Rost: Seahawks questions that will and won’t be answered when camp ends

The Seahawks second week of training camp already brought a few answers to burning fan questions. Will Jamal Adams, who suffered a finger injury on the first day of camp, return to practice? Yes. He played Monday, in fact, complete with a cast on his hand.

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While many questions linger still, there are at least a few that will be answered before Week 1.

Questions that will be answered in the near future

Who’s the starting quarterback?

No surprise here: the biggest question of camp is the one the rest of the league has been discussing since March. Outside of Seattle, ex-Bronco Drew Lock dominates that conversation. And that makes sense. After all, Lock was the quarterback packaged into Denver’s massive trade with the Seahawks and is just 25 years old. Further cementing that belief are comments from head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider, both of whom have publicly praised Lock and appear higher on his potential than are NFL critics. But right now, the job is Geno Smith’s to lose. Smith, who started three games in place of an injured Russell Wilson last season, has been taking first-team reps over Lock. Neither has drastically outperformed the other in camp so far, but Smith has a firmer grasp on the offense. Lock might not be happy taking the backseat, but if the season started today, you’d see number seven under center. Lock’s best bet to take over is to cut down on errant throws (he’s missed a couple receivers in camp) and prove he’s fully comfortable with the offense.

What does the starting cornerback tandem look like?

Outside of quarterback, corner might be the biggest position battle of camp. Both spots are up for grabs, though veterans Artie Burns and Sidney Jones have been with the ones in camp. Look for that competition to heat up as summer continues: Tre Brown, who played well as a started for a handful of games last year, is expected to return soon from the PUP list, and rookie Coby Bryant has strung together a few nice days of practice.

Will this offensive line have two rookies?

Left tackle Charles Cross, this year’s No. 9 overall pick, is penned in as a starter. Not only is it imperative that Seattle get the most out of its highest draft pick since Russell Okung in 2010, but there’s little real competition for Cross without Duane Brown. Three tackles are competing on the right side: Jake Curhan, who joined the squad as an updrafted rookie last year, Stone Forsyth, a 2021 sixth-round pick out of Florida, and rookie Abe Lucas, selected in the third round this year out of Washington State. Curhan opened camp as the starting right tackle but there’s certainly a chance Lucas wins the job from him.

You’ll be waiting longer for these answers…

Is the starting quarterback gig safe?

This season, Seattle may find itself facing something it hasn’t felt in since Russell Wilson’s rookie season: a quarterback controversy. One of the league’s greatest sources of drama looks a bit different this time around, though. There’s no drafted rookie or a highly-paid free agent. In fact, there’s no real investment at all (not compared to, say, the 49ers making Trey Lance the third overall pick a year ago). Few teams will see praise for benching a rookie who could be the face of the franchise. There are fears of hurting his development, his confidence, and the team’s faith in his role. But with Smith and Lock, the consequences are comparatively smaller – and those two players, both of whom have spent time as a backup, know that their role as a starter will not be given, but must instead be earned and maintained. Fail to uphold the second part of that, and you could find yourself riding the bench while your teammate takes over under center.

Can Rashaad Penny tap back into his 2021 run?

Both Penny and rookie Ken Walker have looked solid at camp so far. More importantly, both have stayed healthy. And that last point makes Penny one of the most intriguing players of camp. The former first round pick was half a season away from being labeled a bust before he took off and became the best running back in football in the final month of the season. Getting into a rhythm was always going to be one of the most important facets of his game, and staying on the field sure helped spur that approach.

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