DK Metcalf absent from Seahawks mandatory minicamp

The first day of Seattle Seahawks minicamp on Tuesday was notable for who was on the field participating and who was unexpectedly absent.

The unexpected absence was wide receiver DK Metcalf seemingly deciding to take the next step in his effort to land a new contract before the start of this season by opting not to attend this week’s mandatory minicamp.

Seattle coach Pete Carroll did not speak with reporters on Tuesday, but has said several times this offseason the sides appeared to be in a good place regarding talks of a new contract.

But his absence was notable. Metcalf is entering the final year of his rookie deal that will pay him nearly $3.99 million in base salary. Metcalf made $911,914 last season, a year when he had 75 receptions and a career-high 12 touchdown catches despite playing through a foot injury for most of the season.

Metcalf was one of three players not in attendance on the first day of minicamp along with tight end Will Dissly and running back Chris Carson. Dissly has been in attendance at previous open workouts through the offseason, while Carson has been away from the team rehabbing following neck surgery last season.

While Metcalf was absent, Seattle did get a chance to see both of its starting safeties on the field together for the first time in the offseason even if it was only in a walkthrough setting. Both Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams took part in the walkthrough portion of the Seahawks practice before returning to spectator roles for the higher intensity portions of practice.

Diggs suffered a nasty dislocated ankle and broken fibula in the fourth quarter of the regular-season finale in Arizona in January and underwent surgery. Diggs was a free agent this offseason, but signed a three-year contract worth up to $40 million to return to Seattle. He had been around the team during parts of his rehab in the offseason.

“It felt good. It’s always good to be around the guys,” Diggs said. “I mean, it’s a blessing to be able to be back out here and playing. What is it five months? So I mean, I’m right on schedule. I’m feeling good.”

Adams underwent shoulder surgery that caused him to miss the final five games of last season. Adams also dealt with shoulder troubles throughout his first season with the Seahawks in 2020.

And on top of the shoulder surgery and recovery, Adams had two fingers in his left hand fused after repeated problems with them dislocating out of place the past two years.

“It’s been a toll, man, but it’s temporary. You know what I mean?” Adams said. “Sometimes you go through things in life that you really didn’t want to go through. But at the end of the day, it made me stronger mentally, and physically. So I’m just looking forward to the challenge.”

Both Adams and Diggs are excited by the changes they see with Seattle’s defense and what they could mean for the pair. The goal of some of the changes being implemented is to make the Seahawks defensive more versatile, which could free up Adams and Diggs to be more disruptive.

Diggs said the defensive system will be similar to what he played in during his first three years in Detroit. Adams said it had similarities to the defenses he played in during college at LSU.

The first glimpse of how that will look should come during training camp when both Adams and Diggs expect to be back on the field without restrictions.

“I think it’s going to be dope,” Diggs said. “You guys will see. I’m not going to give everything away. But I think you guys will see real soon.”

Reporting by the Associated Press.