While their decision-makers consider when to officially sign Terrion Arnold, and whether to sign former Cowboys All-Pro Trevon Diggs, some of the Seahawks’ best players put on show.
On the field. And on Hard Knocks.
The third episode of the NFL Film’s series on the Super Bowl champions’ training camp aired nationally on HBO Tuesday night.
The highlights were the team’s pursuit and agreement to sign of Terrion Arnold. The 23-year-old cornerback and first-round draft choice by the Lions in 2024 got cut by Detroit this summer. That was after Florida prosecutors charged him with eight felony counts related to an alleged kidnapping and robbery and Florida.
A scene in general manager John Schneider’s office inside Seahawks headquarters in the third episode of Hard Knocks shows the GM re-watching the interview the team had with Arnold before the 2024 NFL draft.
“He had one of the best interviews we’ve ever had,” Schneider said in his office to Sam Ramsden, the team’s vice president of player performance.
The episode shows on the robotic camera mounted in Schneider’s office the GM calling in fullback Robbie Ouzts to talk about Arnold. Ouzts and Arnold were college teammates at Alabama.
“He was a great kid,” Ouzts said.
Ouzts told Schneider he was surprised to hear Arnold linked to the alleged crimes in Tampa, and that he couldn’t believe Arnold could be involved in such a situation.
Ouzts said Arnold “was constantly hanging out with the Saban family.”
Schneider told Ouzts he talked to Nick Saban, Ouzts’ and Arnold’s legendary head coach at Alabama.
“Coach Saban said he likened his character to Jalen’s,” Schneider said.
That’s their former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, the Seahawks’ highly regarded third quarterback.
Later in the episode, Schneider is walking on the treadmill that is in his office, attached to a working desk. Arnold’s agent, Nicole Lynn, calls Schneider’s mobile phone.
The agent emphasizes to Schneider that her client wanted to sign with Seattle because of “the human-development standpoint.”
“This is a long-term play,” Lynn says. “I just want to develop the human.
Schneider agrees.
“We’re going to make you a better person, a better player,” the GM tells Lynn he told her client.
Earlier Tuesday, the league’s television network reported NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will put Arnold on his exempt list as soon as Arnold signs.
Players on the exempt list cannot practice or play for his team he’s under contract to. He can be in team meetings, the team’s training room and all other off-the-field aspects of being on a team.
Players on the exempt list do not count toward a team’s roster limits, 90 players for the preseason that must be cut to 53 by Aug. 30.
The upshot is Arnold now might not officially sign with Seattle until Aug. 29, the day after the team’s final preseason game Aug. 28 at Kansas City. Adding Arnold will take up a roster space. That’s at least for a day or so in the expected lag between the signing being official, Arnold going on the roster, and him not counting on the roster when the commissioner puts him on the exempt list.
A standout practice
The 20th practice of the preseason Tuesday was one of the more eventful ones of training camp.
Sam Darnold threw three of the most perfect passes possible in a span of a couple minutes during 11-on-11 scrimmaging. Tight end Elijah Arroyo could not hold onto the first one, on a line in traffic deep across the middle.
The second throw was the best one. Veteran Noah Igbinoghene, making a move to be the starting nickel defensive back (for now, pending the result of the team’s tryout of Diggs Tuesday), was stride for stride with speedy wide receiver Rashid Shaheed. Darnold lofted a rainbow 45 yards that dropped perfectly over Igbinoghene and the outside shoulder of Shaheed. Shaheed bent back to catch the ball into his chest. Igbinoghene looked amazed, as if the QB had handed Shaheed the ball instead of lofting it almost half the field.
Then Darnold perfectly timed his throw three steps before NFL offensive player of the year Jaxon Smith-Njigba began his cut outside on an out route. The exquisite pass beat Josh Jobe, despite the cornerback’s tight coverage.
Jobe got the defense’s revenge. Shaheed ran a quick slant from the opposite side of the field of his long catch, left to right. Jobe read Darnold’s throw coming. The cornerback jumped the route and intercepted Darnold’s pass, to the glee of Devon Witherspoon and all the defensive teammates. They ran with Jobe to the other end zone to celebrate.
Later in a red-zone scrimmage, Darnold tried to loft a pass to Shaheed in the back right of the end zone. Cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett covered Shaheed well, into the back boundary of the end zone. Darnold’s pass clanged off Pritchett’s helmet, straight up. Safety Ty Okada grabbed that carom for an end-zone interception.
It was the first time in memory Darnold threw two interceptions in 11-on-11 scrimmaging.
And after three of the best passes you’ll ever see.
That bodes well for coach Mike Macdonald’s top-ranked defense from last season. And for Darnold.
Jake Bobo shines
Later in 11 on 11, Jake Bobo made a brilliant, diving catch in the end zone of a pass from Drew Lock for a touchdown.
Bobo is back after two weeks out with a hamstring injury he still may be feeling,
Montorie Foster Jr. Again.
Another day, another standout performance by Montorie Foster Jr.
The high school substitute teacher and real-estate agent from Cleveland, who played only one year of football at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, scored Seattle’s only points in the preseason opener last weekend.
The Hard Knocks crew has discovered Foster. The third episode prominently featured Foster and his daily excellence.
“Damn,” left guard Grey Zabel said on the episode during a practice after Foster made another one-handed catch in the end zone, “this Montorie guy!”
Tuesday in practice, Foster was closely covered by rookie safety Bud Clark in the back, left corner of the end zone in an 11-on-11 scrimmage. Lock’s throw was a line drive away from Clark to Foster’s outside. Foster reached out with his left arm and hand and snared the ball with one arm. He pulled it into his chest, then tapped his feet inside the left sideline of the end zone for a wowing touchdown.
“I trust Montorie,” Lock said.
That’s the former Denver Broncos starter who’s been in the NFL for eight seasons, talking about the man who was on Seattle’s practice squad for the final two regular-season game plus the playoffs last season, and has never appeared in a regular-season game.
Wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson is shown during the episode telling Macdonald and the assistant coaches in a meeting: “He’s playing his a** off. He’s putting pressure on everybody (to make the 53-man roster).
“He just has to eliminate a couple ‘What-the-(blank)?’ plays.”
