Seahawks practice squad an integral part of teams’ success

Walking through the Seahawks locker room, there are plenty of names and faces you instantly recognize. And then there’s the likes of Will Pericak, George Farmer, and Brandon Cottom.

You might not know them, but the 10 guys on Seattle’s practice squad do everything the rest of the players do, and are an integral part of the Seahawks’ success, said head coach Pete Carroll.

“We invest in our practice squad guys in hopes that things will happen, the guys will be available and with the thought they could jump in there and help us. That’s really important to us,” Carroll said.

You don’t have to look far for examples. Former University of Washington receiver Kevin Smith made his first NFL catch in last week’s win over Pittsburgh after being elevated from the practice squad.

Receiver Ricardo Lockette is out for the season with a neck injury, but he started with Seattle on the practice squad before getting promoted several times over the last few years and becoming an integral part of the offense and special teams.

Then there’s Jermaine Kearse. All he did was join the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent after a standout career at the University of Washington. He went on to make some of the biggest catches in recent years, including the miracle catch against the Packers last year to lead them to the Super Bowl, and an unbelievable tipped catch while on his back in the Super Bowl that should have (ahem) led them to a second straight Lombardi – not to mention two TD’s last weekend against Pittsburgh.

It’s certainly made a big impression with former University of Washington receiver Kasen Williams, whose locker is among all those guys.

“So, you noticed the common thread?” Williams joked about all the Huskies as we visited in front of his locker this week before practice.

Williams, the highest rated receiver in the country coming out of Sammamish’s Skyline High School according to some analysts, admits he’s not entirely thrilled with the idea of practicing but not playing on Sunday.

“Yeah, sometimes I do go out there with the feeling of like, ‘man, I’m not even going to be playing, so what’s the point of being out here.’ But then all of a sudden I line up against Sherman and I see Earl and Kam. So it’s like ‘okay, I have to get better out here. How can I not get better being on practice squad,” Williams said.

All Pro cornerback Richard Sherman insists the practice squad players are as much a part of the team as the guys on the active roster, and play a critical role in the team’s preparation each week.

“You’re only as strong as your weakest link and you never want weak links,” Sherman said. “A testament to how strong we’ve been as a team is that a lot of our practice squad guys that we’ve had over the years are starting for other teams or are on 53 man active rosters.”

It’s also a testament to how well Carroll and general manager John Schneider evaluate talent, Sherman said.

Offensive lineman Will Pericek says he never feels like an outsider despite being on the practice squad, and that he has as much opportunity as anyone to make it onto the Seahawks active roster.

“Oh, absolutely. We get coached up like every other player,” Pericek said. “You never know what’s going to happen. If you keep working, keep improving, you could be the next guy up.”

And unlike many other teams, the Seahawks practice squad travels with the team and provides valuable input during games. Pericek, for example, tracks every play and looks for tendencies on a tablet, relaying critical information to teammates and coaches so they can make adjustments on the field.

And even though the practice squad players are always gunning for somebody else’s job, Carroll says the guys on the active roster constantly encourage them.

“That’s really important to us and they are a good factor too because they are kind of the young guys and they’re pushing for it,” Carroll said. “When they do make their move and they get their chance it’s always a big deal for the other guys on the roster. They always cheer for them and they’re excited to see them have the chance to step up and all that, so I think the whole dynamic of that is very important to the makeup of the team.”