RENTON Doug Baldwin Color Rush Jersey , Wash. (AP) — Shaquem Griffin deservedly received the bulk of the attention when the Seattle Seahawks drafted the star linebacker with one hand in the fifth round and reunited him with his twin brother Shaquill.But aside from Griffin’s selection, general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll made clear the Seahawks intent to re-establish the core tenants of how they want to play: run the ball, play aggressive defense and rely on field position.It started in the first round with the selection of San Diego State running back Rashaad Penny and continued through the nine selections made.After an eventful offseason that’s seen Seattle overhaul its coaching staff and say goodbye to some key veterans, the Seahawks needed to have a successful draft. Recent drafts have been filled with more misses than hits and started to catch up with Seattle last season when the depth wasn’t there to overcome key injuries.“We feel like we made great decisions all the way through and we’ll see how it goes. You always feel that way right after,” Schneider said.Here’s what else to know about Seattle’s nine picks, including seven on the final day:END OF THE ROAD: The end may be near for the longest-tenured Seahawks player.Seattle traded up in the fifth round to draft Texas punter Michael Dickson, who left school early for a chance at the NFL. Dickson was regarded as the top punter available in the draft and could be a sign that Jon Ryan’s tenure in Seattle is coming to an end. Ryan has been with the team since 2008 and has two years left on his contract with Seattle but counts $3.2 million against the salary cap in 2018 and $3.6 million in 2019.Both Carroll and Schneider insisted Ryan will be part of the punting competition.Dickson averaged 47.4 yards per punt as a junior, was a two-time Big 12 special teams player of the year, and was the Ray Guy Award winner in 2017. Perhaps most impressive, Dickson was the MVP of the Texas Bowl victory over Missouri after downing 10 of his 11 punts inside the 20-yard line.“He can do stuff with the ball we haven’t seen yet so we’re really intrigued to see how that translates,” Schneider said.RUNNIN’ DOWN A DREAM: Seattle continued to focus on improving its run game on offense by drafting Washington tight end Will Dissly in the fourth round.“We thought he was the best blocker in the draft,” Carroll said.Dissly arrived at Washington as a defensive end but transitioned to tight end for his final two seasons. While blocking is his strength, Dissly also had 21 receptions and two TDs as a senior. Dissly is the first Washington player drafted by the Seahawks since another tight end, Jerramy Stevens C. J. Prosise Color Rush Jersey , was selected in the first round in 2002.POSTION SWITCH: It wouldn’t be a Seattle draft without at least one player switching positions. But this one makes sense as the Seahawks intend to use Tre Flowers at cornerback. Flowers was primarily a safety at Oklahoma State, but his size makes him a perfect fit for cornerback in Seattle. Flowers is 6-foot-3 with long arms and has experience playing some cornerback in college.SLIDING DOWN: A gem of Seattle’s draft could end up being Ohio State offensive tackle Jamarco Jones, selected late in the fifth round. Jones was rated by Pro Football Focus as the No. 3 offensive tackle available in the draft, but was taken with the 168th overall selection. Seattle projects Jones as a left tackle.QB CALLING: For just the second time in nine drafts, the Seahawks used a draft pick on a quarterback. Florida International QB Alex McGough was selected with Seattle’s final pick, No. 220 overall in the seventh round. Seattle indicated this may be the year it takes a QB to develop behind Russell Wilson, the only other QB drafted by the team since 2010. McGough threw for 2,791 yards and 17 TDs as a senior, but suffered a broken collarbone in the opening minutes of FIU’s bowl game in December.McGough did run some read-option in college and his mobility makes him a logical backup option to Wilson.STILL NEED: The Seahawks addressed their most pressing needs, but could still use more depth at linebacker and an offensive lineman with the ability to play center. The other area Seattle may look to target among undrafted free agents could be a bigger wide receiver, but this draft clearly defined the Seahawks are going back to relying on the run first. RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seahawks could be without both starting safeties and two starters on their offensive line for Sunday night’s matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.Free safety Tedric Thompson was officially ruled out with chest and ankle injuries, and strong safety Bradley McDougald is questionable to play because of patella tendinitis. Right guard D.J. Fluker and right tackle Germain Ifedi are questionable with hamstring and groin injuries, respectively.Coach Pete Carroll didn’t specify the issue plaguing Thompson but said it would take at least another week to be properly addressed.“He’s not in any discomfort from what he’s got Tre Madden Color Rush Jersey ,” Carroll said. “It’s just something that they found and so we just got to take a look at it and give him some time for it to go away.“He’s got some swelling in (his chest) that’s of question so we’re just making sure that we’re doing the right thing. There’s just some fluid or something in an unusual place. … He just can’t play with it so we have to wait until it goes away.”McDougald was away from the team all week for treatment on his knee and had not yet returned by the time Carroll met with reporters after practice on Friday. Carroll said McDougald is optimistic he will be able to play.“I can’t believe Bradley is not playing in this game,” Carroll said. “He has every intention of playing and he just had to miss the week for his treatments.”Delano Hill, Shalom Luani and Maurice Alexander are the options Seattle can turn to if both Thompson and McDougald can’t play.Meanwhile, Fluker did not practice for a third straight week with a hamstring injury that’s forced him to miss the last two games. Backup Jordan Simmons went on injured reserve earlier this week after sustaining a knee injury against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.Fluker is expected to be a game-time decision.“He’s trying to hold out hope for game-day recovery, so we’ll see how that goes,” Carroll said.Ifedi injured his groin in practice on Thursday and is also expected to be a game-time decision. His injury is a twofold problem for Seattle as it would require George Fant to play right tackle and limit the team’s ability to use six offensive linemen, which it has done frequently.Ethan Pocic would be the likely fill-in for Fluker at guard if he can’t play.Cornerback Shaquill Griffin (hip), long snapper Tyler Ott (illness) and defensive tackle Jarran Reed (oblique/groin) are all expected to play despite their questionable status. Running back Rashaad Penny will be a game-time decision.Linebacker K.J. Wright is returning to the lineup for the first time in five weeks. He’s missed 11 games this season because of a knee injury sustained in the preseason. Wright said he’s the healthiest he’s felt all season, but said his snaps will be limited as he works back into action.“I’m out there running around with no pain, just out there flying around having a good old time,” Wright said. “It just feels good to play healthy. Your mind is focused on other things versus your knee.”
