'I Want to Set the Tone!’ 6-6, 300-Pound Rookie Eager to Prove Doubters Wrong

RENTON, Wash. - Always sporting a big grin that seems to match his massive 81 7/8-inch wingspan, Seattle Seahawks rookie Mike Morris immediately endeared himself to the fan base with a great sense of humor and candid personality on draft weekend.

Between the lines, however, Morris is all business and after slipping to the fifth round, he's a young man on a mission at a new position. Once the pads come on and the helmet gets strapped up, he practices with great intensity and enthusiasm, dishing out occasional grunts as he fires his powerful hands into blocking sleds and works off double teams or manages to keep his pad level low rocketing out from underneath a rolling chute.

"Just going from college to now I feel like the scouting reports are going to be probably, ‘Run to his side when I'm at 3-tech [defensive tackle] because he probably can't handle the double teams," Morris said prior to Tuesday's sixth training camp session. "But I want to make it apparent that just like in college, if you run to my side, there will be problems. That's what I really want to do. I really want to set the tone."

Off to a strong start in his first NFL training camp, with scouts and draft experts pouring extra fuel onto his internal flame that always runs hot, Morris has gotten after it on the field with laser-sharp focus since first arriving in Seattle back in May. Taking to the coaching from assistant defensive line coach Damione Lewis and newly-hired pass rushing specialist BT Jordan, his transition has gone smoothly thus far.

Equally passionate about the game and having a good time, Morris' determination and vigor hasn't stopped him from soaking in the moment either, as he has enjoyed chopping it up with the 12s calling his name from the berm and acclimating to his new surroundings.

"It's been very exciting," Morris smiled. "Just to have fans there, little kids screaming 'MORRIS, MORRIS!' It's a good experience. It really like it."

Even with the great success of cornerback Riq Woolen had for Seattle a year ago, fifth-round picks rarely make notable splashes early in training camp as rookies. But at least from a physical standpoint, Morris stands out like a sore thumb as one of the newcomers in a retooled defensive line group, as the 6-6, 300-pound defender towers over the rest of his peers during drill work.

Without knowing Morris' background, one couldn't be blamed for thinking he has always been a defensive tackle given his sheer size and length. But while the Belle Grade, Florida native has played inside in the past and reducing down to defensive tackle isn't completely foreign to him, he primarily spent his time off the edge in a two-point stance at Michigan, playing 96 percent of his snaps outside or head up on the tackle for the Wolverines last season.

Thriving off the edge, Morris posted career-bests with 7.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and three pass deflections, earning First-Team All-Big Ten distinction. However, after an disappointing performance in athletic testing at the NFL combine in February at under 280 pounds, Seattle asked him to bulk up, viewing playing in the interior as his best bet to contribute in the NFL.

When he reported for rookie minicamp in May, Morris weighed in at nearly 300 pounds and has since hit that mark with a protein-heavy diet to prepare his body for the rigors of sparring with NFL guards on Sundays. A seasoned veteran when it comes to gaining and dropping weight, he didn't have any issues fulfilling the team's request.

"My coach said, 'Mike, if you get to 300, you get to 300. If you don't, you don't.' I'm not really concerned about it," Morris remarked. "I told them, if you talk to my nutritionist, you talk to coach [Ben] Herbert and [director of performance nutrition] Abigail [O'Connor] at Michigan who were in charge of my weight and getting me stronger, they'll tell you I can gain and lose weight very easy. So I feel like I'm fine."

Comparatively speaking, while he rarely reduced inside on early downs at Michigan and now will be asked to do so full-time in the league, Morris doesn't see much of a difference in his new role with the Seahawks. As far as adjustments are concerned, he has worked diligently on his technique, particularly keeping his pad level low to maintain leverage at the point of attack and winning off the snap with burst and quick hands.

In contrast to how the Wolverines deployed him, Morris indicated Seattle has granted him a bit more freedom to take his shots as a playmaker, "letting him be more of an athlete" to penetrate gaps and cause havoc in the backfield.

"I really wasn't inside on first and second down, only in certain packages," Morris explained. "But it's very, very similar, so I had to go back and get my mindset right, go onto the field, and kick some butt."

Aside from simply looking the part, Morris has left a positive impression on defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt, drawing praise from the long-time defensive line coach for his physicality and how he has stepped up to early challenges thrown at him transitioning full-time to defensive tackle. In particular, he has been pleasantly surprised by how he has handled leverage-related issues at his height.

Speaking with reporters following the conclusion of Tuesday's practice, Hurtt also applauded Morris for his football acumen, which has set him up for early success from a preparation standpoint.

“Mike has been rock solid, steady," Hurtt assessed. "Just playing with low pad level which is a challenge being 6-6, but good pad level and physical. I wanted to see when the pads got on how he was going to respond and he’s done a really, really nice job. Super smart kid, so he understands the playbook real well."

Just 22 years old, Morris has endured plenty of rookie growing pains so far in his first training camp. During one-on-one drills against the offensive line on Tuesday, he got stood up by undrafted guard Kendall Randolph on a bull rush attempt and was stone-walled only a few yards into the backfield. Leverage concerns have cropped up on a few plays in team period during the first two padded practices.

But when Morris has turned in bad reps, he has proven to be a quick learner and bounced back in resounding fashion. In his rematch against Randolph, he shot out of his stance and fired his hands into the blocker's chest, knocking him several yards backward with a powerful strike into the pocket. He also had quick penetration on a pair of run plays during team drills on Tuesday, allowing teammates to swarm the ball carrier for minimal gains.

Though he remains a project in progress as he continues to grow into a new position literally and figuratively, Morris has performed well enough to warrant snaps at the 3-tech spot with the second-team defense behind veterans Dre'Mont Jones and Jarran Reed during camp. With a mock scrimmage coming up on Friday and the first preseason game only a week away, opportunities will soon be presented for him to earn an early rotational role with the Seahawks.

Carrying a giant chip on his shoulder with much to prove, Morris will keep getting after it on the practice field to earn the trust of Seattle's coaching staff and continue to absorb all he can from Reed, Jones, and other veterans. In due time, with the goal of fast-tracking his development in an attacking scheme, he has sights set on emerging as a tone-setter for a defensive front badly needing physical, tough instigators in the trenches.