Published: Monday, August 23, 2010
Injuries strike Seahawks' left tackle position again
Okung's injury brings back memories of last season's nightmare at LT
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Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald
Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung (76) looks to sidelines during the Seahawks' first offensive series against the Green Bay Packers Saturday night.
SEATTLE -- Russell Okung may not miss much, if any of the regular season, but no matter how serious his ankle injury, the loss of the team's starting left tackle in Saturday's preseason game certainly brings back some bad memories for the Seahawks.
Okung, who the Seahawks drafted with the No. 6 overall pick, was brought in as the heir to former All Pro Walter Jones. The same Walter Jones who tried to come back from knee surgery last season, but never could get on the field, leaving the job to right tackle Sean Locklear. Locklear went down with a high ankle sprain in Week 2, however, causing him to miss six games. Brandon Frye then started three games before suffered a season ending neck injury, leading to former practice squad member Kyle Williams taking over for a game. Williams was eventually replaced by Damion McIntosh, who was jobless when the season started.
And if none of those names besides Locklear ring a bell, don't feel bad; none are currently in the league.
The news on Okung may not be as bad as initially feared, however. Following Saturday night's 27-24 loss to Green Bay, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll didn't rule out the possibility of a high ankle sprain, and said, "It's going to be a bit, it's a legitimate ankle sprain, so we'll see how it goes."
But reports Sunday are more optimistic. Okung was scheduled to have an MRI on Sunday, but the team said there was nothing new to report on his injury. However Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network reported that Okung should be out two to four weeks, and is hoping to get back in time for the Sept. 12 regular season opener against San Francisco. That timeline indicates a less serious injury than the dreaded high ankle sprain, which frequently takes four to six weeks to heal.
Okung's injury appeared to happen on the first play of the game when he and left guard Ben Hamilton got their legs tangled up, sending Okung to the ground. Okung stayed in for the next two plays before Seattle punted, then was done for the night. With backup Ray Willis out with a knee injury Mansfield Wrotto, a converted guard, played left tackle with the starting offense.
And while there's no reason yet to believe this is 2009 all over again, losing Okung for any amount of time is still a blow. With Jones retiring in the offseason, the Seahawks made left tackle a big priority, using the first of two first-rounders on the Oklahoma State product. The Seahawks allowed 41 sacks last year, the 10th most in the league, 32 of which were on Matt Hasselbeck, who was coming back from a back injury that ended his 2008 season.
"It's pretty significant," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said off the loss. "We made it as big a priority as we can make it in getting him ... That's a big loss if he can't come back. We put a lot of time and effort in getting this guy right. He's done everything we can ask of him and we'll see how it is and how long it's going to take."
With Okung and Willis both sidelined, the Seahawks for now have Wrotto at left tackle, Locklear on the right, and only Joe Toledo and Jacob Phillips as backups.
Seahawks add a receiver
The Seahawks agreed to terms with free agent receiver Brandon Jones on Sunday, adding another player to an already tight position battle.
Jones, a third-round pick in 2005, spent his first four season in Tennessee, catching 112 passes for 1,380 yards. He then signed a five-year deal with San Francisco last offseason, but played in just eight games and caught one pass for 18 yards. The 49ers released Jones Wednesday.
Barring a surprise move between now and the final cut day, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Deion Branch, Mike Williams, Deon Butler and rookie Golden Tate are all likely to make the team. That likely leaves room for only one more receiver, or at the very most two more. If there is only one spot available, it will likely come down to Jones, Ben Obomanu and Ruvell Martin.
Jones becomes the second 49er to join Seattle in less than a week, joining defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer, a former first-round pick who the Seahawks acquired for a sixth-round pick last week.
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog
Okung, who the Seahawks drafted with the No. 6 overall pick, was brought in as the heir to former All Pro Walter Jones. The same Walter Jones who tried to come back from knee surgery last season, but never could get on the field, leaving the job to right tackle Sean Locklear. Locklear went down with a high ankle sprain in Week 2, however, causing him to miss six games. Brandon Frye then started three games before suffered a season ending neck injury, leading to former practice squad member Kyle Williams taking over for a game. Williams was eventually replaced by Damion McIntosh, who was jobless when the season started.
And if none of those names besides Locklear ring a bell, don't feel bad; none are currently in the league.
The news on Okung may not be as bad as initially feared, however. Following Saturday night's 27-24 loss to Green Bay, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll didn't rule out the possibility of a high ankle sprain, and said, "It's going to be a bit, it's a legitimate ankle sprain, so we'll see how it goes."
But reports Sunday are more optimistic. Okung was scheduled to have an MRI on Sunday, but the team said there was nothing new to report on his injury. However Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network reported that Okung should be out two to four weeks, and is hoping to get back in time for the Sept. 12 regular season opener against San Francisco. That timeline indicates a less serious injury than the dreaded high ankle sprain, which frequently takes four to six weeks to heal.
Okung's injury appeared to happen on the first play of the game when he and left guard Ben Hamilton got their legs tangled up, sending Okung to the ground. Okung stayed in for the next two plays before Seattle punted, then was done for the night. With backup Ray Willis out with a knee injury Mansfield Wrotto, a converted guard, played left tackle with the starting offense.
And while there's no reason yet to believe this is 2009 all over again, losing Okung for any amount of time is still a blow. With Jones retiring in the offseason, the Seahawks made left tackle a big priority, using the first of two first-rounders on the Oklahoma State product. The Seahawks allowed 41 sacks last year, the 10th most in the league, 32 of which were on Matt Hasselbeck, who was coming back from a back injury that ended his 2008 season.
"It's pretty significant," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said off the loss. "We made it as big a priority as we can make it in getting him ... That's a big loss if he can't come back. We put a lot of time and effort in getting this guy right. He's done everything we can ask of him and we'll see how it is and how long it's going to take."
With Okung and Willis both sidelined, the Seahawks for now have Wrotto at left tackle, Locklear on the right, and only Joe Toledo and Jacob Phillips as backups.
Seahawks add a receiver
The Seahawks agreed to terms with free agent receiver Brandon Jones on Sunday, adding another player to an already tight position battle.
Jones, a third-round pick in 2005, spent his first four season in Tennessee, catching 112 passes for 1,380 yards. He then signed a five-year deal with San Francisco last offseason, but played in just eight games and caught one pass for 18 yards. The 49ers released Jones Wednesday.
Barring a surprise move between now and the final cut day, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Deion Branch, Mike Williams, Deon Butler and rookie Golden Tate are all likely to make the team. That likely leaves room for only one more receiver, or at the very most two more. If there is only one spot available, it will likely come down to Jones, Ben Obomanu and Ruvell Martin.
Jones becomes the second 49er to join Seattle in less than a week, joining defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer, a former first-round pick who the Seahawks acquired for a sixth-round pick last week.
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog
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