Seahawk Minicamp Wrap Up KJR 950 Curtis Crabtrree

by Curtis Crabtree
KJR reporter
Twitter: @Curtis_Crabtree

RENTON - The three-day rookie mini-camp for the Seattle Seahawks has officially come to a close.

Next up in the offseason schedule is four weeks of voluntary OTAs before a mandatory mini-camp in June. The players then get over a month off before training camp begins at the end of July.

Carroll spoke highly of their draft picks and the ability they showed during the three days of mini-camp workouts this weekend.

"Today was kind of a test day for us to see how much they learned and we’ll watch the film and evaluate and get some information off of that," Carroll said. "But we’re real pleased with the guys that we brought in in the draft. Everybody looked like they fit into the role that we had hoped for with a million miles to go."

Carroll singled out DT Jordan Hill and DT Jesse Williams as both being in great shape and performing well along the defensive line.

Carroll said that Hill will start out as a nose tackle for the Seahawks while Williams will be a 3-technique (lining up over the guard). He added that down the road they will also move Williams to 5-technique (over the tackle) and to nose tackle as well but that they want him to concentrate on one position to start.

On the offensive side of the ball, both WR Chris Harper and TE Luke Willson had impressive moments during the mini-camp.

Harper caught the ball well on the final two days of camp and made an impressive grab late in the final practice. QB Jerrod Johnson dropped a ball in over Harper's outside shoulder on a deep route up the right sideline. The ball was placed away from the reach of CB Chandler Fenner and Harper reeled in the catch for a touchdown.

"He's a big, solid dude like we thought," Carroll said. "He really has great hands. He has really classy hands. I don't think that there's any ball that he's out of. If he can get his hands on it, he has a chance to catch it."

Willson was consistent all three days. He flashed his speed from the tight end position and appears to fill the need the coaching staff was looking for.

"We really did give him a chance in this camp to show stuff," Carroll said. "We gave him a lot of balls and we wanted to see if his speed would show up downfield and it certainly does. He's very fast. He'll be our fastest tight end in camp."

Carroll said that both Harper and Willson will be thrown in with the first team offense when training camp gets underway in the fall.

"Those guys will get tossed right in with the first group," Carroll said. "First dozen plays they'll be out there."

Johnson was another player that stood out over the three-day mini-camp. He's spent the last two years correcting a poor throwing motion and made some quality throws during mini-camp.

"It definitely feels natural and I think throughout those two years, every day it got a little bit better and now it’s just time for me to get reps in a game type situation – practice and this – to get more comfortable," Johnson said.

He's got remarkable size for a quarterback. At 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds, he stands out physically.

"He’s got a very good arm," Carroll said. "He can gun the football down the field. He’s got great presence in that he’s such a big guy in the pocket which is totally different from our guys. If he can hang with us, you’ll see us utilize him doing things that he can do well. He’s bright and he’s handled things well so we’re excited about him."

Johnson said he spent time working as a physical education teacher for elementary school kids and for TexAgs.com covering Texas A&M sports while hoping for another NFL opportunity. He had spent training camps with the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers prior to signing with Seattle in recent weeks,

"If I told you I was 100 percent sure, I’d be lying to you," Johnson said. "But I’m a man of faith and I have faith in my abilities and you just work and do what you can."

Carroll singled out DE Benson Mayowa as one of the tryout players that stood out to him this week. Mayowa played at the University of Idaho. He added they are looking to round out the roster with 5-6 more signings, likely from the group of tryout players in this weekend.

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