CHENEY – Judging by the energy the Seattle Seahawks displayed during their final full morning practice Friday, it appears they’re in no hurry to get home.
Sometimes looks can be deceiving.
“It’s been fun out here in Cheney,” cornerback Marcus Trufant said, “but I’m excited to get back.”
As the Seahawks prepared to break camp today – they’re scheduled to go through a short practice this morning before heading back to the west side of the state – excitement abounds. Not only are the players and coaches optimistic about the coming weeks, they’re pretty happy to get the whole Eastern Washington University experience behind them for another year.
“What’s nice is seeing the kids who show up at practice, and the gleam in their eye when they get an autograph,” offensive lineman Robbie Tobeck said. “You think back to when you were a kid, looking up to your idols. So it’s nice to be around those people.
“But there’s nothing better than sleeping in your own bed.”
The person that matters most, head coach Mike Holmgren, liked what he saw during the 22-day stay.
“I thought it was a good camp,” he said. “The young guys learned, so it was good that way. They had a great effort all the way around. I think we only had one average practice.”
Some of the stars were former first-round picks Marcus Tubbs and Jerramy Stevens, both of whom opened a lot of eyes early in camp. Wide receiver Jerome Pathon was also productive, especially in game situations. And Seneca Wallace did enough to give the coaches confidence in him as the No. 2 quarterback.
The Seahawks were also impressed with the limited action they saw from rookie Lofa Tatupu, who missed 10 days with a sore hamstring but still appears to have the inside track on the starting middle linebacker position.
On the negative side, veteran linebacker Jamie Sharper drew some mild criticism from defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes for his lack of intensity and inability to pick up the system. And no one emerged from the pack in the race for the No. 3 receiver position.
Among the key position battles, Tatupu looked better than Niko Koutouvides at middle linebacker, Pathon and D.J. Hackett made statements among the receivers, and Itula Mili has seen most of the action with the No. 1 offense at tight end this week.
One position battle that is still too close to call is at cornerback, where Andre Dyson and Kelly Herndon are gunning for the lone remaining starting position.
In Tatupu, Tubbs, Sharper, defensive tackle Chartric Darby, defensive end Bryce Fisher, linebacker D.D. Lewis and the winner of the Dyson/Herndon battle, the Seahawks are in position to have seven new starters on defense.
“We’ve got a lot of new faces there,” Holmgren said. “They just have to play some more games together.”
While training camp always has its share of nagging injuries, this year’s edition was relatively pain-free.
Sixty-one of the 90 players currently on the roster had perfect attendance at camp. The healthiest position was quarterback, where all four players currently on the roster made it through the month without missing a single practice.
More than anything, the Seahawks were pleased to have left tackle Walter Jones and running back Shaun Alexander at camp. Jones had missed the past three camps in a contract dispute, and Alexander appeared headed that same direction before signing his one-year contract tender on July 27.
Those two, along with the other 88 Seahawks, will be happy to head back to Seattle sometime this morning – their mission in Cheney accomplished.
“It was a good camp,” team president Tim Ruskell said. “Obviously, the facility and the weather held up, as it usually does here. The team was spirited; they worked hard. We had a minimum distraction because of injury.
“And one of the most important things as you go to a camp, we got better. It was a good camp.”
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