with a calf injury, the starting unit was a mishmash. Free-agent addition Bradley Sowell started in place of Gilliam at left tackle, while second-year pro Terry Poole -- a longshot to make the active roster -- played right tackle. Left guard Mark Glowinski, center Justin Britt and right guard Germain Ifedi -- who all played with the first team on Thursday -- could end up starting in September, but suffice to say this unit has a long way to go before fans will feel comfortable with them.

It's notoriously hard to judge line play in practice, but there was a foreboding sign early in 11-on-11 drills when Britt -- playing in his third position in as many years -- snapped the ball over Wilson's head. In better news, first-round pick Ifedi certainly looks the part of an NFL starter (more on him later).

Graham, Rawls doing all they can to get back

Tight end Jimmy Graham (patellar tendon) and running back Thomas Rawls (ankle) aren't likely to take the field anytime soon after suffering major injuries during the 2015 season, but both are progressing well in their respective rehabs. Carroll wouldn't commit to either being ready for training camp, but said he hoped both would be ready by the start of the regular season.

"That was kind of what we're thinking. We have to avoid setbacks obviously but we're counting on that," Carroll said. "I think we'll ease into training camp for both guys, you know. Jimmy's a little farther behind than Thomas. We won't rush anything."

"Jimmy's healing really fast, and he's getting out there catching footballs as much as he can. And just the communication and meetings and all that, he's on it as much as can be," Wilson said of Graham. "He's going to be back sooner, I think, than people think. I think he'll be ready to go. He looks really, really good."

The Legion of Boom is back

While the team might be missing a couple of its offensive playmakers, the defense -- and in particular the "Legion of Boom" secondary -- is as healthy as it's been in a couple of offseasons. Last year cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Jeremy Lane, free safety Earl Thomas and strong safety Kam Chancellor were all coming off of serious injuries that sidelined them during OTAs. This year, the LOB has its full compliment of stars on the field, which makes a difference in the energy of each practice session.

"You can imagine the offseason we had last year when Earl was hurt and Richard was hurt and Kam was hurt. All those guys were banged up, and Jeremy Lane of course -- he had a terrible time just trying to make it back," Carroll said. "Those guys are having great offseasons. All of that, you can feel the energy that they bring and their well-being is obvious and it's just kind of added to the overall feel and spirit of all these camps we've been going through so far."

Rookies should make an impact

In 2013 and 2014, the Seahawks didn't get a lot of immediate results from their rookie classes. That changed in 2015 with second-round pick Frank Clark and especially third-rounder Tyler Lockett pay early dividends, and it appears the class of 2016 will also have a chance to make an immediate impact.

As mentioned above, Ifedi -- the team's first first-round pick since 2012 -- looks like the clear favorite to start at right guard, while second-rounder Jarran Reed should a big part in the defensive tackle rotation.

Those contributions are to be expected, but some of the team's picks from later rounds also looked like they'd challenge for significant playing time in their rookie seasons. Fifth-round defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson got some run with the the first team on Thursday, playing right defensive end with Bennett away, while fellow fifth-rounder Alex Collins saw the second-team reps at running back.

No plans for Marshawn

Speaking of running backs, Marshawn Lynch wasn't exactly known for being an every-down participant during offseason practices, particularly over the last couple of offseasons. But with rumors swirling about whether or not he'd stick with his decision to retire, his absence from the VMAC on Thursday was notable.

Christine Michael ran with the first-team offense, while Collins took snaps with the second team (third-round pick C.J. Prosise sat out with a hip flexor issue), and while Seattle will certainly feel the absence of "Beast Mode" on the field, the rapport with his teammates will also be missed. Wilson said the team should be up to the challenge after getting a taste of life without Lynch last year.

"I think the biggest thing is everybody stepping up, everybody leading -- very similar to when we couldn't have Marshawn last year when he was battling through his injuries and stuff. Guys stepped up and were leaders," Wilson said. "We're going to have to have that collective group of leadership, and that's going to be a great thing. I think it really makes the team really focus on each other and really get stronger too, in a way."

So is there a chance the Seahawks brings back Lynch if he decides to unretire? Don't plan on it.

When asked if the team has had any contact with their former star running back, Carroll didn't deliberate on an answer, simply saying "No," before moving on to the next question.

Visit seattlepi.com for more Seattle Seahawks news. Contact sports editor Stephen Cohen at stephencohen@seattlepi.com or @scohenPI.



