The Seattle Seahawks’ offseason program came to an end this week in the Pacific Northwest. For the next six weeks prior to the start of training camp, players will be doing their own thing.
Apparently, that doesn’t sit well with head coach Pete Carroll. He’s not as worried about the players doing something stupid off the field. While that’s always a concern for NFL teams, Carroll is more worried about said players falling out of shape.
“I’m concerned about the six weeks coming up, that the guys do a really good job taking care of themselves, coming back stronger and faster,” Carroll said. “They’re in good shape right now, we would be ready to go into camp and we’d be in good shape.”
These are grown adults. If they can’t take care of their bodies and return to training camp in shape, why are they on an NFL roster? That might sound like hyperbole, but there should be some trust factor involved in this whole thing.
It’s true that some players struggle keeping themselves in condition during summer break. That’s when vacations are prevalent around the league. But Carroll seems a tad more concerned than he should be.
“They don’t need a vacation right now; they need a little break from the push we’ve been in right here, but like our guys shared with our other guys, a few days and let’s get back at it,” Carroll said. “It’s too important that we stay on task. They’ve worked so hard to get where they are, you don’t want to have to go back down conditioning-wise then work it back up.
It’s obvious that Mr. Carroll is also not too happy with the offseason schedule. He joins fellow old-school head coach Jon Gruden in coming to this conclusion.
The Seahawks themselves are looking to rebound after missing the playoffs altogether last season. The issue here is that they have lost multiple key members from their previously dominant defense and are potentially set to lose All-Pro safety Earl Thomas should his contract situation not be resolved.
Indeed, it’s a time of angst in the Pacific Northwest. Carroll’s comments magnify that to a T.