Seahawks begin offseason workouts with rookie mini camp

FULL PETE CARROLL TRANSCRIPT

May 14, 2021

(On having Darrell Taylor back on the field) 

“It’s really important for his return to get comfortable playing ball again, it’s been a long year for him. We did get to see him at the end of the season, which helped. He got on the field for a couple of weeks, and this is hugely important for him. His attitude and want-to is so good right now. He’s in a great space, it’s good to get him out there just to get some turns and some reps. He’s got some catching up to do.”

(On if Darrell Taylor is 100% healthy) 

“Let me look at the film and see what he looks like. It’s the first time I’ve had a chance to see him I didn’t have enough to look at on this practice, at this point. He ran around pretty well. He felt comfortable and did everything so, that’s a really good sign.”

(On where Darrell Taylor will play)

 “He is going to be an outside player for us, rush outside, outside linebacker. Both jobs he’s taking a look at.”

(On what is thoughts are on how his guys were able to get work in today and having more individual one-on-one time with the players) 

“This was great work today. Normally today in a rookie camp, we would have probably another 15-18 guys, around 50 something. We had 31 today. But it worked out fine. They will get the same amount of reps they would get in a normal camp. We would have to adjust the tempo a little bit to get that done, but they’ll get the same snaps. That’s the main thing so we can make good evaluations and all. That was a really good start today, that was really fun seeing those guys out there.”

(On Cade Johnson’s situation and how excited they were to get him as an undrafted free agent)

 “He was really productive in school, so we are excited to see him play. We see him playing inside, being an inside receiver for us. He’s not quite ready to go yet. We just have to hold off for a little bit. He’s just getting walk through reps and stuff like that, so he knows what’s going on. We can’t get him on the practice field yet.”

(On what he saw out of D’Wayne Eskridge and his thoughts on Connor Weddington) 

“I thought D’Wayne looked really good, he looked just like we had hoped. He looked very quick, very strong. He had a really easy time with the types of routes that we were running. He had no problem at all doing anything. He caught the ball really beautifully today. He’s off to a nice start, he’s a good strong kid. He’s built well. He catches the ball with strength and power. You can see him getting out of his transitions after catching it, turning and running. It was a really good first day. We got him to break us down a couple times, the first time he broke them down- I’m not sure what he said, and the next time he broke us down to ‘Seahawks’, so that was a little bit better. He got better during the course of the day. He might have said ‘dogs’ the first time he broke them down. We got him straightened out.”

(On what makes Darrell Taylor a prime option for playing ’Sam’ and what are the biggest things he has to learn that he hasn’t experienced before in that position)

 “He did a lot in college. He did a lot of drop, he did a lot of rushing, and we liked him as a rusher first, which we still do. He’s got all of the athleticism, he’s a real natural athlete, he’s real light on his feet, he’s got burst, explosion, his change of direction is really good. This is not going to be a challenge for him to learn the position. We need to see how he feels when we do mix in some dropping and rushing. We want to see him as an outside rusher as well in passing situations. We’re double teaching him. He’s such a good looking athlete, he looks like he can do whatever you need him to do. We have no real restrictions or a hesitation on that, on his range of play.”

(On if there have been any random first impressions that have stood out to him from the guys since bringing them in and seeing them in person)

 “Just seeing the three draft picks in particular, how giddy they are just to be here. When you come from all over the country, you show up here and you’re not sure what you’re going to get into, and it’s your first day in the NFL and they see our facility and our setting, how we take care of our business, everything is so first class, these guys are just so big-eyed. They’re smiling and having fun and really excited to be here. I think D’Wayne [Eskridge] said something today like, ‘It’s a dream come true’. It’s just really fun to share their excitement. One thing you can’t miss is Stone Forsythe is a monster of a guy. He’s such a big, good looking athlete. I’m anxious to see what his film looks like on his first day out here. He’s got tremendous length. His stature, he’s built so beautifully. He’s really perfectly fit for the position left tackle. I’m looking forward to see how that goes. They’re all charged up and pumped up and it’s fun to share that with them.”

(On how he feels about veteran players choosing to opt out of OTAs)

 “They made a decision early with the information that they had, and they didn’t know what the deal was with Covid protocols, it hadn’t been stated yet from the league. They made an early decision, they were concerned and wanted tomake sure they take care of business and make sure everyone stays safe. I couldn’t have agreed with them more. Things are changing rapidly. Today was the big announcement from the league in conjunction with what the CDC said, people who have been vaccinated officially and fully are out of masks. I know you guys can feel that as well, that’s a shift. It’s a shift in your mentality. It changes things somewhat that we have transitioned to this point where things are a little different than they were back then. I don’t know what’s going to happen as we move forward. I’m anxious to see next week how all of the teams handle it. I think 21 teams sent a letter in and made a statement that they weren’t going to come to camp. We’ll see what happens and see what’s right. I trust our guys, they are working at it and they are figuring it out and I know they’re working really hard, and you know they’re studying really well. All of our zoom meetings have been on point and better even than they really were last year at this time. We’re making progress we’ll see what happens in the coming weeks.”

(On if they have thought about trying to entice veteran players back with shorter OTAs)

 “We’re talking to our guys about what our options are. We are well aware of some of the thoughts that the teams have. We are going to come up with our own stuff which we are already talking about, to see if something fits right as we move forward.”

(On Jon Rhattigan’s status)

 “All I know is that it’s been seamless, there’s been no issues. He’s here with us just like everybody else now. I don’t know if it’s an exemption or how they do this, but he has the time and the freedom to be here with us. I would imagine that he has some reserve responsibilities out of season. I don’t know the particulars other than that he is with us and he’s all in. He seems like a really cool kid. I’m anxious to see the chip on his shoulder about being from West Point. I’ve been around a guy that really demonstrates that and I’m Curious to see if that follows suit.”

(On if Jon Rhattigan will play inside linebacker)

 “That’s where we’re starting him at. We’ll find out, it was our first day on the field. He looks like that’s where he fits. He’ll be learning Mike and Will right now.”

(On Aaron Donkor) 

“I think the program is great. I love that we’re doing that and making the opportunities available to people from other areas. I’m all for it. Aaron’s [Donkor] really charged up, he’s really excited about it. His first day out here, he fits in with everybody. He doesn’t look like it’s too big for him at this early stage. I’m anxious to follow his enthusiasm, and I know sending a message back home is a big deal. He had a good first day and we will learn a lot more as we go. He will not be without a lot of excitement and enthusiasm, he was jacked up today. He’s been coming around the office, we’ve seen him a couple of times in the first day already. He’s trying to find his way a little bit but, he’s doing well.”

(On how Darrell Taylor is doing physically)

  “With the work that he has been able to do here in town and in the off-season, that is how we are approaching it, like that’s behind him now. We’ve made a real clear declaration and now it’s about getting in shape, getting ready to play ball, and getting back to his football. Maybe a little wishful thinking but, we’re feeling like that is behind him. Now is just about maximizing the opportunity to get strong and making sure he is really fit and ready for a challenging season. We are all really encouraged about it.”

(On the overlap and interchangeability between playing Sam and Leo)

 “Both positions call for outside rush ability. Both guys drop at times, the Sam position drops more than the Leo position and is a little more featured as a pass defender on early downs. The demands of it can crossover. The guys can really be able to double dip so we can get the right kinds of combinations in, guys on the correct side, maximizing guys’ strengths. That’s really what we’re doing right now. All the while we’re evaluating the guys that are playing  both positions to see how much of a crossover they are able to make, and see how much flexibility they give us. There’s no question Darrell can do both things. There’s no doubt.”

(On what options D’Wayne Eskridge’s speed gives to the offense) 

“We love the speed, we love to be explosive, we love to use the whole field. Russ [Wilson] is a great downfield thrower. We for a long time have been an explosively oriented team in the throwing game, particularly on early downs off the run game. The more speed the better. He is going to fit in beautifully. He’ll work his way and compete his way into how much he can contribute. To have all of those guys that stretch is really what you desire. I don’t know how it’s going to turn out, we are 1,000,000 miles away from figuring all of that out. The fact that he does have big-time speed, we saw all of the highlights, all of the huge place that he was able to execute, it’s a real positive for us. We’re going to find out how comfortable he is playing inside as well as outside. We saw him about 85% of the time play at the wide receiver position into the boundary. We are going to have to uncover some of that flexibility as we go through it. Just today he was lined up in the slot, motioning around, moving around as well as playing outisde. It doesn’t look like it’s going to be any problem. It’s just a matter of what we ask him. He’s a really bright kid, he really cares about the details of stuff. He’s making a big impression with Nate [Carroll] and the guys on the receiver side of things. We’ll see how it all pans out. About the speed, there’s nothing to replace that.”

(On where he plans to play Pier Lastage)

 “We’re going to try him at guard as well as being an emergency center type guy. Right now, we want him to feature playing the guard position. That’s day one, we have to figure it out from here. I’m excited about this guy, he’s really, really focused and jacked about being here. The first time I talk to him he was on a subway or something like that, so we have to struggle our way through our first conversation. I could tell his enthusiasm and juice for coming here and being part of this was there. He’s a real bright kid and I really look forward to him finding his way. We’re open to whatever, but we are starting him at guard. He did take snaps at center today in early practice. Like we always say, ‘the more you can do’.