Heaps: Why Olsen and Dorsett will make a big impact for the Seahawks

As the Seahawks look to take a step forward in the 2020 season, one way the team tried to improve this offseason has been giving quarterback Russell Wilson more weapons on offense.

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The two biggest offseason acquisitions have been veteran tight end Greg Olsen, a three-time Pro Bowler and oneof the best tight ends of his generation, and speedy receiver Phillip Dorsett, a former first-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts who won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2018.

Former NFL quarterback Jake Heaps, who hosts 710 ESPN Seattle’s Tom, Jake and Stacy, got to see the two acquisitions up close as he is in San Diego working out with Wilson and some other members of the Seahawks, including Olsen and Dorsett. Safe to say, Heaps came away impressed.

Olsen, 35, was the first big move of Seattle’s offseason and he chose to play for the Seahawks rather than the Bills, Redskins or retiring and starting his career in broadcasting. Heaps says the veteran playmaker should easily carve out a major role in the Seahawks’ offense.

“You see Greg Olsen in person and this is what a receiving tight end should look like,” Heaps said. “Big, long, great details of route running and he has the smoothest hands I’ve ever seen. When you talk about Russell having a true receiving tight end, I think Greg Olsen is it.”

The Seahawks experimented with a “true receiving tight end” a few years ago with Jimmy Graham and while Graham did have solid numbers and has the most touchdowns of any tight end in Seahawks history, it was clear he wasn’t a great fit in Seattle’s offense. Heaps doesn’t see that happening with Olsen.

“I think Greg, honestly, is going to be the best version of that tight end room in terms of that ability to block, his ability to go out there and catch passes,” he said. “And this is a guy who understands the passing game. So if you’re going to open things up more, you’ve got a great tight end there in Greg Olsen who can still run, catch the ball and has a great feel and understanding of zones, so he’ll be a great, reliable target on third down and in the redzone in particular.”

Heaps has even more familiarity with Dorsett as the two were teammates at the University of Miami. Dorsett, 27, will compete to be the Seahawks’ No. 3 receiver, and one trait should help him make an impact in 2020.

“Phillip Dorsett, guys, is fast. When I say fast, he is fast,” Heaps said.

Want to see just how fast Dorsett is? Look no further than his 40-yard dash time at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, which he ran in 4.33 seconds, the third-best time of all invitees that year. Dorsett hasn’t quite lived up to his first-round status as he has only had over 500 yards in a season one time, but Heaps said pairing him with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, who combined for just under 2,000 yards in 2019, should help everyone involved.

“They are going to be dynamic,” Heaps said. “They are going to get on top of people and over the top and I think that will be a really fun combination for Russell Wilson to have in new additions of Greg Olsen and Phillip Dorsett.”

Listen to the full second hour of Tom, Jake and Stacy, which starts with a conversation with former NFL receiver and current 710 contributor Michael Bumpus, at this link or in the player below.

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