DK Metcalf has gotten off to a fast start in the NFL, with 150 receiving yards and a touchdown in his first two games. And one thing about the professional level has stood out to him.
“How fun it is, it’s just like playing in college,” Metcalf told reporters on Wednesday. “I’m happy for my teammates every time they score or get a first down. My energy level is just like playing back in college.”
As Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio notes, part of the fun for Metcalf includes showcasing his personality via a mouthpiece that looks like a baby’s pacifier.
“Trying to make the game fun,” Metcalf said. “I’m a rookie, so I’m a baby in the league so I got a little binkie.”
He also has noticed some differences in the professional level of the sport.
“Pretty much the speed of the game,” Metcalf said. “I’m catching on to it a little bit better each week. I’m trying to get a little bit better every week with the team, learn new stuff from different DBs that I’m facing. So, I think it’s surprising that I’m picking up the game a little better each week.”
He’s
getting advice from veterans regarding how to handle life in the NFL, and how to handle the extra time he has.
“I’ve got a lot more time now that I don’t have class anymore,” Metcalf said. “Bobby [Wagner],
Russell Wilson, and Duane Brown really helped me adjust to that. They told me to find a hobby or try to take care of your body any chance you get so, that’s what I’ve been doing.”
Metcalf said he tried to learn how to play the electric guitar, but that it didn’t work.
“Too much learning,” he said. So it was back to Fortnite.
As Florio summed up, "In less than a fortnight as a professional football player, Metcalf has shown that the Seahawks were smart to stop his slide through round two of the draft. As the season unfolds, he could make them look smarter and smarter. ..."
And the same will likely be said of fantasy owners who took a flier on the rookie as well. ...
Also of interest. ...
Tyler Lockett entered Week 2 having never cleared seven receptions in a single game. He went on to easily set a career high with 10 catches against Pittsburgh, registering 79 yards on 12 targets.
As ESPN's Mike Clay reminded readers, the common thought with Lockett during the offseason was that his historically great rate stats would regress, but he'd make up for some of that with heavier volume.
So far, so good. After averaging 14.2 yards per target and scoring on 14.7 percent of his targets last season, Lockett is averaging 8.8 yards per target and sports a 7.1 percent touchdown rate this season.
His targets have increased from 4.25 per game to 7.0 per game.
Clay added: "Lockett is a WR3 play with WR2 upside in Seattle's high-scoring offense."
Meanwhile, receiver
David Moore appears on track to return to the lineup as well after missing the first two games of the season due to a hairline fracture in his humerus sustained during the preseason.
Moore was a full participant in practice with Seattle on Thursday after being limited on Wednesday. He returned to practice last week after being sidelined for a few weeks as his injury healed.
“There’s a really good chance that David -- he’s got to go day to day, here but he’s practicing to play. That’s a real boost for us,” head coach Pete Carroll said on Wednesday.
Moore had 22 catches for 413 yards and four touchdowns over an eight-game midseason stretch for Seattle last year. However, the start and end of his season was rather quiet. But Moore has shown to be a big-play threat at times with his leaping ability and strong hands.
“He’s a vertical threat,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. “We’ve obviously been able to move him around a lot more this year, he looks really good. But, just the big lay capability. We’ve always talked a little bit about just his size and speed and strength to the ball and things like that. It’ll be fun to have him back out there again.”