CHENEY – The motivation within Ken Lucas has swelled like a tumor for three years.
Since coming into the NFL in 2001, he’s lost his starting job – twice. He’s been taken to school by some of the league’s best receivers (does the name Randy Moss ring any bells?). And he’s seen the Seattle Seahawks use high draft picks and generous free-agent contracts on people destined to be his long-term replacement.
Yet when Lucas, a 25-year-old cornerback, talks about his motivation for the upcoming season, he speaks purely in the future tense.
“This is my contract year,” he said. “If that’s not motivation, I don’t know what is.”
If his words sound a bit familiar to Seahawks fans, perhaps that’s because Shawn Springs went into last season with a similar focus. Springs has since left town, leaving behind Lucas and a young defense with big-time expectations.
Those high hopes, just as much as a potential long-term deal, are what drive Lucas.
“We know we have something special here, and you have to seize the moment because you don’t know how many times you’ll get this opportunity again,” he said.
Lucas opened camp as the starter across from Marcus Trufant, and he’s made the most of his opportunity. High-profile free agent Bobby Taylor has been inactive for almost a full week because of knee soreness, so Lucas has been getting all the snaps with the No. 1 defense.
As if he hasn’t had enough motivation, Lucas need look no further than the sideline, where Taylor stands waiting to be given a crack at the starting lineup.
“He’s enhancing this team,” Lucas said of the nine-year veteran. “It’s like hot sauce or adding seasoning sauce to your food. He’s only going to make this team better. He’s motivation to me and everybody else.”
Lucas has had a solid camp, highlighted by two key plays at Sunday’s practice. He intercepted a Matt Hasselbeck pass in seven-on-seven drills, then later made a diving deflection to prevent a long gain.
“I think he’ll have a heck of a year,” defensive backs coach Teryl Austin said last week. “Right now, he’s off to a good start.”
Lucas altered his weight program this offseason to help him be stronger and faster. He admitted that he wore down late last season after spending part of the summer trimming down, so this camp he’s playing at his more natural weight of 205 pounds.
And what will it all mean by the end of the season? Lucas predicted that NFL scouts will have this to say about him in January: “He’s a much better player than he was in his first three years.”
Robinson welcomed back: After missing the first week of training camp because of a hip injury, wide receiver Koren Robinson returned to the practice field Sunday morning.
“Now I trust he stays healthy and can get back into the swing of things,” coach Mike Holmgren said. “He made some nice catches today. He’s happy to be back. He wants to practice. That’s all good.”
Last week Robinson was holding out hope that he would be able to play in Saturday’s scrimmage, but he’s just glad to be back.
“This morning I felt good,” Robinson said after the first Sunday practice. “A little rusty, but that just comes. It doesn’t take me long to pick up where I’ve left off.”
Injury update: The Seahawks came out of Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage with a few nicks and cuts.
Wide receiver Taco Wallace (abdominal strain), defensive end Anton Palepoi (hamstring), cornerback Kris Richard (ankle) and safety Michael Boulware (ankle) sat out Sunday’s practices to rest injuries.
Among the players who got hurt earlier last week, there was both good and bad news.
Quarterback Brock Huard was scheduled to be sent back to Seattle to get treatment on his strained back. He’s not slated to have surgery.
The news is better for center Robbie Tobeck, who appears to have recovered quickly from a calf strain and might be able to practice as soon as this week.
Tackle Wayne Hunter, who failed his physical because of a wrist injury, could practice as soon as today.
Tackle and cornerback have been the hardest-hit positions. Third-stringer Matt Hill struggled as the starting left tackle in Saturday’s scrimmage, while the cornerback position has seen so many injuries that Tony Lukins, most recently of NFL Europe, is working at nickel back.
Quick slants: Holmgren singled out center Dennis Norman and running backs Kerry Carter and Maurice Morris as the players who stuck out most in Saturday’s scrimmage. … The Seahawks have six more days of practices this week, then play a nationally televised preseason game at Green Bay on Monday night.
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