Seahawks' SAM competition between Morgan, Marsh and Pinkins should last all summer

Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) practices blocks during the team's minicamp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Wa., Tuesday, June 14, 2016. Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) practices blocks during the team's minicamp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Wa., Tuesday, June 14, 2016. Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close Seahawks' SAM competition between Morgan, Marsh and Pinkins should last all summer 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

RENTON -- During training camp this summer, Seahawks fans are going to witness something that hasn't happened in five years: A wide-open, no-favorite competition for a starting spot on the team's defense.

Sure, Pete Carroll's teams have played under his "always compete" mantra since he arrived in 2010. But the draft classes from that offseason through 2012 provided a neat succession plan whereby veterans who weren't perfect fits for Carroll's system (such as linebacker Aaron Curry) were pushed out by young players who developed into foundational players for the franchise (such as K.J. Wright).

Not since 2011, when Walter Thurmond and Kelly Jennings battled with rookies Richard Sherman and Byron Maxwell for a starting cornerback job eventually won by Brandon Browner, has a starting job been so completely up for grabs.

Until this year.

The offseason departure by 2012 first-round pick Bruce Irvin opened up the strongside (SAM) linebacker spot he manned since 2013. Somewhat surprisingly, Seattle didn't bring in a replacement via free agency or the draft, leaving a three-way competition for the starting job between veteran Mike Morgan, converted defensive end Cassius Marsh and converted defensive back Eric Pinkins.

After Seattle's first minicamp practice on Tuesday -- when Morgan, Marsh and Pinkins all took snaps with the first-team defense -- Carroll said there was no favorite for the spot heading into training camp.

"It's wide open," Carroll said. "It's really wide open. You can't call that right now. We won't call that until after we're playing games. We've got good competition."

The three candidates couldn't be more different. Morgan, 28, has played the position since his days under Carroll at USC, but has been unable to break into the defensive lineup, seeing the vast majority of his playing time on special teams.

The 23-year-old Marsh was a 300-pound defensive tackle at UCLA in 2011 before moving to defensive end and joining the Seahawks as a fourth-round pick in 2014, playing in 21 regular-season games over the past two seasons.

Pinkins, 24, was a sixth-round pick in that same draft out of San Diego State, where he played a hybrid safety/linebacker position known as "Warrior." After trying him out at cornerback, the Seahawks moved him to safety before switching him to outside linebacker last offseason.

Carroll said the difference between the three helps with the competition. Morgan is the safest option, while Marsh and Pinkins may represent riskier alternatives with higher upside.

"Mike Morgan gives us good stability -- he's been at the position for 18 years now," Carroll joked on Tuesday. "Cassius has done a really nice job picking up the position. Pinkins has done a really good job, gives us a superior athlete at the spot. He's so fast coming from the DB spot. So we've got a nice variety."

Pinkins missed his rookie season with a Lisfranc injury, then was briefly released during the season last year after his move to linebacker before being re-signed and seeing action in six regular-season games on special teams.

Following the team's minicamp practice on Wednesday, Pinkins said he was making fewer assignment errors than last season, which earned the trust of his coaches.

"If they did not believe in my abilities, then I'd be out of here by now," Pinkins said. "But they obviously know that I can play the SAM position, so that's exactly what I'm doing."

Marsh is comfortable setting the edge in the run game and rushing the passer, but said he's been getting help from starters Wright and Bobby Wagner as he attempts to pick up the subtleties of dropping into coverage, which he calls "nothing crazy."

"K.J. and the coaches and Bobby have been really helpful in trying to help fill me in and make sure I know what I'm doing and giving me whatever advice they can," Marsh said. "I'm learning a lot and I look forward to camp."

Yet another player from the draft class of 2014 entered the SAM competition last week in Kevin Pierre-Louis, though he's more built for a weakside (WILL) spot that allows him to play in space. And while he seems like the fourth player in line for the spot in mid-June, he can't be ruled out completely with the decision on who replaces Irvin potentially going all the way up to the start of the regular season.

"It's a really good spot," Carroll said. "It'll be fun to watch at camp. Really, the preseason games will be enormous for that."

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