Bobby Wagner reacted as though he was hoping the question would come.
With all the changes on the Seattle Seahawks defense – the leaders http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-p.j.-hall-jersey , the voices, the veterans no longer around – will there be a new focus on a group of linebackers that at times has seemed underappreciated?
”It has always been about the guy in the middle,” Wagner said emphatically. ”So for me, it’s not no different because that’s how I look at it, but from the outside maybe it is different because those guys are gone and you guys are looking for someone who is going to be that leader. Y’all ain’t got to look. You’re looking at the guy right here. I will be that guy and we’re going to be fine.”
And with that, any question about who the leading voice is on Seattle’s defense was quickly answered.
For most of the past half-decade, Seattle’s highly regarded defense was defined by the secondary with the catchy nickname and the flashy personalities. From there, attention often shifted to the defensive line and the type of chaos Michael Bennett and others created on – and sometimes off – the field.
Then there was Wagner and fellow linebacker K.J. Wright. They have been regarded as two of the best in the league at their positions and sometimes have received that level of recognition. But they were often relegated to a secondary role on their own team in terms of recognition even with Wagner being voted first-team All-Pro three times and Wright being a Pro Bowl selection.
”The attention has gone elsewhere, I guess,” Wright said. ”Nothing will change. We’ll still be the bad-ass linebackers on this team. We’ll still lead the way. Stuff will still be run in order. We’ll still make plays and it’ll be fun out there.”
Seattle’s offseason defensive overhaul saw Bennett Shaquem Griffin Jersey Elite , Richard Sherman and Sheldon Richardson find new homes; Cliff Avril and Kam Chancellor step away from the game due to neck injuries, and Earl Thomas hold out in search of a new contract. There are changes everywhere across Seattle’s defensive alignment, with the exception of the linebackers.
Wagner has been calling Seattle’s defense from the moment he arrived in the NFL and became a starter as a rookie. His partner the entire time has been Wright. With the departures, those voices they’ve used together for the past six seasons will be even louder.
”Yeah, they had the name, they got a lot of the attention and now the attention may shift to the linebackers,” Wagner said. ”But we pride ourselves on being the guys that lead this team and that has been my mindset since I stepped in. I had coach Norton teach me the way.”
Ken Norton Jr. has returned to Seattle to be the defensive coordinator. He was a mentor for Wagner and Wright as the linebackers coach when both arrived in the NFL. Now he’s returned with an even bigger imprint on what Seattle does defensively.
”He’s the linebackers guy and he put that responsibility more on us. He calls on me in the meeting room to answer most of the questions, calls on Bobby to answer the questions because he knows that we’re all on the same page,” Wright said. ”He knows that we’re the guys that can share our leadership abilities, share our knowledge of the game. He’s putting that on us.”
There may also be some schematic tweaks that give Wagner and Wright more freedom defensively. Wright said he believes the adjustments will make Seattle more fundamentally sound defensively and the linebackers could be the benefactors.
”I think this defense is hungry Authentic Durham Smythe Jersey ,” Wright said. ”We have a lot to prove. Myself, the secondary with all the guys leaving, the (defensive) line with the guys leaving. It’s going to be fun because you’ve got guys who want to come and show who they are.”
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To get back to the playoffs, the Green Bay Packers' defense needs to improve against the pass.
Adding three tall receivers to the offense for quarterback Aaron Rodgers can't hurt either.
The two-time NFL MVP got help in the passing game on the third day of the NFL draft after the Packers prioritized pass defense in the early rounds.
They took Louisville's Jaire Alexander in the first round and Iowa's Josh Jackson, who led the nation with eight interceptions last year, in the second.
"Their ball skills are exceptional," coach Mike McCarthy said Saturday. "I think they're a great fit to how we want to play defense."
Pass defense was a problem again for a team that finished 7-9 last season. The Packers didn't make the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
The setback set up an offseason of change. Longtime executive Brian Gutekunst was promoted to general manager to succeed the retired Ted Thompson in January. McCarthy overhauled the coaching staff, including the hiring of Mike Pettine to replace Dom Capers as defensive coordinator.
Cornerback was the top priority. Besides drafting Alexander and Jackson, the Packers brought Tramon Williams back as a free agent to add another presence in the secondary.
"With the competition in the cornerback room, and the defensive back room Cheap Byron Maxwell Jersey , it's vastly improved," McCarthy said.
The focus shifted to offense for the late rounds on Saturday. The passing attack slipped to 25th in the league last season after Rodgers was limited to seven games because of a broken collarbone.
Gutekunst drafted three wideouts, starting with Missouri's J'Mon Moore in the fourth round. The 6-foot-3 senior had team highs of 65 catches and 1,082 yards last season.
Opportunities abound in the receiving group behind Davante Adams and Randall Cobb after veteran Jordy Nelson was cut in the offseason.
Other highlights from the Packers' draft class:
CATCHING ON: Besides Moore, the Packers also took two 6-5 receivers in South Florida's Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the fifth round and Notre Dame's Equanimeous St. Brown in the sixth round. Valdes-Scantling offers an intriguing blend of size and speed after he ran the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine at 4.37 seconds. Brown played with Packers backup quarterback DeShone Kizer for two seasons at Notre Dame.
CREATING COMPETION: By taking three receivers, the Packers stockpiled prospects to fill depth at a skill position for a second straight year. The strategy worked at running back in 2017, when fourth-round pick Jamaal Williams and fifth-rounder Aaron Jones emerged as solid contributors.
"You hope the guys embrace it and are pros about it and try to get better," scout Matt Malaspina said. "The whole group gets better as each guy gets better."
THAT'S SPECIAL: There might be competition at punter, too, after the Packers drafted JK Scott from Alabama. Scott had just five punts returned as a senior Youth Justin Reid Jersey , crediting the success to a renewed focus on hang time. Last year's punter, Justin Vogel, was seventh in the NFL in net punting average at 41.6 yards.
Green Bay also took a long snapper with the second of their three seventh-round picks in Mississippi State's Hunter Bradley.
LATE PICKS: The selection of offensive lineman Cole Madison from Washington State in the fifth round addressed another position of need. The 6-5 Madison played tackle in college. But the Packers like his versatility and plan to use him at guard. Green Bay has questions on the right side of the line.
Green Bay returned to defense with its two other seventh-round picks, selecting end James Looney from California and edge rusher Kendall Donnerson from Southeast Missouri State.
STILL NEED: Unless Looney or Donnerson prove to be late steals, the Packers will still need help in the pass rush. Clay Matthews turns 32 this year, while Nick Perry was limited to 12 games last season because of injuries. They could use more production out of third-year backup Kyler Fackrell. Vince Biegel should start the season healthy after missing the first seven games of his rookie season with a foot injury.
"The biggest gains that we've always made have been our returning players," McCarthy said.
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