By Scott M. Johnson
Herald Writer
KIRKLAND – Someday the attention will subside. Maybe.
On Monday, when the Seattle Seahawks opened their most recent minicamp, third-string quarterback Ryan Leaf again found himself at the center of the local media’s attention.
“It’s not something that’s going to disappear, especially now that I’m here in Washington,” said Leaf, a Washington State University product and native of Montana. “I’ve had to deal with it for a while, and I’ll always have to deal with it. I’m always going to live here in Washington or in Montana, so it’s always something that is out there. (Now) I just know how to deal with it differently.”
Leaf’s first day in a Seahawks uniform was fairly routine, at least until practice ended. Then he stood in front of a media contingent and had to discuss a variety of topics that included his injured throwing wrist (he says it’s fine), his first day of practice (he said it was nice to be back in the Pacific Northwest) and his reasons for changing jersey numbers from 16 to 5 (“I think I used up all the luck it had at Washington State; I wish I would’ve realized that a little bit earlier.”).
Coach Mike Holmgren said Leaf had a pretty typical first day on the field.
“He made some good throws; he threw some bazooka balls. Just like most of the other quarterbacks,” Holmgren said. “He’s learning our offense. He’s got to learn the stuff first before he can really function. But he threw the ball well. He’s a big, strong guy who came in in good shape.”
Leaf didn’t see any action in 11-on-11 drills, as starter Trent Dilfer and backup Matt Hasselbeck got most of the snaps.
“He’ll get some snaps in there, but we’re getting Matt and Trent ready to go,” Holmgren said.
Help on the way? Holmgren likes the players he has on the roster, but isn’t ruling out the possibility of signing another veteran player – especially after seeing the list of June 1 cuts.
“We’re still kind of looking around,” he said. “We’re not going to do anything real dramatic, I wouldn’t think, but our cap is in pretty good shape. We don’t have a lot of extra money to spend, but we have some.”
Most of the big-named players released over the weekend were wide receivers, which is a position where the Seahawks do not seem to need any immediate help. Antonio Freeman (Green Bay), Derrick Alexander (Kansas City) and Keenan McCardell (Jacksonville) were among the wide receivers cut on June 1, which is a key date because teams can get salary-cap relief by releasing players thereafter.
The Seahawks are looking for a veteran to add depth along the offensive line, and have already spoken with former Washington Redskins and Houston Texan tackle Matt Campbell. The Buffalo Bills released tackle John Fina over the weekend, but he would probably command more money than Seattle is willing to spend on a backup.
“Right now we could play the season with what we have, and I’d feel very good about it,” Holmgren said. “But if we have a chance to improve the team, we’ll be looking every day.”
Robinson opening eyes: Wide receiver Koren Robinson, one of the Seahawks’ two first-round picks in the 2001 draft, continues to impress teammates with his improvement.
“You learn as an athlete that when your mind is right, your body will do what it’s supposed to do,” Dilfer said. “I think last season, part of the reason he struggled is because it was so overwhelming up top. He really has a grasp of it now, and he’s playing a lot more free. When you see a guy do that, that’s when good things start to surface.”
Quick slants: Linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski returned to practice Monday after sitting out the last camp following shoulder surgery. … Without Shaun Alexander (honeymoon) and Maurice Morris (college still in session), the Seahawks have only two tailbacks at camp: Jay Graham and Rodnick Phillips. … The current minicamp continues through Thursday this week and Monday through Wednesday of next week.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
