RENTON — Kam Chancellor’s training-camp holdout is now 10 days old.
And it has two truths.
If he stays true to his popular, unyielding character, the Seattle Seahawks’ thudding strong safety is apt to continue wanting more than the $4.55 million he’s scheduled to earn this season.
And the team leader seems destined to stay dug in for a while.
The Seahawks currently don’t have much more to give Chancellor for this year. Seattle has $4,898,519 left under this year’s NFL salary cap, according to overthecap.com. That’s 29th in available funds within the 32-team league. And there are no indications the team is prepared to cut a veteran starter or ask one to renegotiate a 2015 salary to create more cash space.
So as they prepare for Friday’s first exhibition game against Denver at CenturyLink Field, the Seahawks are moving on.
How much longer will they do it without Chancellor?
“I don’t know the parameters,” head coach Pete Carroll said before the players took Sunday off from practice. “I know overall we are working to make sure we stay connected.”
That includes Chancellor having access to the team’s films of each training-camp practice. His fill-in starter for now, DeShawn Shead, told The News Tribune over the weekend Chancellor is reviewing those films and texting him pointers.
“He’s still tuned in to everything,” Shead said, “he is still very active.”
Chancellor’s fines for holding out could exceed $480,000, if the Seahawks choose to sanction him to the maximum under the collective bargaining agreement. Asked if he was surprised, given that hefty amount and how committed Chancellor is to a team he’s not even with right now, that he’s still holding out, Carroll shook his head. The coach reminded all how dedicated the 27-year old is to his causes — including, as is evident now, his financial ones.
“No,” Carroll said, “because he’s very strong-minded. He’s wanted to make a very clear statement.
“I know he’s staying connected to everything that we’re doing. He’s the ultimate competitor; he’s not get very far away from us. But there’s still stuff to be talked out.”
Carroll said he hasn’t talked to Chancellor recently.
“No, just messaging,” Carroll said. “When I talked to him it seemed like it was three weeks ago, not five days ago.”
Five days from now, the Seahawks will play the first of four preseasons games.
Well, most of them will.
Marshawn Lynch was in his usual August mode Saturday. He watched the scrimmage wearing sweats, his jersey and a grin.
“He’ll come back real strong (this) week. So he can probably play about 30 or 40 plays in the opener,” Carroll said.
Then the coach looked around, tried to keep a straight face and finally deadpanned: “That isn’t happening.”
Expect a lot of Robert Turbin, the lead rusher in Saturday’s scrimmage with a touchdown following offseason surgery on both hips, and Christine Michael against the Broncos on Friday. Michael, who also scored Saturday but while with the second-team offense, is entering his third season. Coaches are still waiting to see consistency and dedication from him through an entire year.
Drew Nowak may end up starting or at least playing with the first-string offense at center, if the last few practices and Saturday’s scrimmage are any indication. Carroll and line coach Tom Cable are giving a long look to the 2014 practice-squad guard and defensive lineman at Western Michigan four years ago. But last week Carroll said if the team had to play then, veteran Lemuel Jeanpierre would be the center. Jeanpierre was Max Unger’s backup for five season, until Seattle traded Unger to New Orleans in March to get new tight end Jimmy Graham.
Graham and quarterback Russell Wilson may play more than the one series the starting quarterback and receivers usually get in an exhibition opener. That’s would be to capitalize on what Wilson and Graham say is an outstanding camaraderie the two have already in camp.
“The chemistry has been more than I could ever imagine,” said Graham, the NFL’s most prolific receiver at tight end the last few seasons. “For example, (Saturday) in the scrimmage we had one we didn’t connect (an interception by Wilson on an outside route to end the first drive). So after practice we did it about four or five times. And that is how we are going to do it each and every day. Anything we’re iffy about we’re going to get it after practice.
“The season is right here. And when those big moments come I want that connection to be right.”
Extra points
DT Jordan Hill’s return from a calf injury that cost him all of the playoffs in January through the Feb. 1 Super Bowl has included him getting more of the snaps at nose tackle than veteran starter Brandon Mebane the last few practices. “He’s a very active player,” Carroll said. “He really stays on the move all the time, he’s got a really good motor about him. There (have been) available rushes and he (been) able to take advantage of it, so he looks good he’s having a great camp.” … Each position the coaches have put Douglas McNeil so far in camp, he’s excelled. The 2014 free agent from Bowie State outside Baltimore was an impressive wide receiver early. The last two practices he’s been step for step with Saturday scrimmage standout Kasen Williams, second-year WR Kevin Norwood and others while at cornerback for the first time. “He was doing fine at receiver, but he’s 6’3, he’s really long, he’s really fast and he’s got a real motor about him,” Carroll said. “He’s a real aggressive kid, so I asked him to go ahead and take a look at him and see if we can put him on that side of the ball and see what would happen. He’s a little bit taller than Sherm (Richard Sherman), he’s a little bit longer than Sherm, he’s about the same speed. Sherm is taking him under his wing and trying to help him as fast as he can to bring him along. I can’t tell you how far he’s come, I don’t know that it’s just the first couple days, but I’m really anxious to see the film (Saturday) because he probably got about 25 to 30 plays out there.” … Carroll said TE Cooper Helfet has a cracked rib. That’s why the third tight end missed Saturday’s scrimmage. His status for Friday is unknown.
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