Since players around the league have roughly the next six weeks off, there’s only so much coaches can expect of them.
Mostly, it’s a quick prayer that they don’t get arrested, or as Andy Reid said: “Don’t come back on crutches.”
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll looks at it differently.
Via Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune, Carroll called the summer break “an extraordinarily competitive time.”
“So many things can happen. Guys can go south on you. They can get better. They really can make it; changes can occur right now,” Carroll said. “And we’re really trying to focused about it, hoping our guys [are on board].
“We have helped them create a plan for their offseason, to make sure that they are coordinated and they are organized, and that they will max this out.”
The Seahawks give players individual and custom training plans for the break. Now, they can’t call players to make sure they’re doing them, but there’s a clear expectation to participate. Carroll said the goal is to minimize soft-tissue injuries in training camp after players have had a long break, since the pace will be fast when they resume.
“We have a lot of guys working out in different areas, and they know where everybody is. I’m hoping that we feed off one another and put forth a great six weeks,” Carroll said. “There is no reason, there is no reason, every one of these guys shouldn’t come back in the best condition of their life. This is the only season they have in their life, and they should do everything they can to do that.
“That has been the message. So they’ve been challenged, to make the most of this. I don’t know what other teams are doing. But this is crucial to us. We have to do a great job here. We will win games here, in these next six weeks. So, counting on them.”
Some will take the plan more seriously than others, obviously. But the Seahawks under Carroll preach an “always compete” mantra, and perhaps that (and quarterback Russell Wilson and a good defense) is why they’ve always been competitive.