CHENEY – The Seattle Seahawks invested $44 million and a first-round draft pick in upgrading their defense, and five days into camp they’ve had very little to show for it.
Yet coach Mike Holmgren shows no hint of concern over the absences of defensive end Grant Wistrom, cornerback Bobby Taylor and defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs this week.
“It’ll all work out,” Holmgren said Thursday with a relaxed tone. “Right now, we’d all like to see them out there running around, but they’ll be fine. I’m not concerned about that.”
Wistrom failed his physical due to a foot problem and is expected to be out until sometime around Aug. 16. Taylor took part in three practices before a familiar bout of knee soreness took him out of practices Tuesday afternoon and all of Wednesday and Thursday.
And first-round draft pick Marcus Tubbs remains with his family in Texas while his agent tries to get a contract worked out with the Seahawks.
In the meantime, Seattle’s defense looks very similar – personnel-wise – to the 19th-ranked unit that took the field in 2003.
“It’ll be interesting to see how we all fit together,” starting defensive tackle Cedric Woodard said. “We all know that all those guys can play. We’re all looking forward to getting them in so we can get going.”
Woodard’s main concern right now involves Tubbs, who is helping tend to an ill mother in Texas. The two defensive linemen played one season of college football together at the University of Texas.
“We’re with him right now,” Woodard said. “We’re just hoping that everything goes OK for him, and he’ll be back ready to go.”
Tubbs, the 23rd overall pick, is one of only five first-round draft picks in the entire league who remain unsigned. Based on the market, he’s probably looking at a contract somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.5 million per year over five or six years.
The bigger question is when he will sign it, and Tubbs’ family is a more pressing issue for the 23-year-old at this time.
Wistrom and Taylor are nursing minor injuries that the team is handling with care. Both could practice but are being held out as precautions. Neither is expected to play in the intrasquad scrimmage Saturday in Portland.
Wistrom signed a team-record $33 million contract over six years, including a $14 million signing bonus. Taylor’s four-year contract is scheduled to pay him $11.3 million, plus incentives.
Holmgren is not worried about Taylor’s knee being a chronic problem.
“On occasion you have to rest it so it doesn’t swell up much,” the coach said.
Despite the missing defensive additions, the Seahawks have made strides this week. They have evaluated all three middle linebackers with the No. 1 defense, while strong safeties Terreal Bierria and Michael Boulware have also shown glimpses of promise.
Bierria, a third-year player who was on injured reserve last season, has made some big plays while working with the No. 1 defense. Defensive backs coach Teryl Austin said that the staff wanted to give Bierria a long look to see what kind of player he can be.
In a perfect world, Boulware would eventually earn the starting spot. The Seahawks’ second-round pick was slow out of the gate in minicamps but has shown some progress this week. He is trying to make the transition from college linebacker.
“I’m very happy with his progress,” Holmgren said of Boulware. “He’s going to be fine. It’s just a matter of when he is going to be real comfortable at that position.”
Seattle’s question marks have not been limited to defense. The injury bug has also hit on offense, where wide receiver Koren Robinson (hip) and offensive linemen Robbie Tobeck (calf) and Floyd Womack (calf) have been among the hobbled.
Robinson is expected to practice Sunday, while Tobeck and Womack could be out two weeks. None of them will travel to Portland on Saturday for the intrasquad scrimmage.
Wistrom and Taylor are also expected to be left behind this weekend, while Tubbs probably won’t be there either. Yet when the regular season opens on Sept. 12, the Seahawks’ defense hopes to have all three available.
“We have had talent for the last three years, but the key component is all we’ve been lacking,” cornerback Ken Lucas said. “If we can be lucky with injuries this year, I think we can go real far.”
Through five days of training camp, the Seahawks have been about as lucky as a three-leaf clover.
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