It’s the NFL offseason—meaning news about unconventional workouts by players makes the rounds.
The most interesting? Seattle Seahawks wideout Doug Baldwin, standing at 5’10” and 192 pounds, trains with the defensive line.
Here’s his reasoning, according to ESPN’s Sheil Kapadia:
“They’re masters at hand-to-hand combat,” Baldwin said. “And anything I gain from them, any knowledge that I can get from them is invaluable to me. So, I usually go down and practice with them occasionally just because they have so much to teach me.”
Baldwin even had a semi-funny comment about how cornerbacks such as Richard Sherman use their hands aggressively at the line of scrimmage:
“Right, especially with our corners,” he said. “Our defensive backs like to get handsy at the line of scrimmage, so the more I can do in terms of getting their hands off me, combating what they do at the line of scrimmage, the easier it is for me to get off the press.”
This a fun note more than anything, but few could argue Baldwin’s approach doesn’t work. He just posted 1,128 yards and seven touchdowns a year ago on 94 catches. The year prior, he had 1,069 and 14 on 78.
Baldwin quietly remains one of the NFL’s best receivers. He can win outside or inside in large part because he’s a physical presence despite his stature.
Workouts like this certainly help, and it’s hard to imagine he’s the only guy finding innovative ways like this to improve on the little aspects of his position.
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