The Seahawks' offseason program has quietly been in effect for two weeks now, completely drowned out in fanfare by the NFL Draft and it's buildup. Now that the team's picks are in, the players can really start working toward the season, knowing for the most part who they'll be working out with.
The offseason is split into three phases, something that I broke down a few weeks ago. In Phase one, which is now over, the primary goal was for strength and conditioning and/or injury rehab. Strength and conditioning coaches worked with the players on the field but regular position coaches were not allowed. These weren't traditional practices - more akin to a group workout with a little bit of guidance from strength coaches. The contact with coaches is what sets phase two apart.
Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell was excited to finally start teaching his players the offense, as shared by Clare Farnsworth at Seahawks.com. Said Bevell, "This whole thing right now for us is teaching. That's our main focus, to break it down as basic and as simple as we can. Last year, it was all done on the fly [because of the lockout]. So we're doing tons and tons of teaching, to make sure that we're getting it installed the way we want. We can talk them through our drills. We can talk them through each and every play. All the techniques we're looking for. So today was great."
On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley added, "This gave us a chance to see the guys that were banged up at the end of the year. Just see their skills, to see where they're at as far as coming back from those injuries. We're also continuing to see great attitude and work ethic in all the drills. We're getting closer to football. We're still a ways away, but it's getting closer."
Going back to the different phases of the offseason - here's a basic rundown of what to expect:
Phase Two: the second phase is typically three weeks, and brings in coaches and on-field workouts. This phase began on Monday. The teams are allowed to bring all coaches but are not allowed to wear pads or helmets, (non-hitting practice). This is a way for teams to team on-field schematics and principles without instructing on hitting and all that. Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson should start their competition in earnest at this point, to get a hold of the offense, start developing chemistry with receivers, getting terminology or any changes down, etc. Same with the defensive side of the football.
Finally, phase three.
The third phase, which covers the four weeks, is where the famous Organized Team Activities (OTAs) come in. These are more like traditional practice with helmets but they're not full contact, as players don't wear pads. Again, used for getting acclimated back into football without the physical rigors of full-contact.
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