Everett, Wash.
Published: Sunday, June 8, 2008

Seahawks' Engram says there is a 'possibility' he may not show up for training camp

By Scott M. Johnson
Herald Writer

 REDMOND -- Six days after Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren said his leading receiver would "absolutely" be at training camp, a slightly more reliable source was singing a different tune.

Bobby Engram, who caught a franchise-record 94 passes last season but is skipping offseason minicamps because of a contract dispute, said Sunday that there is a chance he won't be in attendance when training camp begins at the end of next month.

"It's a possibility," Engram said in an interview with The Herald and television station KCPQ on Sunday afternoon. "We'll see what happens."

Engram, 35, is hoping to re-do a two-year contract he signed before the 2007 season. At that time, he was coming off a season that saw him play only seven games due to an unforeseen thyroid condition. After last season's record-setting performance, Engram feels he deserves a better deal.

"I think that everyone is in agreement that I've outplayed that deal," Engram said on Sunday, just before teeing off in a golf tournament to help raise money for the athletic department at Cedar Park Christian High School. "I can't force (the Seahawks') hand, and I'm not trying to force their hand.

"I'm at peace with this decision, and it's not coming from a place of ego or pride. I'm just trying to get something done that will be fair. It's a business decision on both sides, and I understand where they're coming from. But I have to do what I think is best for me in my career."

Engram's deal paid him $1.7 million in 2007 and is scheduled to pay him the same amount this year. But teammates Deion Branch and Nate Burleson will both make about twice that in 2008, despite less productive 2007 campaigns on the field.

An unidentified source told The Tacoma News Tribune last month that the Seahawks are unwilling to re-negotiate Engram's current contract.

Engram attended a mandatory minicamp last month but has skipped two consecutive voluntary camps, including one that continues through Thursday of this week.

Last Monday, Holmgren told reporters that he does not expect Engram to miss any time at training camp or during the regular season.

But Engram countered that Sunday, saying he hasn't committed to reporting to camp.

When asked Sunday what he hopes to gain from the skipped minicamps, Engram said: "In my mind, we'd like to see a new deal, a couple-year extension."

And if that doesn't happen?

"I'm not ready to make that decision yet," Engram said, "but (not showing up for training camp) is a possibility."

The Seahawks will already be without one starting receiver at training camp, as Branch is expected to be out until September -- at the earliest -- following offseason knee surgery.

Burleson, a sixth-year player who attended high school in Seattle, is the only experienced receiver at the current camp. Third-year player Ben Obomanu, with 13 career receptions, and Courtney Taylor with five, are the only other wideouts who has caught an NFL pass.

Engram detailed his reasoning for the absence in May, when he sent a letter to team president Tim Ruskell. Engram forwarded that letter to Holmgren and several other front-office executives, but he's had no dialogue with them since that time.

"I'm not really trying to tell the team anything," Engram said on Sunday. "I've said my piece. They know where I stand. This is just about me evaluating my options for the future."



For a full story on Engram's contract situation, read Monday's print edition of The Herald or on www.heraldnet.com.

The full transcript of Sunday's interview will be available on www.heraldnet.com on Monday.
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