Current Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Sam Howell Announces Transfer Destination Today

Conducting their first open OTA practice of the Mike Macdonald era with the final phase of the offseason program underway, the Seattle Seahawks hit the field at the VMAC on Wednesday as they continue to gear up for the upcoming season.

While plenty of mistakes will be made this time of year, especially with new systems being installed on both sides of the ball by a brand new coaching staff, Macdonald loved the effort he saw in Wednesday’s session and sees his team making steady progress.

“It was a good day of practice, kind of back and forth in terms of execution,” Macdonald said. “But we’re chasing it, so onward we go.”

Recapping Wednesday’s session open to media, here are five key takeaways from Seattle’s second OTA practice.

Over the past two seasons, Macdonald employed a top-five defense in Baltimore, earning a reputation for orchestrating a complex system built on pre and post-snap illusion and aggressiveness.

With the main goal to confuse opposing offenses by not showing what coverage they are in play to play, communication remains vital and as veteran safety Rayshawn Jenkins told reporters after practice, there’s a “lot of thinking” going into learning the scheme early on.

But while it will take time for players to master Macdonald’s defense, Jenkins loves how creative the system is and he’s confident once everyone gets on the same page, the Seahawks will have a feisty unit capable of wreaking havoc against opponents as the Ravens did.

“I think it will be challenging for opposing offenses to figure out what we’re in,” Jenkins commented.

“You go back and watch the Baltimore film, you’ll see how difficult it was for any quarterback in the league.”