On Thursday, May 12th, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Ricardo Lockette announced his retirement from football. It was a bittersweet moment for the receiver who suffered a life-threatening neck injury during the Dallas Cowboys versus Seattle Seahawks game early November of last year. Although Lockette still does not have full range of motion in his neck, he has the rest of his life to look forward to. He had given the organization five years in which he recorded just 22 career catches, but that does not tell the entire story. Lockette’s most successful role was the Seahawks’ gunner on special teams. What made Lockette special was that he was lighting fast and could lay a hit on an opponent that could literally knock his helmet off or knock him out of the game.
“I take pride in being the first one down there,” said Lockette, per Greg Bell of The Olympian. “In my head, it’s more like a game. It’s more like tag in the backyard. You’ve got two guys on you, and I’m thinking, ‘Which way am I going to go? Am I going to pick the weaker guy or the slower guy? I’m just going to pick the weaker link, and I’m just going to go at that guy and shake him and try to stop him from touching me. I run as fast as I can so they can’t hit me, then I make the tackle.”
With Lockette no longer on the field, the Seahawks will look to fill the void. Here are three players who have the skills and experience to take on the role as the primary gunner in 2016.
First up is Jeremy Lane. Lane was the primary gunner in 2014 and was considered a potential Pro Bowler for special teams before he was placed on injured reserve. The Seahawks set a team record that year for fewest punt-return yards allowed in a 16-game season at 82 yards and Lane was a big reason for that. Lane was often in position to force a fair catch or make a tackle before the returner had time to catch the ball. He finished that season with 13 special team tackles, which was the most on that team.
Next is Kelcie McCray, who is another strong candidate known for his great special teams coverage and experience at the safety position. Pro Football Focus ranked McCray as the top vise in 2014. Seahawks coaches have noticed McCray’s ability to tackle in the open field.
“He had great range, really good speed, and he played really good in space,” Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard said according to Gregg Bell of The News Tribune. “Those are all attributes that we’re looking for in regards to a safety. And the simple fact that when he puts his body on people, he tackles really well; they go down.”
Richard Sherman got plenty of experience on special teams blocking for then-rookie wide receiver “Tyler Lockett” last season. The Pro Bowl starting cornerback provides leadership to the unit and special teams coach Bob Schneider appreciates that.
“I told him, ‘You make my job so easy when you go out there and do this for your teammates,’ ” Schneider said per Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. “It makes it easy when your starters and your Pro Bowl guys are putting in that kind of effort and knowing the importance of it. When you come into this program as a rookie you might not value special teams as much. But then you see guys like that doing jobs like that. They are not doing that for anybody else but the guys in that room.’’
I am looking forward to the special teams unit this season and seeing if it can regain the number one spot.
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