The Seahawks went into the 2020 season very excited about what they were seeing out of Marquise Blair, who had taken over the nickel corner spot after playing safety in college and during his rookie season in Seattle.
Blair's rookie season unfortunately was cut short by a torn ACL in Week 2, but he's back now and again making plays in Seattle's secondary.
Blair being back and looking a lot like the player he was in 2020 does not, however, guarantee he opens the season as Seattle's top nickel back, not because of anything he's doing wrong, but because of how well Ugo Amadi played after taking over for Blair last season, and because of the way he's playing in training camp this summer.
"Ugo is really on his game," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "As a matter of fact, I talked to him about that today—about how much more he knows now, how much more aware he is. His ability to disguise and utilize the calls, he's just way ahead of where he's been, and he's looked really good. It's a real good battle between those two guys. Marquise we've always been excited about what he can do and how he can play, whether it's at safety or nickel. But Ugo isn't just giving it up, he's competing like crazy, it makes it a really good spot for us."
Asked what changes helped him get to the level Carroll described, Amadi pointed to the work he did in the offseason.
"I feel like I've been taking my offseason seriously," he said. "The offseason is really huge for any athlete, it's what you do in your spare time. If you practice a certain skillset, you will eventually master it. I feel like I made use of the offseason, not just physical abilities but mentally as well because the game is highly mental."
Amadi and Blair are competing for the same nickel spot, which in today's NFL is essentially a starting role, but as well as both have played over the past two years, it seems inevitable both will be factors on defense this season, particularly when you factor in that both also play safety and have worked there during camp.
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August 13, 2021 at 07:48AM
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Competition Between Marquise Blair & Ugo Amadi Makes Nickel “A Really Good Spot” For Seahawks - Seahawks.com
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