CHENEY – Shaun Alexander returned to Seattle Seahawks practice on Tuesday morning and was quick to identify the genesis of an injury that caused him to miss the previous five days.
The Pro Bowl running back had no doubts that his strained hamstring came from all the time he’s missed over the summer.
“That can happen anytime you miss the minicamps and things like that, especially for a running back,” Alexander said. “You’re not getting used to stopping, starting, running, cutting up hard, picking up speed.
“That’s the hardest thing about the whole franchise (tag) thing for me. That’s just the rules. When you follow the rules, something bad can come from it.”
Alexander missed all of the offseason workouts after initially refusing to sign his franchise tender, then he was three days late for training camp because of the birth of his second child.
Although he kept himself in shape during the offseason, Alexander took part in just five practices before straining his hamstring.
Tuesday marked the first time since Aug. 4 that he had practiced.
“It was good,” he said. “I probably could have come back three days ago, around the scrimmage time, but I wanted to make sure that I didn’t have the pain doing certain things. … I passed my test, so I feel good.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, coach Mike Holmgren had not decided whether Alexander would play in Friday’s preseason opener at New Orleans.
Alexander isn’t the only Seahawk who missed part of camp and immediately strained his hamstring. Rookie middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu, who is expected to compete for a starting job, has missed five days with a similar injury. Tatupu did not sign his contract until the third day of camp.
New D-lineman: The Seahawks signed defensive tackle Cleveland Pinkney, who had been released by the Carolina Panthers on July 23.
Pinkney played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when Seahawks president Tim Ruskell was there and once worked under Seahawks defensive line coach Dwaine Board.
Pinkney took the roster spot created by the Monday release of linebacker Solomon Bates. Pinkney was also wearing Bates’s uniform number: 50.
Quick slants: Wide receiver Joe Jurevicius (personal matter) and linebacker Jamie Sharper (routine rest) returned to practice on Tuesday after missing the previous two days. … Wide receiver Marque Davis, who injured his hamstring on Aug. 1, was back practicing Tuesday afternoon. … Due to a concussion, linebacker D.D. Lewis has missed eight days of practices.
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