Rediscovering ‘Dog’ Mentality, Seattle Seahawks RB DeeJay Dallas Aiming to Take Sophomore Leap

RENTON, WA – DeeJay Dallas has officially started its second NFL season, according to his player profile on the team’s website. Statistics back it up, as he appeared in 12 games for the Seahawks in the 2020 season.

But even though Dallas had his earliest experience of NFL football and even started a few games for Seattle in place of Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde, at the beginning of practice this off-season he still felt like he’d just been fired from Miami. Given the circumstances, it’s not difficult to see why.

“In some ways [this spring], I felt like I was going into my sophomore year. In other ways, I still felt like a rookie, “Dallas said ahead of the second practice session at training camp on Thursday.

Like every other first year player who joined the NFL last year, Dallas has not had the opportunity to attend rookie mini-camps, OTAs, or any other traditional NFL offseason programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The teams were unable to join forces with the majority of states to put in place residency procedures to combat the virus, but instead used Zoom virtual meetings.

When training camps officially opened in mid-August, the rookies missed another chance to impress when the league canceled preseason games to avoid unnecessary travel. Though Dallas impressed on the practice field and was praised by coaches and teammates alike, losing those display cases didn’t help him battle for the season behind Carson and Hyde.

While it will never be known if things would have turned out differently with a normal camp and preseason, Dallas was a sane scrap in each of the Seahawks’ first two games and didn’t make their NFL debut The Cowboys until week 3. He finally got his first offensive snaps the following week, logged a pair of carries, and caught two passes in a win over the Dolphins. In the first five weeks he had only played 11 offensive snaps.

Then two weeks later, the opportunity arose when Dallas was thrown into its first high-leverage situation as a professional. With the Seahawks narrowly ahead of the Cardinals in Arizona, Carson was eliminated late in the first half with a metatarsal sprain and never returned. His back colleague Travis Homer also dropped out with a knee injury and opened the door for the rookie to get a long playing time in a hard-fought NFC West match.

Unfortunately, Dallas couldn’t use that first shot. After Arizona stormed back from a 10-point deficit at the end of the fourth quarter to force extra time, the full-back made a patented rookie mistake in protecting the pass and failed to identify lightning linebacker Tanner Vallejo, who passed through on the 2nd and 10th A-gap shot the middle, Vallejo blew up quarterback Russell Wilson who managed to get the drop for an incompleteness.

Immediately after the game, Seahawks running back coach Chad Morton Hyde switched back to the game after the protection order for the blown pass. For Dallas, it was a rude reminder that he had stopped playing at the ACC.

“That can never happen,” Dallas said when asked about the missed lightning pickup the week after the loss. “I went back and watched the movie. I just need to have better eye discipline in this situation.”

During his three years with the Hurricanes, the 5-foot-10, 217-pound Dallas excelled similarly to Homer in pass protection. He was never afraid to take on a flashing linebacker or walk up to the line to hit a defensive end that outweighed him by more than 50 pounds. He was also bound by instructions and seldom failed to identify the correct Blitz pickup.

What was behind those early struggles after being so successful at the college level? Looking back, Robert had the feeling that he had lost some of its sharpness. He wasn’t as prepared as he needed to be, and from a physical point of view, the “want” aspect of pass blocking wasn’t up to his standards.

“I think last year I kind of lost my canine mentality, my usual toughness that I had in Miami,” said Dallas. “Then I think I found that again in the Buffalo game, had some good passing pros” [reps]. “

Fortunately for Dallas, with Carson, Hyde, and Homer all injured, the Seahawks would give him a chance to redeem himself quickly. He started each of the next two games, and while imperfect at passing defense and missing a couple of blocks, he made significant improvements in this regard, especially from a mapping standpoint.

In addition, Dallas showed his versatility as a playmaker on the backcourt. He scored his first two NFL rushing touchdowns and also grabbed his first touchdown from Wilson, a sign of progress for the Brunswick, Georgia native.

From then on, Dallas saw the field only sparingly, Carson and Hyde finally returned to action. An ankle injury sustained in a kick cover in a Washington week 15 win eventually ended his season as he stopped playing another snap in 2020 and his first campaign with 34 carries for 108 yards, 17 receptions for 111 yards and a total of three completed landings.

In the off-season, Dallas had a lot of juggling off the field this spring. As if trying to train for an upcoming football season wasn’t difficult enough in the face of an ongoing pandemic where the virus is still devastating, he also completed preparations for a wedding with his longtime partner, Yasmin. At the beginning of the month, the two were finally able to tie the knot.

“Planning was difficult due to the logistics. We invited over 200 people, ”Dallas stated, adding that all of their guests had 12-hour rapid COVID-19 tests performed prior to the ceremony and reception.

In contrast to last year, activities in Dallas were also off-season. Since many players and coaches were vaccinated, the teams were able to meet at OTAs and mini camps and thus offer development opportunities that were not available to him as a rookie. He was one of the first seasoned players to volunteer early in OTAs and used extensive reps. He also traveled to Southern California earlier this month for the first time with his teammates to attend Wilson’s annual pre-camp training session.

After Dallas was indoctrinated into the NFL last season, as many players do in their first full offseason in the league, Dallas designed their offseason program around changing his body. He worked diligently to get leaner, especially in the upper half of his body. He also continued to emphasize improvements as a recipient and passport protection, which could be the two biggest keys to seeing the field more frequently in 2021.

So far, the extra work in the field has paid off. Even with only two exercises in the books so far, Dallas was one of the shining stars. In Wednesday’s opening session, he made a handover during the 11v11 period, yuked a linebacker on the second level, and then accelerated on the secondary for a 70-yard touchdown run. As expected, despite a long kick-off, he sprinted into the end zone.

Though Dallas looks noticeably faster and more explosive, Dallas downplayed the notion that he’d increased the pace in the off-season. Instead, he plays the ball with greater determination and hits the crease harder than he did in his rookie season.

“You can’t really get any faster once you’ve reached this level. Not the way it works, “smiled Robert. “You can cut maybe 0.1 or 0.2 seconds [to your 40-time]but that’s it. I think I was just too hesitant when I got my chance to play last year. “

Just as Dallas played in the early stages of the camp, he faces stiff competition for snapshots in a crowded back room. Carson re-signed during Free Agency and looked great so far, while a lighter, fully healthy Rashaad Penny also broke a couple of big runs on Thursday. Alex Collins also convinced himself with significant improvements in the reception game that match his running talents. All three of those backs, plus Homer if he gets off the PUP list, will be battling for game time.

But Dallas got off to a quick start in his second year as a “rookie” and his skills should fit perfectly into the offensive of new coordinator Shane Waldron. Carson has already indicated that Seattle will use backs more frequently in passing, including a wide split. With a previous receiver background in Miami, Dallas should give him a significant edge in the battle for the third role.

Dallas is approaching padded exercise and taking on the competition in the near future, and while he’s not afraid to admit his limits, he’s not lacking in confidence either. The edge is back. For what he lacks in the athletics department compared to other backs in the squad, he believes he can more than compensate with his intangible values.

“I’m not the fastest. I’ve never been the fastest. ”Dallas paused for a moment. “But I think I have the most heart.”

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