Seahawks Blog

The Seahawks' interest in Mark Brunell is going to be a hot topic the next day or two. The Washington Post reported in Friday's editions Seattle inquired on Thursday about Brunell. Brunell began last season as Washington's starter, but was replaced by Jason Campbell, who is now the team's starter.

The Seahawks are looking for a third-string quarterback. Third-year player David Greene played in only one of the team's four exhibition games and was intercepted three times. He did not play on Thursday against Oakland. He has served as the team's No. 3 the past two years.

Another name that could come up in the discussion of Seattle's plans could be Chris Simms of Tampa Bay. He may not make Tampa Bay's team and the prevailing thought from Florida is he is still recovering from the splenectomy he underwent last season.

His injury was announced in the press box as a sprained right knee. He will not return to the game.

Tubbs suffered an injury to his right knee during the first quarter. He limped off the field, was observed on a table on the sideline and was driven on a cart into the locker room.

Tubbs underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee last November. Trainers were examining his right knee on the sidelines.

Boulware won't be playing on Thursday. He may have injured an ankle.

Four players won't play in the game: CB Kelly Jennings (bruised leg), LB Julian Peterson (knee), T Walter Jones (shoulder) and TE Will Heller (ankle).

The Seahawks swapped out six starters on offense, nine on defense.

WR Nate Burleson starts at wide receiver, not D.J. Hackett

G Mansfield Wrotto starts at right guard, not Chris Gray

TE Leonard Stephens starts, not Marcus Pollard

QB Seneca Wallace starts, not Matt Hasselbeck

FB Leonard Weaver starts, not Mack Strong

RB Maurice Morris starts, not Shaun Alexander

DEFENSE

DE Darryl Tapp starts at LE, not Patrick Kerney

DT Marcus Tubbs starts at NT, not Chuck Darby

DT Craig Terrill starts, not DT Rocky Bernard

DE Bryce Fisher starts at RE

OLB Will Herring starts, not Leroy Hill

MLB Niko Koutouvides starts, not Lofa Tatupu

CB Pete Hunter starts, not Marcus Trufant

S Mike Green starts at SS, not Deon Grant

S C.J. Wallace starts at FS, not Brian Russell

For this light-hearted post, I step in momentarily for your favorite Seahawks blogmaestro, Danny O'Neil.

As a kid in the Portland area, I grew up listening to Golden State Warriors games on that AM radio blowtorch that is KNBR 680-AM. That is, of course, when the Trailblazers weren't on.

The voice of the Warriors back in the day was Greg Papa, and as I have shown a knack for imitating voices, I picked up Papa's inflections and displayed them to anyone who cared.

A couple of years ago, my co-worker Larry Stone saw Papa at a Mariners game and had him give me a call. Papa was doing the A's telecast and is now the Raiders' radio play-by-play man. At first I didn't believe it was Papa on the phone until I listened harder to his voice. I told him it was good to talk to him. He said he'd heard I did an impression of him, but he didn't put me on the spot.

Last year at the Seahawks-Raiders exhibition game in Seattle, I ran into Papa and introduced myself. He was kind enough to indulge in my imitation. Today I ran into Papa again, and this time he didn't seem so into it.

I'm pretty sure he didn't remember that crazy sportswriter who imitates him, and when I did his signature "Touchdown...Rrrraiders!!!!" radio call, he just said "That doesn't sound like me!" But he was gracious in shaking my hand as he walked away. I guess I have to keep refining my craft. Maybe when they do a roast for him I can be one of the speakers.

By the way, one of my boyhood heroes, Jim Plunkett, is here with the Raiders broadcast crew. Plunkett's autobiography was one of the first "big" books I ever read. It was an honor to meet him when I did last year.

-Jose Romero

Sports Illustrated's Peter King ranked the Seahawks left tackle No. 10 on his list of the 500 best players in the NFL. Walter Jones is one of three Seahawks in the top 50. Matt Hasselbeck is listed 20th (No. 6 among quarterbacks) and Shaun Alexander is No. 36.

King ranked the Seahawks first in the NFC West and wrote the team preview for the magazine's NFL preview.

ESPN.com's Gregg Easterbrook previewed the NFC in his Tuesday Morning Quarterback column, which is like a million words long. I'm exaggerating, but only slightly. The man can pile words on a page. Here's a link just to the Seahawks' portion otherwise you may never find it given the man's prodigious prose.

Matt Hasselbeck talked about his chance to meet President George W. Bush during his visit to Washington Monday to help raise money for Republican Congressman Dave Reichert.

"It was a thrill," Hasselbeck said. "The coolest thing was probably seeing how the Secret Service operated, just how tight security was, both the local security, the Bellevue Police Department and also with the Secret Service. It was a thrill. The tough part was probably just getting into the Hyatt."

Hasselbeck said fullback Mack Strong was originally chosen to go, and then Hasselbeck was asked if he wanted to accompany Strong.

"It was an opportunity to get out of meetings and meet the president," Hasselbeck said. "That's win-win for me."

Hasselbeck said he voted for Bush in the past two elections, and that voting is generally the extent of his political involvement.

"I don't think you'll ever see me campaigning," he said. "That's not my desire at all. But I definitely think it's important that you vote and that you have an educated vote, and I pride myself on that."

Hasselbeck was asked if he worried about being pigeonholed by appearing in public with the president.

"There's always that chance, but I'm not afraid of that," Hasselbeck said. "This is America, and I respect other people's opinions. I know there's been a lot of bad publicity lately, but I've been to for Fort Lewis twice in the last three months. Those guys would have gone in a heartbeat so in a way I feel like I'm supporting them also."

In a more humorous note, I asked Hasselbeck the significance of the No. 43 Seahawks jersey given to Bush.

"It happens a lot when politicians go somewhere they get a jersey or a ball or something," Hasselbeck said. "To my knowledge he'd already been here he had a 12th Man. I think he had a No. 8, maybe, so we thought maybe 43 would be more appropriate."

That's because he's the 43rd president.

DT Chuck Darby returned to practice on Wednesday.

The players who sat out were LB Julian Peterson, who is wearing a brace on his right knee, DT Marcus Tubbs, CB Kelly Jennings, S Jordan Babineaux and LT Walter Jones.

Babineaux looks close to returning. He stayed after practice each of the past two days running sprints along with Deon Grant, one of the Seahawks' new starters at safety.

Wide receiver Ben Obomanu suffered a leg injury during practice and did not return.

The Seahawks trimmed their roster down to 75 players on Tuesday. Here's the list:

T Jonathan Alston, QB Erik Meyer, CB Dennis Davis, G Jason Murphy, S Patrick Ghee, WR Robert Ortiz, RB A.J. Harris, LB Marcus Rucker, WR Chris Jones, K Kurt Smith, C Austin King, TE Andy Stokes.

Eleven of those players were absent from practice on Monday, making it clear who would be cut. Meyer practiced Monday, but has now been let go.

Former Washington safety C.J. Wallace remains on the Seahawks roster. The team must trim the roster to 53 players this weekend.

Not that you need it, but here's the answers to the matching quiz from earlier today:

The team roster is a little bit lighter. So is the beard linebacker Lofa Tatupu was working on the past month. He trimmed it down to a Fu-manchu with soul patch and two wooly '70s-style sideburns. Coach Mike Holmgren passed him in the hallway after practice:

"I thought it was Antonio Banderas," Holmgren joked.

Attendance at the afternoon practice: LB Leroy Hill (hamstring), TE Will Heller (ankle) and TE Leonard Stephens (ankle) returned to the field. DT Chuck Darby, DT Marcus Tubbs (knee), LB Julian Peterson (knee), T Walter Jones (shoulder), S Jordan Babineaux (bone bruise) and CB Kelly Jennings (bruise) were out. I'll provide an update on Darby's injury if we get one.

Coach Mike Holmgren confirmed the Seahawks cut 12 players. The 11 players who weren't at practice and one more. The team won't announce the roster decisions until Tuesday when teams must be down to 75 players.

Seattle has not announced any roster decisions and it won't have to until Tuesday, but there were 11 players who were not on the practice field for Monday afternoon's workout. To repeat, nothing official, but the 11 guys not present figured to be longshots to make the team. Here's the 11 missing:

K Kurt Smith
S Patrick Ghee
WR Robert Ortiz [Editor note: Not included on original list]
WR Chris Jones
CB Dennis Davis
RB A.J. Harris
LB Marcus Rucker
TE Andy Stokes
G Jason Murphy
C Austin King
T Jon Alston

I'll check in if there is any official word on roster decisions.

According to the ConsumerGuide Automotive, Lamborghini sold 876 cars in the United States in 2006. That gives you an idea of just how few of those cars there are out there. Now consider that three NFL players have been involved in notable incidents involving Lamborghinis in the past calendar year.

Here's a matching game that shouldn't be too tough. Match the NFL player to the automotive incident so the incidents at the right correspond to the correct player on the left:

If you want to cheat, here's the answer to one question with a news story to the latest Lamborghini incident.

José Miguel Romero provided a roster analysis three-quarters of the way through the exhibition schedule. That is linked here. The first round of NFL cuts is less dramatic this season. Teams must be down to 75 players, which is 10 more than previous seasons. Coaches like the change because you get one more game to evaluate players before taking the biggest bite out of the roster.

There are some interesting roster debates going on at training camp. Running back, defensive tackle and linebacker are the current hotspots as José points out in his story today.

The Seahawks also shift to a one-practice schedule beginning Monday, and I'll post a report after that practice.

Tight end Marcus Pollard played his most productive game since joining the Seahawks when he caught three passes during the Seahawks' only first-half touchdown drive in Saturday's exhibition against Minnesota.

He's in great shape, has an incredible story coming to the NFL after playing college basketball at Bradley and he's an engaging and personable interview. Coach Mike Holmgren even praised his blocking in training camp, calling it better than expected.

After five years of unfulfilled expectations at tight end, looks like a great fit for the Seahawks, right? That was the premise of my story for Sunday's paper.

Well, I came across this little tidbit that I found very interesting during my exciting Sunday evening reading NFL statistical analyses. The Pro Football Prospectus 2007 included a tidbit that since 1978, exactly six tight ends in the NFL have ever caught 10 or more passes in a season at the age of 35 [Editor's note: Clarified after read input]. Ten receptions. Ten. If I believed in using exclammation points I would have punctuated the last two sentences with that there because 10 is not a very big number at all. In fact, it would be disappointment if Pollard finished with that many, and yet only six guys have done it over the past 29 seasons. Granted, a couple of them did it multiple times, but it shows that 35 really is a ripe old age at that position.

So in pursuit of full attribution, I'm cribbing the info right out of the amazingly informative Pro Football Prospectus 2007 ($19.95). The chart was included in the skill-player profile of Pollard, and I expanded it a little bit to include the players with multiple seasons of 10 or more catches, but here's the list of all tight ends since 1978 they found who caught more than 10 passes at the age of 35. (Note: Jimmie Giles turned 35 in November of the season referenced here).

Now here's the counterargument to that gloomy list of historical precedents. Pollard didn't play college football so subtract four years of wear and tear off his body. At least that's what his new quarterback thinks. Matt Hasselbeck was asked if he was surprised a player who didn't play college football has been able to last so long in the NFL. Hasselbeck said not playing college football is perhaps a reason Pollard lasted so long in the NFL.

Also, Pollard hardly looks rundown. He's in immaculate shape. And during the team's summer minicamps he talked about the difference between his age and his mileage. The audio of his answer was linked here, but pulled down to comply with NFL restrictions.

The Seahawks are banking pretty heavily on Pollard at a position that is the biggest unknown for the offense entering the season. What exactly can the Seahawks expect from their tight end considering they have -- in order -- a veteran who's 35, a blocking specialist who caught more than five passes in only one NFL season and a guy who has been placed on injured reserve at some point in three of the four seasons since being drafted. Will Heller is the blocking specialist, Ben Joppru is the one who's fighting a history of injuries.

[Ed note: Also, take a look at here where Seth Kolloen [Editor's note: spelling corrected] did some poking around the history books to look at the production of tight ends who are older.]

A wealth of coverage awaits you this Sunday morning:

The Seahawks played their starters through the first half of the third exhibition game, making it the most meaningful of the team's meaningless games. We'll try to wade through just how meaningful that was.

The Seahawks blitzed more on defense this game, the Qwest Field crowd rattled right tackle Ryan Cook who also had his hands full going against Patrick Kerney and one guy in the southeast corner of the stadium showed he has neither forgiven nor forgotten guard Steve Hutchinson by holding a sign that said, "Hutch just another paycheck player."

Matt Hasselbeck looked sharp this game and the Seahawks offensive line stood up very well against the Vikings, whose defensive front includes one of the game's best tackle tandems in Kevin Williams and Pat Williams.

Certainly it's concerning for Seattle to have the Vikings gain 51 yards on its first four rushing plays to start the second half when the Seahawks' first-unit defense remained in the game. The Seahawks secondary showed it's still susceptible to the trick play, too, but it's still the exhibition season and the Seahawks aren't focused on their opponent so much as preparing their own roster. To that end, here's a quick scan of players on the bubble who may have altered their standing:

Trick plays continue to undermine the Seahawks defense as the only touchdown Minnesota scored in the first half came on an end-around handoff to Vikings wide receiver Bobby Wade, who then threw 6 yards to Visanthe Shiancoe for a touchdown.

The Vikings scored on a trick play against the Seahawks in last year's game as running back Mewelde Moore threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Wiggins on a halfback option.

After that game, one of the defenders remarked to me about the similiarities to the Super Bowl. The Seahawks gave up touchdowns on a long run and a trick play for a touchdown against the Steelers in the Super Bowl and again to the Vikings the following season.

Fourteen yards was Minnesota's longest run of the first half, but that trick-play TD will definitely give the coaches something to talk about.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck played all of the first half and was pretty spot on, completing 12 of his 17 pass attempts. The only real goof was the pass picked off by Antoine Winfield. Seneca Wallace replaced Hasselbeck to start the second half.

Bobby Engram led the Seahawks with three catches for 47 yards in the first half. Tight end Marcus Pollard also caught three passes, all during the Seahawks' touchdown drive.

The following Seahawks are not playing in Saturday's game against Minnesota: QB Erik Meyer, CB Jordan Babineaux, LB Julian Peterson, T Walter Jones, WR Courtney Taylor, TE Leonard Stephens.

Linebacker Leroy Hill is not listed among the scratches, but I haven't seen him in uniform yet. We'll still have to see if he plays. Lance Laury and Kevin Bentley are the first-unit linebackers during warmups.

The Vikings not playing: S Mike Doss, CB Mike Hawkins, TE Richard Owens, LB Vinny Ciurciu.

Coach Mike Holmgren said this week the team may not keep more than six linebackers on its 53-man roster. That would be a departure from recent history. The Seahawks have kept at least seven linebackers after the final training-camp cuts each of the past five seasons. They even kept eight in 2003.

This year, the incumbent starters are Lofa Tatupu, Julian Peterson and Leroy Hill. Kevin Bentley provides versatility while Niko Koutouvides has led the team in special-teams tackles two of the past three seasons. Lance Laury was a standout on special teams in the eight games he played a year ago and rookie Will Herring has appeared to be a key element of the special-teams unit so far in training camp.

This position is something to keep an eye on over the next two exhibition games as the Seahawks look to finalize their 53-man roster.

In Cheney, this is usually the hardest day of training camp to get interviews. The last day of camp because the players are moving full tilt toward the exit, anxious to get showered and then get home.

Well, it's a little different this year. Training camp ends, but the Seahawks aren't moving anywhere since practices have already been located at the team's headquarters and the players vacated the dorms earlier.

Coach Mike Holmgren said he was worried about the location of camp, the proximity to home and the potential for distractions. He thanked the team at the conclusion of this morning's practice for their professionalism. He was pleased with the responsibility the team showed.

"The players upheld their end of the bargain," Holmgren told reporters after Thursday's morning practice.

The Seahawks have a walk-through on Friday for Saturday's exhibition game against Minnesota. They switch back to a once-per-day practice schedule next week.

Paul Allen sold the Seahawks' team plane since last season, leaving the Seahawks in need of a new ride to out-of-town games. They'll be using Hawaiian Airlines charter service, the team announced on Wednesday, and flying a 767 that will be affixed with the Seahawks logo.

At least one other team in the NFL uses the Hawaiian charter service. The Raiders.

The 767 the Seahawks will use is a twin-aisle aircraft that can carry 264 passengers. The Seahawks will play five games in the Eastern time zone this season.

I'm stepping in for Danny for this entry, as your favorite blogmaster is tending to other business.

Without repeating what coach Mike Holmgren shouted to his players in practice this morning, I'll say this: Holmgren had a point to get across, and that point was eliminate the mistakes.

Pick up the blitz. Complete the pass. Get off the field on defense. Don't line up offsides. Holmgren was more animated than normal in letting his expectations be known.

Today's was by far the most intriguing practice session of camp, which officially breaks tomorrow though the team will continue practicing at team headquarters.
The schedule will be altered next week from two-a-days to one full practice per day.

"You'll see a little bit more of that sort of thing now until we play the first [regular-season] game," Holmgren said when asked about the extended team drills this morning.

In other team happenings, LB Julian Peterson sat out a second straight day with a sore right knee and QB Erik Meyer missed practice with shin splints. WR Courtney Taylor returned to practice for the first time since injuring his knee in the intrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 4.

Holmgren said Peterson has a slight chance of playing in this week's exhibition game against Minnesota, but if not he will be ready for the fourth game on Aug. 30.

QB Matt Hasselbeck, who didn't play last Saturday in Green Bay, will play this weekend for sure, and no decision has been made as to whether he will play the following week. Holmgren's plan, at least for now, is to have his starting units play into the second half on Saturday.

Sean Locklear, the team's No. 1 right tackle, will move to left tackle for Saturday with Ray Willis opening at right tackle. Also, DT Marcus Tubbs will see his first action of the exhibition season this week, and rookie DT Brandon Mebane might see time with the No. 1 defense.

"He's one of those guys that we have to see more of, just to really know him a little bit more," Holmgren said of Mebane.

The news from Tuesday was Seneca Wallace's extension with the Seahawks. The Seattle Times' news story on that can be found right here. José Miguel Romero's notebook from practice can be found here, leading with the comments from Matt Hasselbeck on Tuesday.

The Chicago Tribune checked in on the NFC West in Wednesday's paper. Here's the link to Dan Pompei's overview.

Pompei's most biting observation is this assessment of Darrell Jackson:

"Darrell Jackson might catch a lot of passes, but it speaks volumes that the Seahawks would rather have him play in San Francisco than in Seattle. Jackson is not known for being one of the league's more courageous receivers. Next time you see him with a defender closing in, watch how fast he hits the deck."

Pompei also predicts Darryl Tapp will make an impact as a pass rusher this season. Tapp has three sacks in two exhibition games and is taking some plays with the first-unit defense during practice this week. Pompei also says if it's not the Bears who have the league's best group of linebackers, then it's the Seahawks. [Ed note: Thanks to Dylan for pointing out an improper synopsis of Pompei's statement. Pompei doesn't assert the Seahawks LBs are better than the Bears.]

President Tim Ruskell spoke to reporters after the practice, confirming Wallace signed an extension. Wallace is now signed through 2010, Ruskell said, going three years beyond his current deal, which would have expired after this season. As is team policy, no monetary terms were reported.

Wallace talked to reporters after practice to explain his decision:

"I'm glad to be here in Seattle. I've been here five years and I have no complaints about anything so I'm glad I'm here."

Of course, not all players would look at something in that way.

Some players would start thinking that a better opportunity to play would be just a team away. Here's an audio file with Wallace's explanation of why he decided it was better to stay put.

Wallace has moved up the depth chart, progressing from a No. 3 quarterback to a backup the past two seasons.

On Monday, coach Mike Holmgren said the team was lucky to have a quarterback like Seneca Wallace ready as a backup. On Tuesday, it became clear the Seahawks intend to keep him there.

Wallace agreed to a three-year extension with the Seahawks. This is the second consecutive year Seattle signed Wallace to an extension during training camp. Last season, news of the extension didn't come out until midway through the regular season as Wallace stepped in to replace Matt Hasselbeck as the starting quarterback.

This time, it's a larger contract with more security. A link to our online story is here. The NFL Network's Adam Schefter reported the three-year deal totals $5.4 million.

The question is what to make of that? Well, first of all, it certainly shows the Seahawks like Wallace's development as a quarterback. Everyone likes to talk about the impact he could make on special teams or even as a wide receiver, but the reason he doesn't get those opportunities is the coaches don't want to endanger his status as the backup. Wallace also had a great training camp throwing the ball aside from an atrocious first half in San Diego during the first exhibition game, and even then he pulled himself out of it in the second half. As for the coaches' feelings about him? Well, take it from Holmgren. He was asked on Monday about Wallace and whether he had anything to prove this exhibition season. Here was the audio of Holmgren's response, taken down in compliance with NFL sound monitors.

What about the benefit for Wallace? Well, he is going to get a raise from the $800,000 he was scheduled to make this year, according to the NFL Players Association. He also must feel like he's progressing under this system. It would be easy for a player as talented as Wallace to feel the grass would be greener somewhere else without a quarterback who's already gone to the Pro Bowl. But Wallace chose to forego the possibility of unrestricted free agency, which says something about how he feels about both his situation and his possibilities here in Seattle.

Matt Hasselbeck hasn't spoken to Minnesota linebacker E.J. Henderson since the game last season. He said he doesn't know what number Henderson wears and isn't sure if he plans to speak to him at any point on Saturday when the Vikings plays the Seahawks in an exhibition game.

"I don't know what I'd say," Hasselbeck said Tuesday. "Thanks for ruining my season?"

Hasselbeck suffered a sprained knee ligament when Henderson landed on his knee. Whether the collision could have been avoided remains an area of debate. Henderson said after the game he was blocked into Hasselbeck, and fullback Mack Strong did shove Henderson as he went by. Hasselbeck felt Henderson could have avoided the collision.

Henderson was not penalized on the play, was not fined afterward and Hasselbeck clearly pointed out that he doesn't hold any sort of personal grudge with the player. It's just the play itself that remains a sticking point.

"I don't have an issue with him necessarily, I just have an issue with the rule," Hasselbeck said. "Like I've said before, I don't have a problem with a guy leading and hitting me in the ribs with his helmet. I've got no problem with that. I don't have a problem with a guy even hitting me in the head. I do have a problem with a guy late around the quarterback's knees unnecessarily. I just think that's something that needs to be talked about.

"That's not an issue with their team or an issue with a certain player. I just think if we want to protect the quarterback, that's the place to start. That's my opinion."

The Seahawks left the practice field this morning when Deion Branch waved urgently and called for Courtney Taylor to come back to the edge of the field. Branch smiled and it seemed like he wanted the rookie receiver to come take a look at something.

As Taylor walked down the cement pathway from the locker room, Branch shed his shoulder pads and helmet. Taylor broke into a smile. He was already carrying one veteran's helmet and pads in one hand. Now he had another. Taylor, a draft pick from Auburn, laughed as he picked up Branch's pads.

Consider it a rite of passage. A veteran can ask a rookie to carry his pads off the field. It's almost always someone who plays the same position. Earlier this season, while I was interviewing Deon Grant, he summoned rookie safety C.J. Wallace to grab his pads.

Every team has its own way of enforcing a code of seniority. Call it respect for elders or paying your dues, teams find all sorts of ways to do it. Baseball teams have been known to make rookies dress in women's clothing for a roadtrip. Last year, the Mariners newest rookie reliever was required to wear a pink backpack on the trek out to the bullpen.

Used to be that rookie offensive linemen were required to bring donuts to the team's weekly film sessions. Well not just donuts, but Krispy Kremes. Of course that was when center Robbie Tobeck was the veteran voice in the locker room. We'll see this season if someone else enforces a code of seniority. For right now, a short walk with an older teammate's equipment counts for that rite of passage.

Michael Boulware returned to practice on Tuesday morning. He missed Monday because of a sprained ankle, but coach Mike Holmgren said he expected Boulware to be available for Sunday's game.

TE Ben Joppru, DT Marcus Green and LB Julian Peterson did not participate in the morning workout. An update on their injuries will be passed along once it's available.

Pass protection -- or more accurately the lack of it -- was one of the biggest differences between the Seahawks' Super Bowl season of 2005 and last year when their quarterback was beaten up. Some of it was because of a turnover along the offensive line. Some because left tackle Walter Jones was injured and then there was that Hutch guy who turned purple.

The Seahawks experienced the third largest rise in sacks allowed in the league last season. The teams who experienced the six largest increases are listed at the right.

Calling the seven sacks Seattle allowed in Saturday's exhibition game in Green Bay a continuation of last season's problems is a stretch. The guys responsible for some of the most conspicuous breakdowns (Leonard Weaver and Marquis Weeks) weren't part of the problems last season. Tom Ashworth started six games at right tackle where he played much better than he did in his brief relief appearance for Walter Jones at left tackle in the season-opener. He struggled on the left side again on Saturday. A story about his reaction to the performance is linked here.

Saturday's game is a reminder the quarterback is often only as good as the time he's provided to pass.

Monday morning practice notes:

Coach Mike Holmgren on how he would respond to the players after Saturday's loss:

"They talk about consistency and negative reinforcement, you should never do that. You should always be positive. That's a bunch of bologna. They all know me. If I .. brought cupcakes out there, we all had a deal, they'd go, 'Hmmm. That's different.'

"That wouldn't work. I'm going to be who I am. They know that. And I expect them to respond."

Needless to say, the players weren't given cupcakes on Monday.

Coach Mike Holmgren mentioned after Monday's practice that the injury situation at tackle was cause for concern. Is that a long-term or short-term concern? Here's audio of Holmgren's answer removed to comply with NFL guidelines. to that question as the coach explains it's more a short-term concern given the return of Sean Locklear. He also talked about Walter Jones' status with his shoulder injury.

As for Tom Ashworth's play on Saturday, Holmgren discussed that as he answered why Ashworth seemed to play better at right tackle than at left. Here was part of Holmgren's assessment of Ashworth, similarly removed to comply with the league's sound police.

Sean Locklear returned to practice on Monday after missing last week because of tendinitis in his knee. He did not play Saturday in Green Bay, leaving Ray Willis working at right tackle and Tom Ashworth at left tackle.

Willis was still working at right tackle during practice on Monday, which is significant because he had been competing with Chris Gray for time at right guard through the first couple weeks of training camp. Tackle is Willis' more natural position, though, and while coach Mike Holmgren said Willis will continue to see time at both tackle and guard, it appears his competition for playing time at guard is done.

Ashworth started at left tackle on Saturday in Green Bay, and he again looked overmatched lining up on that edge. Holmgren said Ashworth looked much better at right tackle than at left in his time with the team. Ashworth practiced with the second-unit line at right tackle on Monday.

Third-string quarterback David Greene's issue has been accuracy as he showed in the exhibition game in Green Bay when he completed six passes to Seahawks and three to Packers.

"His accuracy is a big thing," Holmgren said. "He runs the team decently. He's a hard worker. He moves well enough. It's just the balls fly on him on occasion."

Holmgren was asked later if Greene needed to show more urgency.

"Well, I would think so, yeah," Holmgren said. "Well, David has been here three years. He knows the program."

Safety Michael Boulware did not practice on Monday, sitting out because of a sprained ankle. Holmgren said Boulware should be available to play on Saturday against Minnesota. Linebacker Julian Peterson did not participate in all of practice after getting a little banged up in the exhibition game.

OK. That's not really his nickname, but the Steelers have introduced their new mascot, Steely McBeam (though there's some Seahawk fans may think that spelling should be 'Stealy' given the outcome of Super Bowl XL. Here's a link to a picture right here. Not sure what he looks like. The best I could come up with is he looks like the Purdue Boilermaker only angrier with bushier eyebrows and a downright unsettling glint in those cartoon eyes. He kind of frightens me.

Gotta' admit I wasn't out there trolling for new mascots around the league. I found it here, on the Football Outsiders week in quotes. That's a great site by the way for much more than just its collection of quotes. You can read their observations on the Seahawks-Packers exhibition game here, which is about two-thirds of the way down this page. The three observers -- like most people who watched the game -- panned Tom Ashworth's play at left tackle.

Here's the story in our paper on Monday from José Miguel Romero, who wrote about Mack Strong. He made his second consecutive Pro Bowl last season, but as he told José he really wore down over the course of last season.

Not surprisingly, coach Mike Holmgren was none too happy with the Seahawks' performance in their second exhibition game in Green Bay. Even the fact no one got hurt evoked a wry comment. It "isn't surprising, seeing as how we didn't hit anybody," Holmgren said.

José Miguel Romero covered the game, and his notebook leads with an assessment of David Greene's performance.

While Greene's performance may have an impact on the final roster, but it's not going to have much of an impact on the season. He doesn't figure to play.

So let's look at something that is more pressing. The offensive line and the seven sacks allowed.

We'll start with a little bit of history here. Two years ago I was making the transition from covering the NBA and the Seattle Sonics to reporting on the Seahawks. Running back Shaun Alexander was Seattle's franchise player at the time, agreeing to a one-year deal with the caveat he would not receive the franchise tag again.

Tim Ruskell was in his first year as team president and it seemed to me that Alexander's situation this was the overwhelming question facing the franchise and its future. When I termed the question that way to Ruskell he pointed out to me the identity of this team was really found on the security of its offensive line and not the uncertainty of Alexander's future.

He was absolutely right. That line was the Seahawks signature during its Super Bowl run when Walter Jones was considered by many to be the human playing football that year, Steve Hutchinson provided the clenched-jaw toughness and Robbie Tobeck and Chris Gray provided the veteran seasoning that allowed Seattle to mix in third-year tackle Sean Locklear seamlessly after Floyd Womack injured his triceps in an exhibition game.

The offensive line again became the identity of Seattle's team in 2006, a year marred with injuries and inconsistency. Seattle's starting offensive line changed eight times and failed to provide Hasselbeck with the protection he needed. The quarterback's ribs were injured the first week, his non-throwing hand was broken another. He missed games because of a knee injury and all around found it difficult to trust he was going to get protection and the underlying question to Seattle's 9-7 season was: Did losing Hutchinson to Minnesota really make that big a difference?

This is not going to be another rehashing of Seattle's miscalculation in that regard. The Seahawks goofed. They underestimated both what the payscale for guards would become under the new collective-bargaining agreement and they underestimated Hutchinson's willingness to agree to a deal that hamstrung Seattle's ability to match it.

That's history. The question facing the Seahawks in the present is whether they can find the consistency the offensive line provided in 2005. Their protection -- or more accurately the lack thereof -- is what really stood out on Saturday in Green Bay. It's unfair to judge the unit on that game alone since the Seahawks were missing the two tackles who will presumably start the season, but Green Bay is hardly noted for a dominant defensive line and the Packers had their way with the Seahawks up front.

Tough to blame Seneca Wallace for the first fumble returned for a touchdown. He got clobbered from his blindside after left tackle Tom Ashworth failed to put much more than a fingernail on Green Bay's defensive end.

On the flip side, left guard Rob Sims has acquitted himself well. He developed some scar tissue last season, thrown into the fire of short-yardage situations, but he has the mobility that has the coaches salivating about the idea of letting him pull and get out in front of the ball carrier.

Now, it's too early to jump to any conclusions, especially after a game in which the Seahawks played without their starting two tackles, but a performance like Saturday should put everyone on edge and serve as a reminder that this team's identity is going to be forged in large part by its offensive line, for better or worse.

The Seahawks allowed more points in this game than any exhibition game since their inaugural season and believe it or not the defense can't be blamed for too much of that.

Seattle quarterbacks combined for five turnovers. Seneca Wallace fumbled twice, each returned for touchdowns and third-string quarterback David Greene completed almost as many passes to Packers (three) as he did to Seahawks (six).

Now, the Seahawks allowed seven sacks, scored only one touchdown and it would be really easy to blow the significance all out of proportion. The Seahawks didn't play quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and starting tackles Sean Locklear and Walter Jones didn't even make the trip. The big problem would be if those two weren't ready for the regular season and there's no indication that is even a consideration.

Still, this one was ugly.

The Seahawks special teams allowed an 83-yard kickoff return to set up the Packers first touchdown and committed five of the team's 10 penalties.

If there is a bright side to a game in which the Seahawks allowed more points than any exhibition game since the inaugural season of 1976, it's that Tom Ashworth isn't expected to be starting at left tackle when the season begins.

He looked pretty overmatched in this game. Cullen Jenkins beat him soundly with a spin move and then Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila ran almost untouched around Ashworth en route to clobbering Wallace from behind, forcing a fumble Packers linebacker Nick Barnett returned for a touchdown.

The Seahawks repeatedly talk about how they do not game plan for exhibition games, and that may explain breakdowns like failing to pick up a safety blitz like the one in which Atari Bigby forced a fumble that Tracy White returned for a score.

But some of the protection breakdowns were straightforward blocking assignments that were missed and that's where the absence of Jones and Locklear really stood out.

This was a flashback to the protection problems the Seahawks had last season, but let's not jump to conclusions just yet. The starting tackles were out, but one of the strongest impressions from the exhibition opener in San Diego was the Seahawks allowed only one sack in that game. The inability to establish an offensive rhythm in the first half of Saturday's game in Green Bay was directly a result of the protection problems.

For the record, the only time the Seahawks allowed more points in an exhibition game was when the Seahawks lost 52-7 to Denver on Aug. 21, 1976.

Other observations:

Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck made the trip to Green Bay, but he'll join the spectators in the rain tonight at Lambeau Field. Hasselbeck will not play, it's been announced.

Seneca Wallace starts in his place. Other roster notes: Tom Ashworth starts at left tackle and Ray Willis at right tackle for Walter Jones and Sean Locklear, who are not on the trip. Kevin Bentley opens at linebacker for Leroy Hill, who isn't here.

Nate Burleson will start at wide receiver in place of D.J. Hackett, who will still play. Burleson got significant snaps with the starters this past week.

As for the weather, it's raining pretty good an hour before kickoff. But that didn't stop assistant coach Jim Mora from running stairs, getting in his daily exercise, it appeared.

Marcus Tubbs won't play in this Saturday's exhibition game in Green Bay, but his return to the practice field helps give a little fuller picture of the situation at defensive tackle.

Rookie Brandon Mebane and his tree-trunk legs have made a strong impression in his first training camp, not only with his gap-plugging ability in the run defense but his proficiency in getting up the field and after the quarterback. Tubbs is the anchor in the middle of the Seahawks rushing defense and in 2005 he paired well with the tireless Chuck Darby.

Rocky Bernard, Craig Terrill and Russell Davis also worked into the rotation last season. Terrill suffered a knee injury last season and was also slowed by injuries during this training camp.

The Seahawks generally keep five defensive tackles on the 53-man roster. Will they stick with that this year or possibly go with six since Tubbs' number of plays may be limited even in the regular season. The Seahawks kept 10 defensive linemen on the 53-man roster last season, and they don't figure to keep more than four defensive ends this season.

The rotations at that position will be something worth watching on Saturday night.

Here's a listing of the Seahawks recent history at defensive tackle on the 53-man roster:

José Miguel Romero just phoned in to report coach Mike Holmgren's playing-time plans for Saturday's game in Green Bay:

José Miguel Romero reported on the growing connection between Deion Branch and Matt Hasselbeck in a story for Thursday's paper. You can read about that here. Highlights from the day at training camp can be found here.

Coach Mike Holmgren has not announced how much Matt Hasselbeck will play in Saturday's exhibition game in Green Bay, but that's something that will be updated today. It's the Seahawks last day of practice before traveling to Green Bay on Friday to play in Saturday's game.

Remember Chike Okeafor? The defensive end who skipped off the field, wore a chaos medallion and didn't so much march to the beat of his own drummer as he had a personal percussion section? Well, he underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn biceps. It's an injury that typically takes four months of recovery, but Okeafor believes he can make it back in weeks not months. The link to the story from the Arizona Republic is here.

Jerramy Stevens' attorney made an array of motions to suppress evidence and dismiss the drunk-driving charges against Stevens in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Tuesday. Those motions were all denied, and according to the Scottsdale prosecutor, the case is scheduled for trial, which begins Sept. 5.

Stevens now plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who face the Seahawks in the season-opener on Sept. 9.

Dallas Morning News NFL columnist Rick Gosselin names the Seahawks the top team in their division, but he includes an interesting note about their upcoming season:

"The Seattle Seahawks are the team to beat in the NFC West this season and their No. 1 foe may be jet lag. The Seahawks make five cross-country trips to play teams in the Eastern time zone: Atlanta, Carolina, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh."

A link to his column can be found here.

We published a story Wednesday on a few Seahawks' plans to get in tip-top shape by running up Cougar Mountain. A link to that story is here. Highlights from the day at training camp can be found here.

Also, NFL.com ranked the top 10 plays from the first week of exhibition games. Ben Obomanu's touchdown catch from Seneca Wallace was ranked No. 2, just ahead of Franklin alumni Jesse Chatman's 74-yard touchdown run for the Dolphins and the top play was a helmetless tackle by a Washington player. That video can be found on NFL.com.

Marcus Tubbs underwent arthroscopic surgery after playing the first three games of 2006. He missed one week, came back and played two games before the knee flared up again. He then underwent microfracture surgery, which is more common among basketball players. Amare Stoudemire, Matt Harpring and Chris Webber all underwent the surgery. Mariners pitcher Mark Lowe recently came back from the operation in his elbow. Cleveland's Kellen Winslow underwent microfracture surgery. So did former Seahawks defensive tackle John Randle. Jacksonville defensive tackle Marcus Stroud underwent a microfracture surgery in his ankle. The desired result is the procedure will stimulate development of new cartilage will form.

Here's what Tubbs said, talking about the necessity of surgery:

"I think it came to the point where that operation is kind of just what I needed. I knew rehab would be a long process, but I was willing to do it to get back out and help this team."

Tubbs practiced for the first time on Tuesday, activated from the physically unable to perform list.

Coach Mike Holmgren said the goal remains to have Tubbs ready to play in the third exhibition game against Minnesota.

"He's a talented man and he has been injured a bit, but when he's played, he's played well," Holmgren said. "That's the tough part. We have to be careful about pushing him a little too fast."

Doubting the difference Tubbs makes? Just look at the numbers for Seattle's rushing defense when he's in compared to when he's out the past two seasons:

The Seahawks have signed former St. Louis Rams defensive back DeJuan Groce, the Times has learned.

Groce, a fourth-round pick of the Rams in 2003, replaces kicker Kyle Stringer on the Seahawks roster. He played for the New Orleans Saints last season but was released in June of this year.

Groce, 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds, is in his fifth pro season from Nebraska. He started 15 of 16 regular-season games in 2005, his last with the Rams. Groce was also a return specialist in the first two years of his career.

This signing is an interesting one. The Seahawks figure to keep three cornerbacks -- Marcus Trufant, Kelly Jennings and Josh Wilson -- but beyond that, no one has really stood out in practice and in the exhibition game. Jordan Babineaux is injured but should make the team as a cornerback-slash-safety, and the safety position is stocked with four proven NFL veterans. Still, veteran presence is the preferred option among the coaching staff.

Marcus Tubbs is on the practice field Tuesday morning, which means he has been removed from the Physically Unable to Perform list. Tubbs had not taken part in practices yet as he continued his recovery from microfracture surgery on his knee.

Tubbs' return is not a surprise. Coach Mike Holmgren previously said the target date for Tubbs' return was the third exhibition game. His return is important because he is the largest member of what is a largely undersized line. There is a significant decline in Seattle's run defense after he was injured last season.

Also returning to practice on Tuesday: Fullback David Kirtman (broken hand), Floyd Womack (hamstring), Niko Koutouvides (chest contusion), Craig Terrill (knee) and Leroy Hill (hamstring). The Seahawks are down to three healthy tight ends, Marcus Pollard, Joe Newton and the newly signed Andy Stokes.

Walter Jones and Sean Locklear are not taking part in the team practice on Tuesday, leaving Tom Ashworth to fill in at left tackle and Ray Willis at right tackle.

It certainly appears that Ben Obamanu has grabbed hold of the Seahawks' No. 5 roster spot, establishing possession with five catches and a remarkable touchdown during Sunday's exhibition victory.

That was the highlight for the receivers in a game where Rob Sims and Tom Ashworth had more catches than Nate Burleson and D.J. Hackett.

NBC announcer John Madden speculated the Seahawks might only keep four wide receivers on the final 53-man roster. That has only happened once in the previous five seasons at wide receiver, the position where the Seahawks fluctuated more than any other at final training-camp cuts.

Draft pick Courtney Taylor played well the first week of training camp, but will be out a month after suffering a knee injury. Chris Jones and Logan Payne each stood out at during different points of training camp.

Here's the Seahawks stockpile at receiver on the 53-man roster the past five seasons after the final training-camp cuts. Note that Maurice Mann made the final cut last season only to be let go later that week when the Seahawks signed return man Willie Ponder.