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<< Previous   of   Next >> Elaine Thompson / Associated Press  (click to enlarge) Seattle Seahawks' Marcus Trufant takes a last glance back as he returns an interception 78 yards for a touchdown against the Washington Redskins' during the fourth quarter of a January, 2008, NFL wildcard playoff game. Trufant, sidelined by a back injury, must be activated by Saturday or he will miss the first six games of the upcoming season.   ADVERTISEMENT   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   Published: Wednesday, September 2, 2009 Tough call due on Trufant By John Boyle Herald Writer RENTON — Wide receiver Michael Bumpus was waived by the Seahawks Tuesday, trimming the Seahawks' roster down to 75 players. The former Washington State standout is the final of the first-round of cuts — four players were let go on Sunday — and things will get much more difficult as Saturday approaches. That is the day when NFL teams must trim their rosters down to 53 players, and for the Seahawks, it's also the day they must decide on Marcus Trufant's immediate future. Trufant, the team's top cornerback, has been on the physically unable to perform list with a back injury, and if he isn't activated by Saturday, he will miss the Seahawks first six games before being eligible to come off of the PUP list. “We'll take it right down to the wire,” Seahawks coach Jim Mora said. “We won't make that decision until we absolutely have to. We'll do it with a lot of input from our doctors, our training staff, and Marcus himself. Hopefully it's not a hard decision, hopefully it's a positive decision, but we'll have to see.” While the decision on Trufant will be decided by his health, the future of many other Seahawk hopefuls will ride on what they've done in practice so far, as well as what they do in Thursday's exhibition game. “You can't be too dogmatic when you come into camp, with these preconceived notions of who's going to be on your team and who's not,” Mora said. “They change over the course of camp. There are some races that are coming right down to the end, and we as a team, as an organization, have to make the right decision.” So what are those tough decisions? Even with Bumpus and Billy McMullen, who was waived earlier in training camp, out of the picture, wide receiver is still one of the most competitive positions on the field. While T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Nate Burleson, Deion Branch and Deon Butler all seem assured of spots, there is a tight battle still going on between Ben Obomanu, Courtney Taylor, Jordan Kent, Logan Payne and Mike Hass for one or two roster spots. That Bumpus was an early cut shows just how much better Seattle's situation is at receiver this year. Last season, the undrafted rookie played five games and started one, whereas this year he is one of the first players cast aside. Another tight battle is for the final job or two on the defensive line. Can the undersized but productive Nick Reed earn a spot on the roster, or can Baraka Atkins do enough Thursday to win a job. Or perhaps undrafted rookie Michael Bennett, whose versatility as an end and tackle makes him valuable, will make the team. And of course there are the kickers. Seahawks president Tim Ruskell said before training camp that his team will definitely not carry two kickers again this year, so either Brandon Coutu or Olindo Mare will be gone after Saturday. Matt Handsomebeck? Based on facial symmetry, which is apparently a measure of attractiveness, Matt Hasselbeck is the fourth most handsome quarterback in the league according to a Wall Street Journal story. With a 99.56 percent symmetrical face, Hasselbeck is fourth in the league among quarterbacks behind only Matt Ryan, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, and the Seattle quarterback ranks four spots ahead of Tom Brady. “Solid,” he said when told of his No. 4 ranking. “There's not a lot of competition out there though. It's an ugly bunch of quarterbacks these days.” Taking roll In addition to the trio of Walter Jones (knee), Trufant (back) and Chris Spencer (quad), who continue to be out with more serious injuries, the Seahawks were missing six other players Tuesday: receiver Logan Payne (unknown), receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh (general soreness), center Cory Withrow (unknown), quarterback Seneca Wallace (groin), cornerback Travis Fisher (hamstring) and safety C.J. Wallace (ribs). Fans asked to arrive early Because of construction around Qwest Field, the Seahawks are asking fans to show up early if possible for Thursday's 7 p.m. exhibition game. Touchdown City, located in the Qwest Field Events Center, is open at 4 p.m., and the stadium games open at 5. Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. 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