Terry Blount, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Seahawks' Baldwin, Kearse consistently make big plays at clutch moments

Here’s a daily position-by-position look at where things stand for the Seattle Seahawks heading into organized team activities, minicamp and training camp this summer.

Wide receivers / tight ends

Wide receivers: Starters -- Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse. Backups -- Paul Richardson, Chris Matthews, Kevin Norwood, Ricardo Lockette, Tyler Lockett.

This group doesn’t get a lot of respect, but it plays at a much higher level than many people realize. They don’t put up big numbers because the Seahawks don’t throw the ball as much as most teams, but Baldwin and Kearse consistently make big plays at clutch moments.

After seeing Matthews’ breakout performance in the Super Bowl (4 catches, 109 yards, 1 TD), Seahawks coach Pete Carroll believes Matthews (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) can be the big-body wide receiver the Seahawks need.

Third-round draft choice Tyler Lockett is going to be the team’s kick and punt returner, but he also showed at rookie camp that he’s a talented receiver with good fundamentals.

Richardson, Seattle’s top draft pick in 2014, probably won’t be ready to play until the second month of the season at the earliest after undergoing ACL surgery in January. Richardson tweeted last week that his recovery is going to take longer than he expected.

Lockette is an asset to the team as an excellent punt-coverage gunner and one of the fastest players on the team. The Seattle coaches are high on Norwood, the fourth-round pick out of Alabama last year, but he needs to step up.

Tight ends: Starter -- Jimmy Graham. Backups -- Luke Willson, Cooper Helfet, Anthony McCoy and RaShaun Allen.

The biggest move of the offseason was the trade for Graham, one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Graham will give the Seattle offense a new dimension. He also will help the other receivers get open more often because defenses will have to concentrate on Graham, who often lines up as a wideout.

Graham isn’t the best blocker around, but Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable is confident they can improve Graham’s blocking skills.

The Seahawks also have an underrated tight end in Willson, who is starting his third season. He was outstanding down the stretch last season with several big plays. Graham and Willson give the Seahawks the fastest TE duo in the league, hands down.

The third tight end spot is up for grabs. Helfet has the inside track after playing in 10 regular-season games last year. McCoy has missed the past two seasons and is trying to come back from a second Achilles tendon injury.

 

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