<< Previous   of   Next >> Associated Press  (click to enlarge) Defensive tackle Red Bryant (79), a fourth-round draft pick from Texas A&M, made an impression during the three-day minicamp.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADDITIONAL ITEMS

• Seattle Seahawks (External Link)

CONTACT THE HERALD

Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.)

E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com

Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com

SEAHAWKS: Minicamp ends, another begins

By Scott M. Johnson
Herald Writer

KIRKLAND -- The Seattle Seahawks wrapped up a three-day minicamp on Sunday morning.

To commemorate the occasion, they'll begin another camp today.

The three-day session that included rookies and veterans will be followed by a four-day, voluntary camp for veterans only. All four morning practices, today through Thursday, will take place at the team's eastside complex and are closed to the public.

The weekend camp gave the coaches a brief look at the rookie class of 2008. Players like first-round pick Lawrence Jackson and second-round pick John Carlson got to mix it up with veterans and 22 other rookies.

Among the first-year players, several made strong first impressions. Carlson ran good routes and caught most of the passes thrown his way, although he did have one open-field drop in a 7-on-7 drill.

"I really didn't know what to expect," Carlson said of his first NFL camp. "The offense is very complex, but they're good at teaching it and giving us time to study. There's a lot for me to sharpen up on."

Jackson looked pretty fluid in pass-rush drills, going against several veteran and rookie offensive linemen.

Fellow defensive lineman Red Bryant, a fourth-round pick from Texas A&M, didn't have to do much to make an impression. The 6-foot-4, 318-pound defensive tackle looked every bit of his massive size, dwarfing every other Seahawks defensive lineman except 6-5 Patrick Kerney.

The coaches and front office staff paid special attention to two rookie specialists, long snapper Tyler Schmitt and kicker Brandon Coutu during the three-day camp. Both draft picks showed consistency during the five practices over the weekend.

Wide receivers coach Keith Gilbertson said he was impressed with two undrafted rookie receivers: Washington State's Michael Bumpus and New Mexico's Travis Brown.

Of Bumpus, Gilbertson said: "You can tell he was very well-coached collegiately. He did a nice job, and we threw a lot of stuff at him."

The rookies will return for another minicamp in June.

Bumps and bruises: Several hobbled players took practices off over the weekend.

Kerney, tackle Walter Jones, wide receiver Deion Branch, center Chris Spencer, defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs, defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, safety Mike Green and linebacker Will Herring sat out all five practices following offseason surgeries.

Also taking some practice time off were a group of players that included wide receiver Bobby Engram, offensive lineman Ray Willis and former University of Washington wide receiver Anthony Russo.

Line shuffle: The injuries to Jones and Spencer forced Seattle to use a couple versatile veterans with the No. 1 offense over the weekend.

Floyd Womack took reps in place of Jones at left tackle, while guard Chris Gray worked at center. Gray, Womack and Rob Sims are expected to be in the mix for the starting spot at right guard. Sims, who played left guard last year, took all the reps at right guard over the weekend.

Quick slants: Chances are, the starting lineup this season will include just eight players who started in Super Bowl XL: Jones, Engram, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, offensive lineman Sean Locklear, Bernard, cornerback Marcus Trufant and linebackers Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill. … The 80-man roster currently includes four UW products: Russo, cornerback Omare Lowe, safety C.J. Wallace and defensive tackle Larry Tripplett. Bumpus and Trufant are the only Washington State University players on the team.