Getty Pete Carroll called Phillip Dorsett the fastest player he has had with the Seahawks.
New Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Phillip Dorsett is already making his presence felt in training camp. Pete Carroll labeled Dorsett as the “fastest guy” they have had in Seattle, at least while he has been the Seahawks coach.
“He’s the fastest guy we’ve ever had here,” Carroll explained matter-of-factly in a recent press conference. “He runs in the time realms we don’t even think really exist, 4.2s and stuff. In our system, with Russ and the way Russ likes to bomb the football, he’s a big factor for us. Matter of fact, we are just installing stuff in the next couple of days that really accentuate some of those kinds of plays and I’m really anxious to see him he fit in. Tyler has been phenomenal at that stuff in the past and to have the compliment really with all of that speed on the field at the same time, D.K. and Tyler and Phillip. It’s pretty dynamic, but he’s done really well and that’s what you’re seeing. He’s gotten behind us [the defense] a couple of times.”
Dorsett ran a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash at the 2015 NFL Combine and had a bit faster time at his Miami pro day of 4.25. Both times show the speed of the newest Seahawks receiver.
Dorsett signed a one-year deal with the Seahawks over the offseason, and a big reason for his addition was the team’s hope that he can be a deep threat for Russell Wilson. Carroll indicated that Dorsett has already blown past the Seahawks secondary on several occasions.
Dorsett Previously Played With Tom Brady & Andrew Luck
Dorsett has always had the physical tools to succeed but is still waiting for a breakout season in his sixth year in the NFL. Dorsett spent the last three seasons with the Patriots after his first two years with the Colts. Dorsett is coming off 29 receptions for 397 yards and five touchdowns with the Patriots in 2019.
The receiver has only played with great quarterbacks and will once again be with one of the top NFL signal-callers. Dorsett joins Russell Wilson after previously playing with Tom Brady and Andrew Luck. Brady praised Dorsett as “smart, dependable, consistent, tough” after the receiver made crucial catches last season in Week 1.
“(Dorsett) did a great job,” Brady said, per NBC Sports Boston. “Phil’s smart, dependable, consistent, tough — continued to take advantage of the opportunity and he’s done a great job for us. He plays a lot of different spots. He was out there all training camp and came up with two huge plays tonight. So, it was great getting him the ball, seeing him score like that. And you can’t forget about him because he can run through the defense and make a lot of plays with the ball in his hands. We’ll just keep spreading it around.”
Dorsett Called Wilson the ‘Best Deep-Ball Thrower in the NFL’
Wilson is a big reason why Dorsett landed in Seattle as the Seahawks quarterback recruited him during free agency. As Carroll mentioned, Dorsett has identified the deep-ball as an area where he can excel with the Seahawks thanks to his speed combined with Wilson’s arm strength.
“I personally believe he’s the best deep-ball thrower in the NFL,” Dorsett told KJR 950 Seattle (via NFL.com). “You can see it week in and week out with DK and Tyler. I’ve been sitting back taking advantage of the NFL Game Pass, it’s free, so I’ve been watching games and you can see it.”
Last season, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick cited Dorsett’s big-play ability as one of the receiver’s strengths.
“Phil has got a lot of speed,” Belichick explained, NBC Sports Boston. “He can definitely stretch the field and we’ve seen him make those big plays before. We’ve seen it in practice. He had some big catches for us and, again, that opened up some other things offensively as well.”
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