Seahawks notes: First scrimmage sees Jimmy Graham star, hints at direction for O-line

RENTON – The Seahawks held their first scrimmage of training camp on Saturday, which featured Seattle’s twin towers at tight end, a first-unit defense that didn’t let the backups do much of anything and a pretty solid hint at the direction Seattle is looking on the offensive line.

First, the new toy for this offense. Actually, it might be the new entree. Tight end Jimmy Graham had the single biggest catch-your-breath moment as he came across the middle on a crossing route and stretching every bit of his 6-foot, 7-inch frame to catch the pass.

It was hard to tell what was more impressive about the play: That Graham caught the bullet of a pass cleanly or that Graham reacted so quickly he had jumped up for the catch before linebacker Tyrell Adams could even left his feet.

“I wasn’t surprised at all,” quarterback Russell Wilson said. “That’s the great thing about him. You can throw the football in tough places where nobody else can really get it but him.”

Graham was the intended target on an earlier pass, an up-and-out route by Graham that cornerback Mohammed Seisay was not fooled by. Wilson underthrew the ball, which was intercepted by Seisay.

Tight end Luke Willson punctuated the first half of the scrimmage as he made a sliding catch of Wilson’s pass in the back of the end zone. Graham caught a pass later in the scrimmage that appeared close to a touchdown, but the coaches pulled it back to work on goal-line formations.

Players wore shoulder pads for the scrimmage, but played only to first contact on the ball carrier as opposed to tackling.

The first-unit offense scored three touchdowns and converted a field goal on their possessions. The second-unit unit offense scored one touchdown, the Seahawks starting defensive line continually disrupting plays.

“That’s a tough defensive line they’re going against,” coach Pete Carroll said. “That’s as hard as it could get for those guys. It couldn’t be any harder.”

The most telling thing from the scrimmage was up front, though, with a few significant changes as Seattle searches for new starters at left guard and center.

Rookie Mark Glowinski saw time at left guard, which is significant because he was previously working on the right side behind J.R. Sweezy. Third-year player Alvin Bailey was with the first-unit offensive line to start the scrimmage though Glowinski did get a series there.

Terry Poole, like Glowinski a rookie, played at right tackle on Saturday. He had previously been considered a candidate at left guard.

At center, Drew Nowak started the scrimmage with the first unit, continuing his rise up the depth chart. Nowak played defensive line at Western Michigan. In fact, he was his conference’s defensive player of the year. After going undrafted, he spent his first two seasons in Jacksonville, which is where he began his switch to offensive line. Waived by the Jaguars last August, he signed to the Seahawks practice squad.

Now he’s competing with Lemuel Jeanpierre and Patrick Lewis to start at center. Carroll’s declaration at the start of training camp that Jeanpierre would be the starter if the team had to play a regular-season game right away may no longer be true.

“That was earlier,” Carroll said. “Drew Nowak is doing a really good job right now. Drew is getting a great shot to show us how he fits together with it.

“He needs every snap to show that he’s understanding and he can communicate and all that. But the indications are really good. He’s really strong, and he has shown really good smarts.”

Notes

• S Earl Thomas is on the active roster, but still is not practicing. He has, however, been on the field for the team’s afternoon walkthroughs.

• TE Cooper Helfet sat out Saturday’s practice with injured ribs.

• Rookie DE Obum Gwacham was out with an elbow injury.

• The three players in consideration for the team’s fifth defensive back in its nickel package are Will Blackmon, Marcus Burley and rookie Tye Smith.

• Cassius Marsh is playing exclusively defensive end this season. The team toyed with using him as a defensive tackle in its nickel defense last season. Seattle is trying Frank Clark in that role this season, not Marsh.

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