New OC Ryan Grubb sees Seahawks’ WR trio similar to UW stars
Feb 20, 2024, 12:03 PM | Updated: 1:05 pm
Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks catches a touchdown pass against the Eagles in 2023. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
With Ryan Grubb moving from Montlake to the VMAC, Seattle Seahawks fans are hoping the team’s new offensive coordinator is bringing with him some of the same dynamic plays in the passing game that his UW Huskies showed over the past two years.
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Good news on that front. On Tuesday’s edition of Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy, Grubb explained that he sees a similar makeup in the Seahawks’ top three wide receivers to the trio of stars that helped lead the Huskies to the College Football Playoff championship game at the end of the 2023 season.
“There’s no question, when I was looking at who is here and and the tools that are here at Seattle, I thought that there was a lot of familiarity in what would be able to be applicable in the system,” Grubb said.
The similarities are pretty spot-on in Grubb’s mind. In one case – second-year Seahawks wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba and UW’s Jalen McMillan – there’s even a shared uniform number.
“I think 11 here (Smith-Njigba) looks a little bit like 11 there (McMillan),” he said. “You know, those are good option-route runners, guys that if you can get somebody flat-footed or a nickel or a safety on those guys, they can highlight their skills.”
What about the primary receivers, also known as the ‘X’ in football parlance? Seattle Pro Bowler DK Metcalf and likely first-round pick Rome Odunze have a lot in common, too.
“You got the big-bodied ‘X’ in DK and Rome. I think that’s the thing that was amazing about Rome, and when I watch DK, I think the same thing – these guys are not just (straight-line) runners,” Grubb said. “These guys are (running) crossing routes, they’re middle-field open, they’re sitting in zones. They’re really versatile for big guys.”
Finally, the longest-tenured Seahawks player, Tyler Lockett, fills a role similar to what Ja’Lynn Polk has done at Washington.
“And then you got the experienced route runner in the ‘Z’ – you know, Lockett can do all those things. I mean, you can move that guy about anywhere, so excited about that.”
This is just a small snippet of everything Grubb discuess with Bump and Stacy. Find the full conversation in either the video or the audio player near the top of this post.
More on the new Seattle Seahawks OC Ryan Grubb
• Bumpus: Seahawks OC Grubb brings plenty to like in run game
• Video: UW QB Michael Penix on Ryan Grubb becoming Seahawks OC
• ‘Unicorn event’ allows Ryan Grubb to stay in Seattle
• Why Grubb can be ‘very successful’ jumping from UW
• Huard: What OC Ryan Grubb can do to improve Seattle Seahawks
