RENTON — Geno Smith reacted instinctively.
As he has done many times over the past five seasons with the Seahawks, Smith reached for an off-the-rack basketball that was propped against the wall in the hallway leading to the front row seats in the VMAC auditorium. I came in for a conference earlier this week.
This time, when Smith entered the room to hear from rookie head coach Mike McDonald for the first time as the Seahawks began their voluntary offseason program, his reach was empty.
Gone are not only the racks, but also the basketball hoop that had been placed in the left corner of the room facing the stairs leading up to the stage and the podium where Pete Carroll gave many speeches for the past 14 years.
“That was the weirdest thing,” Smith said. “I mean, I actually walked over there to get the basketball and it wasn’t there either.”
This is just one of the many changes players noticed this week as the offseason program began. They know there's more to come.
“It’s been three days now,” receiver Tyler Lockett said Wednesday. He is one of four veterans the team has lined up to speak to reporters about the start of the new season and a new era of Seahawks football. “The biggest difference is we don't have the basketball hoop. But unless they get rid of it, we still have one in the indoor (practice facility).”
As of now, there is one left.
For a change, hoop removal may seem superficial.
Hoops came to define Carroll's “always compete” philosophy, allowing for instant competition in the boardroom.
This hoop was so important to him that he made sure the team shipped it overseas when Munich played Tampa Bay during the 2022 season.
Far more important to the success of the McDonald era will be the major changes underway in schemes, game plans and how meetings and practices are run.
As Lockett pointed out, it's still too early for them to get used to it. Due to NFL rules for teams with new head coaches, the Seahawks are starting their program a week earlier than most other teams, but the first two weeks are limited to activities. Meetings, rehabilitation, strength and conditioning training.
Still, McDonald's opening talk to the team marked a turning point as he began to lay the foundation for his tenure as coach.
“He has a vision,” Smith said of McDonald, who was the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens the past two years. “He has a plan. He's already shown it for us as a team and it's our job to help him and help us get there. That's his job. …But when we played them with that defense last year (37-3 Baltimore win), how his scheme worked, how good they were as a defense last year; We saw how good they were as a defense. So we know what scheme he has, but also the kind of leadership he brings, what kind of person he is. I know he is, and I know he is a great coach overall.”
What kind of vision is that? Lockett described it this way:
“To be able to understand that we want to come out here, we want to be physical, and that it’s very, very important to dominate and not really hide things.”
The process is not without its learning moments for both parties.
The Seahawks went from the NFL's oldest coach in Carroll, 72, to its youngest coach at 36, just three years younger than Smith.
“I didn't expect that,” said Smith, who turns 34 in October.
For former players like Smith and Lockett, returning to the VMAC this week meant putting the Carroll days behind them.
Lockett, commenting to the media for the first time since reports last January that Carroll would not be returning, said he was “I mean, shocked” when he first heard of the change. “I think everyone was in shock.”
Smith became so close to Carroll that he made sure to attend her final press conference.
“That day will probably be remembered forever just because of what happened to me here,” Smith said. He served as Russell Wilson's backup for three years before becoming the starter in 2022, reviving his subsequent career. Use 7 seasons as a reserve. “Obviously, Coach Carroll has had a huge influence on my career and helped me a lot when I came to this organization. He really helped me and pushed me into this spotlight that I'm in right now. It was kind of a terrible moment for me to see someone I love so much have to leave.”
As much as learning new schemes, players and coaches in the early years primarily begin learning about each other.
Carroll had been around for so long and was so well known that even players who had never been to Seattle felt like they knew him.
McDonald's resumption as a full-time coach dates back to 2014 (the year after Carroll led the Seahawks to their only Super Bowl win), and he's only worked with the Ravens and Michigan Wolverines, so it's all new.
That includes a head coaching role, which McDonald has never held at any level.
“I feel like he's starting to loosen up a little bit,” outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu said. “His first day, it was like he didn't know what was going on. I don't know if he was nervous or just that kind of person. But I felt like he was a little more relaxed. , and I think when you approach a new team, a first-time head coach, there's some nerves that come with it. But he's handling it well, and I can't wait to learn a little bit more about him. ”
Nwosu said he thought the change in coaches also contributed to the change in atmosphere.
“It was just like a breath of fresh air,” he said. There are more smiles on people's faces, people feel happier and more energetic. I don't know if it's just because it's a new year, a new season, or a coaching change and new opportunities. But I feel like everyone is coming together a little bit, everyone is talking more, everyone is getting along better, and the locker room is getting closer. ”
What hasn't changed, Nwosu says, are high expectations.
“I'm hoping for a good playoff run,” he said. “We've been close the last two years. I feel like it's time to really get through this hump. I feel like we've got the players and we've got the right coaches. These coaches are dedicated. It's like, you've really put the time and effort into this. That's what you want to see.”