Once their university commencement exercises are complete, the kids will be on their way back – most all of them by May 16th, which is the beginning of the offseason rookie workouts.
Two of Seattle's 2005 draft picks spoke to the media after practice and revealed what an adjustment it is to come into an NFL program from college. Quarterback David Greene, the Seahawks’ third-round pick from Georgia, will find his mind especially taxed over the next few months as he tries to come to terms with Mike Holmgren’s complex playbook. And while he looked very rough at the beginning of camp, Greene began to attain a level of comfort in his new digs.
“I felt a lot better today than on Friday,” Greene told Mike Brown of Seahawks.com. “On Friday, I came in…when I went home on Friday night, I felt like I’d never played football in my entire life – like a fan that just came out there and just tried to practice. But I settled down and started feeling a lot more comfortable with the offense and with the guys. Today was a lot better.”
“You’ve got to simplify things. You come out here, and it’s so overwhelming. I’m 3,000 miles from home, there’s a new playbook, a bunch of new guys I’m around – you feel out of your element. Once you get adjusted, you talk to the guys…you feel more at home. You feel like you’re part of the team.”
For tackle Ray Willis, the team’s fourth-round pick from Florida State, the pressure is a bit different. When RT Chris Terry was released in the offseason, it opened up a competition for that starting spot among Pork Chop Womack (who more likely has the inside track as the new starting right guard), Wayne Hunter and Sean Locklear. Willis is now in the mix.
Was his first minicamp anything like he expected? “Definitely not,” Willis told Brown. “You can’t really ready yourself for what’s going on out here. People tell you about it, but you have to experience it for yourself. You have to do what works for you – you can’t do something you’re not known for doing.”
“You’ve got to take the coaching they’re giving you and run with it.”
Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren took some time to review the first three days of camp and the effect it had on the newcomers. “The rookies came in, and their heads are spinning. They showed good ability, though. We got what we saw on film. Now, their challenge is to let the dust settle, come back in on May 16th – that’s when most of them are coming back in – and then take off from there,” Holmgren said.
“(The challenge is to) try and retain what they learned in this minicamp. They realize the volume (of information) that’s going to be thrown at them, and how we do things. The next time through should be easier for them.”
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS UNDRAFTED FREE AGENTS
(All eleven participated in minicamps - * indicates that the player has agreed to terms as of May 1st.)
| NAME |
POSITION |
COLLEGE |
| *Terry Holley |
Safety |
Rice |
| *Jamaal Brimmer |
Safety |
UNLV |
| *Steven Gibbs |
Guard |
Arkansas State |
| *Jesse Lumsden |
Running Back |
McMaster University |
| *Marquis Weeks |
Safety |
Virginia |
| *Tim Galloway |
Linebacker |
Washington |
| *Chris Kluwe |
Punter |
UCLA |
| *Calen Powell
|
Tight End |
Duke |
| *Leonard Weaver
|
Fullback |
Carson-Newman |
| *Brian Wrobel |
Quarterback |
Winona State |
| Junior Rosegreen |
Safety |
Auburn |
RELATED READING:
Minicamp Report: Day One
Minicamp Report: Day Two
Seahawks Sign Nine Not Drafted
Rice Safety Signs with Seahawks
Junior Rosegreen: Finally, A Chance to Shine