KIRKLAND – If Sunday’s practice were a test, D.D. Lewis wouldn’t be preparing any valedictorian speeches.
The Seattle Seahawks’ 25-year-old outside linebacker returned to the practice field to test out his ailing left shoulder, and the early returns didn’t look promising.
He made several plays in team drills Sunday and appeared to have gotten over the soreness that plagued him throughout training camp, but afterward Lewis didn’t seem very confident about his immediate future.
“It’s alright,” Lewis said while rotating his shoulder with a wince. “I mean, it’s feeling OK.”
A few minutes later, he was seen having a private conversation with coach Mike Holmgren.
Lewis has been sidelined since Aug. 14 following soreness in a shoulder that had offseason surgery. He missed the Seahawks’ three preseason games because of the shoulder, but still has a chance of playing Thursday against Minnesota.
“It’s real frustrating,” said Lewis, who wore a harness to protect the shoulder Sunday. “You get a surgery to heal up, and you think you’re going to come back and have a good year. And then something like this happens, and it sort of ticks you off a little bit.”
Lewis’ injury gained added importance recently because starting strongside linebacker Chad Brown went down with a broken leg last week. Brown is slated to miss up to eight weeks, and Lewis appeared to be the logical replacement.
But the condition of his shoulder has made it more apparent that either Isaiah Kacyvenski or Tracy White may have to assume Brown’s position in the starting lineup.
Cutdown looms: The Seahawks will probably make at least 14 roster moves by today to get down to the 65-man limit. The first cut deadline is Tuesday, but Seattle tends to release players before deadlines to prevent them from having to practice an extra day.
Seattle made two official moves Sunday, placing quarterback Brock Huard on injured reserve while waiving Jernaro Gilford from the physically-unable-to-perform list.
The Seahawks had not released the names of other players waived, but 16 were missing from Sunday’s afternoon practice.
Linebacker Chad Brown (leg) and offensive lineman Jerry Wunsch (ankle) were absent due to injuries. Safety Damien Robinson was excused from practice. The other 13 not attending were: quarterback Bryson Spinner, running back Clarence Farmer, wide receivers Marque Davis and Sammy Moore, tight end Casey Poppinga, offensive linemen Isaac Herring and Dustin Kroeker, defensive end Gabe Nyenhuis, linebacker Rod Royal, cornerback Derrick Tatum, safety Arnold Parker and kicker Tyler Fredrickson.
Defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs (hamstring) and wide receivers Bobby Engram (back contusion) and Darrell Jackson (routine rest) were at practice but did not participate.
Holmgren said Engram and Jackson probably won’t see much time in Thursday’s preseason finale, but only because the Seahawks are hoping to evaluate the younger receivers vying for a roster spot. Tubbs is expected to return to practice next week and should be ready for the regular season opener.
Crazy foot: Kicker Josh Brown had what he referred to as his “best worst kicking day” in Friday’s win over the San Diego Chargers.
Brown nailed field goals from 52 and 50 yards, but also missed a routine extra point.
The 25-year-old kicker, who made good on all 48 point-after attempts as a rookie last season, blamed himself for using improper technique on Thursday’s miss.
“They’re all important, but it wasn’t the regular season,” Brown said. “You don’t want to take preseason lightly, but if it’s going to happen, that’s a good time for it to happen.”
Quick slants: Right tackle Chris Terry (shoulder) joined defensive end Grant Wistrom (heel) among players returning to practice. … Holmgren said he expects Walter Jones to be back next Monday, if not sooner. Jones skipped his third consecutive training camp as part of an ongoing contract dispute.
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