CHENEY – One player who was especially inspired in Saturday’s Seattle Seahawks intrasquad scrimmage at Eastern Washington University was quarterback Gibran Hamdan, who is battling for a roster spot with second-year player David Greene and rookie Travis Lulay.
While Greene struggled and Lulay sat out the scrimmage, Hamdan made the most of his opportunity by leading a touchdown drive. He completed 3 of 5 passes for 45 yards, then jumped up in celebration when running back Ran Carthon scored on a 1-yard plunge to close out the afternoon.
“Every time I get a team rep, I have to show well because I don’t get a lot of them,” said Hamdan, who was named the MVP of NFL Europe over the summer. “Whenever I do get a chance, I have to make the most of it.”
Greene, who was the No. 3 quarterback last year, completed 3 of 4 passes for 18 yards before being replaced by Hamdan.
” (Hamdan) and David, they’re in a battle,” Holmgren said.
Short on hands: Injuries to Darrell Jackson (knee surgery), D.J. Hackett (strained hamstring) and Keenan Howry left the Seahawks thin at the wide receiver position.
That meant Maurice Mann and Taco Wallace were among the players who saw time with the first team, and both scored touchdowns.
Wallace led all players with four receptions for 61 yards.
“People keep telling me that this is my year, and I’m starting to believe it,” said Wallace, who spent two years on Seattle’s practice squad before playing in Green Bay last season. “I’m just going to give 110 (percent) every day. Fans, my family, they see me out and say, ‘Hey, Taco, this is your year! We’re glad to have you back!’
“… My work ethic is better. I’m out here to work because I have a lot to prove to everybody.”
Nice addition: It hasn’t taken long for linebacker Julian Peterson to make his presence felt on Seattle’s defense.
The former San Francisco 49er ran down running back Marquis Weeks from behind on a 26-yard run, nearly intercepted a tipped pass and even lined up at defensive end for a few goal-line plays.
Afterward, he was asked if he’s fully recovered from an Achilles injury that hampered him during parts of the past two seasons.
“What do you think?” he asked. “Did I look pretty good out there? I felt like I was running pretty well. When I went to jump for the ball (on the near interception), I kind of shocked myself. I was like: wow, I haven’t jumped that high in a long time. It felt good to do that again.”
Peterson’s diversity should give the coaching staff plenty of options. He can cover opposing receivers, can blitz from a linebacker position and can line up in a three-point staff along the defensive line.
It’s still unclear how and when he’ll be used in those situations.
“Third down for me is going to be an experiment for the coaches to see where I fit best,” Peterson said.
Looking ahead: Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck wore a Detroit Lions baseball cap after the scrimmage.
“That’s who we were pretending we were playing,” Hasselbeck said, referring to the Sept. 10 opener. “We got to stay focused.”
Quick slants: Kicker Ryan Killeen, who was given only an outside shot to challenge Josh Brown for a roster spot, hurt himself by badly missing his first two field-goal attempts Saturday. … The punting battle continues to be a dead heat, with both Ryan Plackemeier and Gabe Lindstrom unleashing a pair of punts that traveled 50 yards or farther in the air. … The MRI on cornerback Reggie Austin’s knee came up negative, and he is expected to return to the practice field sometime this week. … Safety Ken Hamlin was not credited with a tackle Saturday and is still waiting to see his first big collision since suffering head injuries more than nine months ago.
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