BRADY HENDERSON

Henderson: Three things to watch during the Seahawks’ Friday OTA

Jun 2, 2017, 12:16 AM | Updated: 10:29 am

The Seahawks will hold the third of their seven Organized Team Activities (OTAs) on Friday. It will be the first one that’s open to the media, which will make it our first glimpse of the 2017 team in its entirety on the practice field.

Here are three things I’ll have my eyes on:

What’s Earl doing? When Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported earlier this week that Earl Thomas was taking nearly every rep in OTAs, it was the latest and perhaps strongest indication yet that Seattle’s All-Pro free safety is on track to be ready by Week 1 as he recovers from a broken leg. The significance of that cannot be overstated given how a) the Seahawks open the season against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers at Lambeau Field and b) their defense missed him sorely when he went down in December of last year. There may not be a more important player to Seattle’s defense than Thomas, which means there isn’t a more important recovery than his. OTAs will be a good gauge of where that’s at. Whatever reps Thomas doesn’t take in practice figure to go to newcomer Bradley McDougald, a former starter with Tampa Bay. The Seahawks considered McDougald one of the top players in free agency and therefore considered themselves fortunate to be able to sign him on the cheap to a one-year deal. The way coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have talked about McDougald – as well as what’s been said about him behind the scenes – leaves the impression that he’ll have a role in Seattle’s defense even if Thomas or strong safety Kam Chancellor don’t miss any time. That role could be in a three-safety package, something the Seahawks haven’t much of in a long time. OTAs could offer a glimpse of whatever plan they may have to get McDougald on the field.

Fant’s physique. No NFL offseason would be complete without a player who has supposedly returned to work in the best shape of his career after slimming down or bulking up. Sounds like left tackle George Fant is that player this year based on what coaches have said about him and what Brock Huard and Mike Salk observed earlier this week. Fant is apparently significantly bigger and more muscular after being listed at 296 pounds as an undrafted rookie last year, when he was transitioning to offensive line after playing tight end during his lone season on Western Kentucky’s football team. As much as Fant struggled after he was thrown into the fire at left tackle last season, it’s not out of the question that he hangs onto that job. Seattle gave Luke Joeckel $7 million guaranteed in free agency, but the Seahawks will give him a look at left guard, where he played last season in Jacksonville. Joeckel is likely to be limited in practice for a while as he continues to work his way back from a serious knee injury. That should mean plenty of work for Fant at left tackle and a long look at how he’s carrying his added weight.

Crowded backfield. Waiving Troymaine Pope earlier this week was the first of what figures to be several tough decisions the Seahawks will have to make in a backfield that has a bunch of ballcarriers but room for perhaps only half of them. Eddie Lacy, C.J. Prosise and Thomas Rawls are the locks while Alex Collins and Chris Carson are among others who will be competing for the final spot, if there even is one. Collins was a non-factor for much of his rookie season last year before coming on strong late (and, by the way, he looks trimmer). Carson, meanwhile, is a seventh-round pick whose tough running style made him a pre-draft favorite of Carroll. As for the top of the depth chart, I’d expect Lacy to be Seattle’s primary ballcarrier over Rawls this season while Prosise remains in the third-down role. But Rawls is the incumbent and Lacy is still working his way back from an ankle injury, so their respective OTA workloads may not be indicative of the team’s plans.

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