Seahawks’ Pete Carroll addresses Michael Bennett comments; update shared on Kam Chancellor
Apr 23, 2018, 5:18 PM
Seahawks general manager John Schneider is entering the draft with just four picks. (AP)
(AP)
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider held a pre-NFL Draft press conference at team headquarters in Renton on Monday, and the most notable things they addressed had little to do with the draft that starts Thursday.
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Carroll addressed former Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett saying he read books last season during team meetings, and Schneider provided an update on the status of safety Kam Chancellor, who is hoping to make a comeback from a season-ending neck injury.
Here are notes on those subjects and more from the press conference.
Michael Bennett
Carroll denied Michael Bennett read books during team meetings, as the now Philadelphia Eagle told Sports Illustrated’s Greg Bishop.
“Mike never brought a book to a meeting, I can tell you that,” Carroll said. “The thing I would tell you about that is we’ve been through a lot around here and we’ve grown tremendously together and all that, and changes are inevitable. Sometimes guys can’t hang with what’s expected for one reason or another – their growth, their development and all that – and the best thing I can tell you is they’re not here.”
Kam Chancellor
The Seahawks won’t know more about whether Chancellor will be able to play in 2018 – or ever again – until late June or early July, when the Pro Bowl safety is set to undergo a scan, Schneider said.
Chancellor, who turned 30 earlier this month, suffered a neck injury last Nov. 9 against the Arizona Cardinals, ending his season and putting his playing career in jeopardy.
Malik McDowell
It doesn’t sound like McDowell, Seattle’s top 2017 draft pick who has yet to play a snap in the NFL due to injuries suffered in an ATV accident, will be playing in 2018.
“We haven’t had any indication to think that yet,” Carroll said about McDowell possibly playing this year. “We’re waiting to see what happens and we’re hoping we get good information soon. Unfortunately – I’ve said this to you guys 100 times it seems like – we don’t have anything new for you. We don’t have an update that makes us a call how we’re going to deal with this yet. It’s not available to us. We just have to keep waiting. We can’t expect that he’s there at this point until we get him back. We’ve got to get him back in the building where he can work and all that, and right now we don’t have the opportunity to tell you that.”
Added Schneider: “There’s a lot of stuff we can’t get into, sorry. There’s a lot of things. It’s a really unfortunate situation, on both sides.”
It was reported earlier this month that the Seahawks plan to release McDowell at some point this offseason.
Colin Kaepernick
Carroll responded to a report that the Seahawks postponed a meeting with free agent Colin Kaepernick due to the politically active quarterback not having a set plan for whether or not he would stand or kneel for the national anthem.
“I think that kind of – that got blown up , you know, like that was a big marker,” Carroll said. “I think we’ve been working at this for some time now so I don’t think that’s really as telling as it came across. So we’re real aware of him and he’s a fine football player and there may be a place. We’re not sure about where that fits yet.”
Carroll said Kaepernick is still a possibility to come in and backup to Russell Wilson.
“There’s free agents that we continue to look at. In that, the process just continues. At this point, we’ve gone through the information gathering and we have a pretty good feel for where we are. It’s ongoing. We’re not done with that decision at all. We’re still watching him.”
As for Kaepernick’s political stances?
“I think he’s continuing to work on the stuff that’s really important to his heart. That’s what it looks like. He’s been recognized with an award just recently. Everything’s important. We take everything into account to make the decisions that we make. It’s no different for the quarterback spot than any other spot we’re considering.”
