Under Pete Carroll, the Seattle Seahawks He had opportunities for joint practices in the preseason, but Carroll I wasn’t very interested in the idea.. Enter new head coach Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks are already doing things differently.
For the first time since 1991 with the Atlanta Falcons, the Seahawks will hold practices before a preseason meeting. The team will fly early to Nashville for two sessions with the Tennessee Titans before playing their exhibition matchup on August 17.
Speaking to the media at mandatory minicamp earlier in the week, Macdonald referenced his past seasons with the The Baltimore Ravens when approaching the decision to carry out joint internships.
Through Seahawks.com:
“They did it almost every season I was there,” Macdonald said. “Again, you’ve had some great experiences when handled the right way and some not so great ones, to put it politely. So it’s really about controlling the environment. “The guys understand what the spirit of it all is and I think we can do it.”
This will be a new experience for people like DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and many others who have spent their entire careers in Seattle and therefore have not had joint practices in the NFL. Former New York Jets guard Laken Tomlinson is one of the exceptions, saying “it’s another tool to sharpen the iron.”
Macdonald sees advantages in facing other competition, even in a non-gaming environment.
“We know a lot of the coaches there, how they operate and it’s an opportunity to put it in an environment where you can control the paces, control the drills, get high-intensity (workouts) for the guys so they’re ready. roll. It’s just easier, a little more controlled, than real game replays.”
For Macdonald, the team can benefit from the practices. “It’s hard to go against yourself all the time, especially during the OTA, so it will be good to see another offense. And for our offense, it would be good to see what they do on defense. “It’s just nice to see different styles.”
I guess the next preseason look at Mike Macdonald’s philosophy is how far his projected starters will play in all three exhibitions.