Skip to content

Seahawks' Carroll: Lockett a key component in our offensive plans

Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery / Getty Images Sport / Getty

During his rookie season, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett impressed as a role player on the team's offense, but his impact was mostly felt on special teams, where he scored twice as a returner and earned a Pro Bowl berth.

Entering his second season, however, head coach Pete Carroll said that Lockett is set to become a key component of the offense.

"He's a legit player for us, and he’s right in the middle of all our planning and all of our preparation," Carroll said, according to ESPN's Sheil Kapadia. "You have to deal with him in our offense. He's going to be moved around to a lot. He'll be in a lot of different spots. He can do everything. We're really pumped about him coming back. He looks so confident, which he always has.

"We had to make him prove it a little bit. But once we got a hold of the kind of dynamic player that he is, we used the heck out of him, and he's going to get a lot of play time, a lot of stuff happening his way. Really helps Doug (Baldwin), really helps (Jermaine) Kearse. Those guys are great complements."

Lockett had 51 catches for 664 yards and six touchdowns in 2016, and his play only got better as the season wore on. Thirty of his 51 targets came in the last seven games of the campaign and he caught four passes for 110 yards and a score during the Seahawks' two postseason contests.

As the 23-year-old looks to improve his game, Lockett said the information gained from facing All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman everyday in practice has been crucial for his development.

"The biggest thing is I've been going against Richard about 95 percent of the camp, and he's just made me a better player," Lockett said. "Going against Richard, I've got to be able to move him and get him off at the line, and I can't use the same stuff every time because he’s a smart defender, so I've got to switch some things up.

"And if things don't work, at least it doesn't work in practice against him. If it does work, he'll let me know and be like, 'Hey, that was a good release. That really does work.' And it just makes it easier for me to go against anybody else, especially on other teams, after I go up against the best DB in the league."

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox