CHENEY – Calling all runners.
Minor injuries to Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris and Jesse Lumsden left the Seattle Seahawks with just two healthy tailbacks on Thursday afternoon.
Lumsden appeared to suffer the most hobbling injury. The undrafted rookie from McMaster University in Canada twisted his left leg during the morning practice, injuring his hip in the process. He was on crutches Thursday afternoon and did not attend the second practice.
Alexander and Morris were being held out for precautionary reasons. Morris tweaked his hamstring on Wednesday, while Alexander was feeling soreness in his hamstring.
The injuries left Kerry Carter and rookie Marquis Weeks to take all the snaps Thursday afternoon.
Rookie middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu also missed the afternoon session because of a minor hamstring injury he suffered in the morning, and defensive tackle Rashad Moore did not participate in team drills because of a sore shoulder.
Also sitting out practice were tight end Ryan Hannam (rest), linebacker D.D. Lewis (concussion), wide receiver Marque Davis (hamstring), offensive lineman Jerry Wunsch (foot) and defensive tackle Ron Smith (undisclosed). Hannam, who underwent a second knee surgery during the offseason, has only been taking part in morning practices during training camp.
Safety Ken Hamlin (shoulder surgery), wide receiver Alex Bannister (broken clavicle) and defensive tackle Cedric Woodard (knee surgery) are still at least 10 days away from practicing.
Richard traded: The Seahawks sent cornerback Kris Richard to the Miami Dolphins for 25-year-old defensive end Ronald Flemons. The deal is contingent on both players passing a physical.
Richard was a third-round pick in the 2002 draft who didn’t make much of an impact despite increased playing time last season. He became expendable when the Seahawks brought in veterans Andre Dyson and Kelly Herndon in free agency.
“Kris was on the bubble for us, and (the Dolphins) had inquired about him several times,” team president Tim Ruskell said. “We always want to keep looking at defensive linemen that are available.”
Flemons is a 6-foot-6, 276-pound defensive end who was on the Dolphins’ practice squad for most of last season. The Atlanta Falcons selected the Texas A&M product in the seventh round of the 2001 draft. He has played in six games over four NFL seasons.
Richard was battling for the position of fourth cornerback, which now comes down to University of Washington product Omare Lowe and NFL Europe players Jordan Babineaux, B.J. Tucker and Michael Harden.
Richard was part of a 2002 draft class that has already seen its share of flameouts. Second-round pick Anton Palepoi is no longer with the team, joining Matt Hill, Jeff Kelly and Craig Jarrett as players from that class who have been released. Safety Terreal Bierria lost his starting job last season, defensive tackle Rocky Bernard has been inconsistent and tight end Ryan Hannam remains third on the depth chart.
The top two picks from that draft, tight end Jerramy Stevens and running back Maurice Morris, have yet to make much of an impact.
Quick slants: Coach Mike Holmgren and center Robbie Tobeck had a brief run-in Thursday afternoon, leading the coach to play rookie Chris Spencer with the No. 1 offense. After Holmgren yelled at the offense for missing a blocking assignment, Tobeck defended one of his teammates. “Don’t argue with me,” Holmgren said, and replaced Tobeck with Spencer for the remainder of practice. … Wide receiver Taco Wallace returned to practice Thursday, one day after a tackle by Howell left him woozy.
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