A slimmer Wilson thinks Graham in for a big year
Seahawks pivot says he and tight end feeling confident going into new season
Most things stay the same with Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, at least with what he’s willing to reveal publicly. But on the first day of training camp on Sunday, Wilson did share a couple of small differences.
He’s lighter than last year. He weighed in, he said, at 208 pounds on Saturday; he weighed between 212 to 214 pounds a year ago. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said it was the lightest Wilson has been “by quite a bit.”
“I feel really strong, really fast, quick and all that,” Wilson said. “It’s going to be an exciting year.”
He also talked about his improved connection with tight end Jimmy Graham, now entering his third season with Wilson and the Seahawks. Graham was returning from a serious knee injury last off-season, limiting his time with Wilson.
But Wilson said he and Graham both noticed a difference this offseason.
“Jimmy and I were just talking about that in the locker-room,” Wilson said. “We were just talking about how much smoother everything is, how much confidence he has, how much confidence me and him have together. He had a great year last year, and we’re looking forward to even a better year this year.
Graham had 65 catches for 923 yards and six touchdowns last season. His 923 yards were third among tight ends, but there was also room for more, particularly in the red zone.
Graham’s ability to make tough, contested catches in the red zone was one of his prized traits in New Orleans, and while that ability has manifested at times in Seattle, the Seahawks’ offence struggled last year in the red zone.
Graham, who is entering the final year of his contract, spent part of the off-season working out with Wilson and teammates in California. That was part of the reason for Wilson’s optimism.
“He’s put all the work in,” Wilson said. “You think about the work we’ve put in in California and the work we’ve put in here, all the detail. He’s super pumped and has a clear vision on what he wants to do and who he wants to continue to be, and he’s one of the best teammates you could ever ask for him terms of his work ethic. You know he’s going to make a lot of great plays out in the field come Sundays.”