Seahawks offense wins title belt, a symbol of the changes by new regime

RENTON — Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross stepped to the mic to address the awaiting media after Tuesday’s practice with a championship belt slung over his left shoulder.

It was a symbol of his dominant play so far in training camp and of how Mike Macdonald continues to reshape the Seahawks’ culture in his first year as head coach after taking over for Pete Carroll.

Cross was handed the belt following Tuesday’s practice to represent an offense Macdonald felt won the day in a bounce-back performance from the day before. 

Safety Julian Love got the belt on Monday when the defense dominated, a session that included Love’s second interception of camp, apparently the first time the belt was awarded.

“The belt is something that’s kind of fun to just mix it up and spice it up throughout camp,’’ Macdonald said. “You know, ‘Who’s holding the belt?’ And then we can change the criteria of how you challenge it.’’

Macdonald said the idea to hand out a championship belt to a winner of the day was a group creation among his coaching staff but specifically cited outside linebackers coach Chris Partridge and special-teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh, who like Macdonald had history coaching at Michigan before coming to the Seahawks.

Who gets it and why each day remains a work in progress.

“The criteria is ever-changing,’’ Macdonald said, before breaking into a smile. “I do reserve the right to switch it up on the guys. But it’s exciting. And based on where the team is going it’s kind of a way to push buttons here and there and edge guys on if someone needs a little push. Put a little belt on the line or something like that. So it’s fun.’’

Indicative of the evolving nature of it all, Macdonald said Cross got the belt for Tuesday at the suggestion of quarterback Geno Smith.

“Shoutout to Geno,’’ he said “I was talking to him (saying) ‘well, offense won the game’ and he said ‘Give it to an O-lineman. Charles (has) been having a great camp.'”

So, simple as that, Cross was made the king for the day.

“It’s just a trophy to the offense, saying how well we did today, just coming back for a second day of pads and just continuing to improve and get better day by day,’’ Cross said.

Macdonald said there are more belts that could also be awarded saying, “We won’t tell you all of them. There’s still some that have yet to be uncovered.”

He cited receiver DK Metcalf for having “done a great job’’ of helping acquire them.

“They’re like legitimate belts,’’ Macdonald said. “They are kind of heavy.’’

Cross, who was the ninth overall pick in 2022, agreed.

“It’s definitely a real belt for sure,’’ Cross said.

He said there was no question of what it awarded him for the next 24 hours or so:

“Bragging rights,’’ Cross said.

The belt was one of just several new twists to how the Seahawks are doing things under Macdonald that were unveiled to the 2,500 or so watching on the berm for the sixth practice of training camp.

In something else veteran observers of the Seahawks’ last 14 years couldn’t recall seeing done in quite the same manner, the team stopped about two-thirds of the way through practice for a quick session of one-on-one plays, in which the rest of the players formed a semicircle around those who were called on to take part.

The plays mostly featured younger players or backups.

To cite an example of one of the plays, receiver Dee Eskridge was split out wide right, matched up against cornerback Tre Brown. Eskridge ran deep down the sidelines. Brown stayed step-for-step with Eskridge and broke up the pass to much cheering from teammates watching.

“I liked it,’’ veteran outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu said. “It was cool. I wish I was out there. But it’s nice to see everybody out there working. Provides a level of competition, gets everybody going, offense versus defense. And that’s what we’re all about here at the Seahawks is competing.’’

Said Macdonald: “It’s an opportunity to get the young guys a chance to shine in front of their teammates. They had a little competition (to) spice it up a little bit.”

After that session arrived another Macdonald innovation — a set of plays that was announced over the loudspeaker to all as a “mystery situation’’ that players and even most of the coaches were hearing for the first time.

It was a scenario created where the ball was placed on the defense’s 15-yard line with 12 seconds remaining in the game and the offense holding one timeout and down by four points.

The first-team offense and defense rushed onto the field and coaches scrambled to get to their places as officials set the ball.

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The session ended in three incomplete passes from Smith — the first a pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the end zone that was batted away by Artie Burns (who worked with the number one defense at nickel most of the day); the second a pass to Metcalf that sailed over his head and out of bounds in the end zone under tight coverage from Devon Witherspoon; and the last an incompletion from Smith after he scrambled away from pressure and lofted a pass to Tyler Lockett in the end zone that was batted away by Riq Woolen.

Macdonald said the mystery situation scenario was put together by assistant head coach Leslie Frazier and research analyst Brian Eayrs.

“It’s something now that most of our situation installs in that just keeps us on our toes,’’ Macdonald said. “More reps for myself, (offensive coordinator Ryan) Grubb, Brian (Eayrs) working operation. Just identifying the situation, the guys understanding what they’re in. And then just kind of apply the tools that we’ve installed up to this point where everyone’s got to stay on their toes. So it’s fun, it’s a good situation. We’ll do that probably the rest of camp.”

It was something else that earned raves from Nwosu.

“The mystery situation is great,’’ Nwosu said. “It puts you in situations that you’ve got to think on the fly which is good. There’s going to be times like that in games, so I like it. I love the way coach is coaching us and preparing us for real games.” 

To Macdonald, it’s all part of a new Seahawks team continuing to find its way.

“I think we’re still learning who we are,’’ he said. “I think we’re still chasing that. I think the guys are bought in. We’re a ways out right now, but we have the time to do it. We just have to make sure we take advantage of each day.”