RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Considering that Tyler Lockett is about to begin another season working under a new offensive coordinator, the Seattle Seahawks wide receiver would have liked to be a little more active during training camp.
But he’s an expert on learning new systems after going through it several times previously in his career. By this point, he actually likes getting a new education every few years.
“It’s been interesting because I think every three years I’ve had a new offensive coordinator and so it’s allowed me to approach the game different and it’s allowed me to see the game different and learn different ways and unique abilities to be able to use my skills to go out there and still try and do the same thing that I’ve been doing,” Lockett said.
Lockett will hit his benchmark 10th season with the Seahawks on Sunday when the season begins by hosting Denver. He’ll be one of six players on Seattle’s roster who will take the field for the opener entering their 10th season or later, and wearing the Seahawks’ throwback jerseys from the 1990s for the opener against their former AFC West foe.
Hitting the 10-year mark isn’t lost on Lockett, who at the start of his career was hoping to reach eight and top the seven-year career of his father Kevin.
“I’m at the point now where I want to be able to take my game to another level regardless of age, regardless of years,” Lockett said.
Lockett hasn’t participated much during training camp with only limited information about why he’s been taking it slowly. During joint practices with Tennessee in the middle of August, Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said Lockett has, “got a little something going on in his leg right now, but he’s good.”
Lockett scoffed at the idea he wouldn’t be out there for Sunday’s opener and didn’t seem bothered by the limited reps in training camp.
“It was just some things that I needed to kind of get worked on and get fixed and they didn’t want me to kind of go out there and make things worse, or kind of put me out to where I’m in jeopardy of not being able to play in the season,” Lockett said. “I think Mike did a great job. The athletic training staff did a great job.”
Assuming he’s full go for the opener, Lockett will be part of a wide receiver group that should be among the best in the league alongside DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jake Bobo. Lockett is also excited to see what the new offense of Ryan Grubb will look like on an NFL field, noting how it breaks from a lot of conventional schemes for wide receivers.
“Some things mix in with what I’ve been a part of, whether I was at Kansas State or whether I was with other coordinators,” Lockett said. “But there’s just one thing that make it slightly different to where you’re like, ‘that makes a lot of sense. I wonder why we didn’t learn this back in the day or learn this in college or see this route differently.’”
NOTES: Seattle signed QB Jaren Hall to the practice squad after he was released by Minnesota last week. The addition of Hall gives Seattle three QBs on the roster along with Geno Smith and Sam Howell. Hall started two games as a rookie last season for the Vikings. … Along with the opener, the Seahawks will wear their popular throwback uniforms again in Week 6 against San Francisco.
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