Saturday Practice Wrap-Up: A Most Pleasant Surprise

Written by Mike Parker | 08 August 2009

It was a glorious day to be a Seahawks fan today -- especially if you were at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center for the day's practice.

After about 20 minutes after the start of warm-ups, stretching and various drills, a booming voice was heard over the field's PA system:

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the newest member of the Seahawks, number 59, Aaron Curry!"

The crowd erupted in cheers and rushed the barrier separating the grassy knoll from the practice field. Fans shouted enthusiastic greetings to Curry, who vaguely acknowledged the welcoming and jumped straight into man-to-man drills. Moments later, he found out Leroy Hill had his own version of an enthusiastic greeting.

Admittedly, Curry looked a little behind compared to even the other rookies, who have now had seven straight days of camp under their belts. He got thoroughly burned by TE Cameron Morrah in man-to-man coverage drills, with John Carlson and Dan Curran soon adding their names to Morrah's. After another few runs through drills, it became safe to say that Curry faced a steep learning curve. However, his instincts looked sharp, despite his absence being fairly obvious.

He even seemed happy to be carrying the veterans' helmets off the field.

And he should be smiling -- the contract he signed today is a six-year $60M deal, with $34M guaranteed.

Beyond Curry's superhero-like entrance into mid-practice, there was plenty to be excited about today.

• The rumors are true: TJ Houshmandzadeh could catch a ball thrown to the moon. He ran every route with military precision, was always keenly aware of coverage and made every reach, adjustment and body contortion necessary to haul in the ball. He's going to be a stud for this team if he keeps it up.
• The running backs -- yes, all of them -- also looked very solid in pass-catching. In 11-on-11 drills, Justin Forsett had a couple of impresive grabs while on the run through traffic, despite the offensive line not always giving him a hole.
  
• Ray Willis is on a definite mean streak and continued to be relentless in pass protection.
  
• Courtney Taylor stole the show, making a spectacular one-handed catch in the back of the end zone during the first part of 11-on-11 sessions. He also seemed much improved on making catches under heavy coverage from the first-team defense.
  
• On man-to-man coverage drills, Josh Wilson absolutely stuffed Jordan Kent at about a yard off the line of scrimmage. Kent was thoroughly underwhelming today and was one of the few Seahawks who just couldn't hang onto the ball. I sense the clock running out on Kent's tenure in Seattle, unless he can begin to shine.
  
• There were a couple instances of some interesting formations, including one with Owen Schmitt lining up at wideout. Hasselbeck opted to throw to John Carlson during that play, however.
  
• DE Nick Reed picked up a tipped pass, showing some tenacity that might silence the naysayers regarding his size. Depth at defensive end on this roster is not lacking, especially with a healthy Patrick Kerney and the man-beast Cory Redding projected to start on the opposite edge. Lawrence Jackson and Daryl Tapp both look rejuvenated and ready to provide relief in third-down situations for both starters, so Reed will probably be looking at the practice squad this year. Not a bad deal, no less.
• Of all the receivers, Taylor and Michael Bumpus both looked excellent today, with Bumpus turning a risky throw in coverage into a big play during 11-on-11 drills. Bumpus may be somewhat buried in the depth chart, but he's good enough to keep at least on the practice squad as well.
• My man-crush on John Carlson has sored to new heights. I don't need to say anything else here.
• Devin Moore is quick. He might not have the ideal size for a running back in this system, but the same could be said for Justin Forsett, and he's looking like preseason MVP so far. (Though I'm reluctant to give that title to anyone until after another two weeks at least.)
• Jon Ryan booted a 60-yard punt that bounced out of the back of the end zone, earning gratuitous cheers from the crowd.
  

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