Most spirited day of Seahawks training camp yet: Jarran Reed schools top rookie Grey Zabel
The highlight of the most spirited day yet of Seahawks training camp wasn’t what got all the attention in the middle of the main field. It wasn’t what happened in front of hundreds of fans watching the full-team scrimmage from the nearby berm.
They saw multiple skirmishes linebacker Derick Hall had in 11-on-11 scrimmaging. He went at Olu Oluwatimi at the end of one play, grabbing the center under his face mask. Then Hall banged into Josh Jones. Hall threw the 339-pound backup tackle about 3 yards into the offense’s backfield on a pass play.
That wasn’t so out of the ordinary. It’s likely to happen many more times in this and any camp. That including when the Seahawks practice in full pads for the first time on Monday, and particularly with the fiery Hall.
No, the highlight of the third practice of training camp, a Friday coach Mike Macdonald loved for what he saw as perfect intensity balanced with the intelligence of not going too far, happened on a side field. It was far away from the fans.
While they — and Macdonald — focused on quarterback Sam Darnold throwing to Cooper Kupp, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jake Bobo and others versus the starting defensive secondary, the defensive and offensive lines had a one-on-one pass drill on one corner of the second field alongside Lake Washington.
In soft shells instead of hard shoulder pads, starters went against starters.
And Jarran Reed, one of Seattle’s most experienced players in his 10th NFL training camp, gave prized rookie Grey Zabel his welcome-to-the-NFL moment.
The 18th pick in this year’s draft from North Dakota State, Zabel has had the smoothest start imaginable to his Seahawks and professional career. He’s the highest-drafted interior offensive lineman for Seattle since 2001, when they selected future Hall of Fame guard Steve Hutchinson, also in the first round. Zabel has been the Seahawks’ starting left guard since the first day of the initial offseason practice in May. He’s one of the few sure things on a changing offensive line that must improve for Seattle to reach its goal of winning the NFC West.
Friday, Reed put Zabel on the ground.
Told after practice of Reed versus Zabel on the other field away from him, Macdonald sounded intrigued. The coach asked: “What happened?”
What happened was Reed, Seattle’s second-round pick in 2016 from Alabama about the time Zabel was entering puberty in South Dakota, had been planning for this moment since the spring. The 6-foot-3, 315-pound defensive tackle knows Macdonald and the Seahawks drafted Zabel because of the 6-6, 316-pound guard’s quickness off the snap.
Off this particular snap Friday Reed, nine years older, surprised Zabel with a quick, up-field move. He went right at and into Zabel. Startled, backed up and onto his heels for one of the first times in his young pro career, Zabel lost his balance. The rookie fell back, and toppled onto his rear end then back. Reed raced over the fallen foe. He ran free to the quarterback.
All you could see was Zabel’s legs in the air as Reed ran past.
Zabel looked up at Reed, seemingly stunned.
It was the kind of move that has made Reed, 32, one of the most popular guys inside the Seahawks locker room for years.
“I was playing with him a little bit,” Reed said when The News Tribune asked him about the move following practice. “You know, he’s a good pass setter. He’s actually really strong. So when we put the little shells on I added a little, different move.”
What was it?
“I ain’t gonna tell all my tales,” Reed said, smiling.
“That’s been in the back of my mind for a little bit,” he said of besting Zabel.
He grinned the smile of a nose tackle who’s been in this league since Zabel was exiting middle school in Pierre, South Dakota.
Full pads Monday
The defense’s latest uprising came after their coaches got after the undeniable strength of this team early in Friday’s practice. The defense had a poor performance in a run-game scrimmage.
Play after play, the offensive linemen using new coordinator Klint Kubiak’s outside-zone blocking schemes paved freeway-wide lanes for running backs Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. They practically waltzed through the line untouched. For a change, the offensive players roared and celebrated.
At the end of that run scrimmage, Macdonald yelled almost mockingly to the side of the ball opposite his defense.
“Hey, O,” the coach shouted, “that’s a helluva job!”
Reed’s move that floored Zabel was part of the defense’s response. So was second-year defensive tackle Byron Murphy zooming past an offensive lineman on consecutive snaps later in that same one-on-one pass-rush drill.
“I think the first day was pretty iffy,” Reed said of Wednesday’s start of camp for his defense. “On the second day, (it) picked up.
“It got real today,” Reed said. “Everyone was out there talkin’, communicating, chirpin’.
“You can tell it’s about time to start hitting, for real. That’s what we’re all waiting on now.”
Mike Macdonald loves the intensity
Any visitor to Seahawks training camp can tell when the defense wins a down against the offense in scrimmaging. Even if they aren’t watching. You can’t help but hear all about it. All over the facility, from Lake Washington to I-405.
Leonard Williams, the 11th-year defensive end getting a veteran rest day Friday, roared, ran from behind the offense’s huddle and jumped into Hall immediately after the linebacker ran over then threw Jones.
All the defense went nuts when Macdonald’s schemes tricked Darnold into an interception for the second consecutive day, on the same type of trick on a similar route. Darnold did a half-rollout to his right then threw back across the field to Smith-Njigba, who was running a backside crossing route. Darnold didn’t see that right cornerback Devon Witherspoon and safety Julian Love had switched coverage outside to the side Smith-Njigba was crossing to. Love coyly peeled back inside to meet the crossing route and intercept Darnold’s pass.
It was similar to the play impressive backup safety D’Anthony Bell made in practice Thursday for an interception. So was the defense’s woofin’ and celebration in the offensive players’ faces.
Reed said
“That was a great practice,” Macdonald said after Friday’s drills. “A lot of great spirit. A lot of great competition.
“Just the right mix of, hey, we’re gettin’ after it, but we’re taking care of one another, sharpening each other, talking some smack. All three phases doing a lot of great stuff.
“But it’s obvious we’re not even close to where we need to be. We know that.
“For day three, just excited the effort, the intent — just the overall competition. It was a great day.”
The TNT asked the second-year head coach if the competition and woofin’ was as organic from the players on defense as it seems.
He smiled.
“Yeah,” the 37-year-old Macdonald said, “you can tell there are some things that are boiling that we be fun to watch throughout the rest of camp.
“A little earlier this year than normal,” he said, wryly.
“But that’s good.”
This story was originally published July 25, 2025 at 5:40 PM with the headline "Most spirited day of Seahawks training camp yet: Jarran Reed schools top rookie Grey Zabel."
