Pete Carroll: Seahawks’ energy at training camp ‘the best ever’

RENTON – The Seahawks held their 14th and final practice of training camp on Tuesday, which will mean two notable changes from the last two weeks. The first is that while the daily schedule remains mostly the same, practices are no longer open to fans. The other is that the players – with the exception of rookies – are no longer required to stay at the team hotel and therefore no longer subject to evening curfews.

And so as it often does, the final day of Seahawks camp had the feel of the final day of school. Bucket hats and backwards baseball caps replaced helmets and shoulder pads. Jermaine Kearse and Richard Sherman did their best pro wrestling imitations, the wide receiver pretending to spring himself off some imaginary ropes to take down the cornerback.

“He executed it beautifully,” Sherman joked afterward.

Despite what looked like a light – and light-hearted – day of work, coach Pete Carroll said earlier in the day on “Brock and Salk” that the energy at this year’s training camp was the best he’s ever seen it.

That wasn’t just his observation. The Seahawks’ sports-science staff uses GPS trackers on players that, as Carroll explained, monitor “how much energy they’re expending and the speed that they practice at.”

“And we’re noted for practicing fast,” he said. “I hope nobody can practice like us anywhere, and this is the best that we’ve done.”

Carroll said the increased energy during training camp compared to the last two – when the Seahawks were coming off one Super Bowl victory and a most disappointing return trip – has been an extension of what he has noticed since last season came to an end with a loss to the Panthers in the divisional round of the playoffs.

“It’s just felt different from the beginning of the offseason, coming off the Carolina game,” he said. “It was clear. It was just clear that it was going to be different. Just my level of conversation with Sherm and Bobby (Wagner) and K.J. (Wright) and Russell (Wilson) and all of the guys – Doug (Baldwin) – across the board has just been at a higher level and a more focused, tuned in, clear-eyed perspective.

“I think what’s happening is as they mature, they’re realizing how rare these opportunities are and how they come and go so fast and that they don’t want to miss it and they want to make sure we make the very most of it, which puts is right in the right frame of mind to capture and be mindful and maximize this opportunity.”

Here are some notes from Tuesday’s practice:

• Right tackle J’Marcus Webb took some reps with the No. 2 offensive line. That Webb was able to do any work during practice is a good sign for his recovery from the knee injury that had sidelined him for the last week, which included Seattle’s preseason opener. That he was working with the second team, though, is another sign that Bradley Sowell and Garry Gilliam could be the Seahawks’ starting tackles when the regular season begins.

• Rookie running back C.J. Prosise did not do much in practice and was seen with ice on his hamstring. He hurt his hamstring on the first day of training camp and only returned to practice on Monday. Also among those not practicing were strong safety Kam Chancellor (groin) and defensive tackles Jordan Hill (groin) and Sealver Siliga (calf).

• Linebacker Mike Morgan was back at practice, a day after Carroll said he was in Philadelphia seeing a doctor for an issue with his groin. Carroll, though, said Morgan is fine and that he’ll play in Seattle’s second preseason game Thursday.

• Defensive tackle Tony McDaniel, who was signed on Monday, was wearing No. 93. He wore No. 99 during his first stint with the team – from 2013-2014 – but rookie Quinton Jefferson now wears that number. The Seahawks waived cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptitse with an injury designation upon signing McDaniel. Jean-Baptiste hurt his shoulder in Seattle’s preseason opener.