KIRKLAND — The Seattle Seahawks have already changed long snappers once this season.
If someone knocks their socks off today, they might do it again.
Coach Mike Holmgren acknowledged that the team is open to the idea of adding a long snapper because Boone Stutz has struggled. Long snapper is one of the positions being considered during today’s free-agent tryout, so it is within the realm of possibility that the team will make a change.
“We’re going to look at it,” Holmgren said Monday. “If there’s someone who shows, there’s a chance. If there’s no one who shows, it probably won’t happen.”
The team dumped long snapper Derek Rackley in favor of Stutz two months ago, and yet the replacement has struggled with consistency. On Sunday, he misfired on a snap that cost Seattle an extra point.
“Boone had a pretty good game, actually, until that last snap,” Holmgren said. “But that, like the snap from center (to quarterback) or anything you think should be automatic, we can’t think that much about it. Certainly, our kicker and our punter can’t.”
Also struggling is second-year punter Ryan Plackemeier, although his job is safe. Plackemeier ranks last in the NFL with a 34.8-yards-per-punt average. His net average, 34.4, ranks 31st.
“He’s young, and he’s still learning how to do some things,” Holmgren said. “But I have a lot of confidence in him. He’s a talented young guy.”
Reunion week: The Panthers have several ex-Seahawks on their roster.
Cornerback Ken Lucas spent four seasons with the Seahawks after being selected in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. Safety Marquand Manuel was a starter on Seattle’s Super Bowl team, and some people believe his injury on Super Sunday may have cost the Seahawks that game. Tight end Christian Fauria spent his first seven seasons with the Seahawks, while long snapper Jason Kyle was with Seattle for four years in the mid-1990s.
Boys being boys: A sideline skirmish that was caught by television cameras was no big deal, Holmgren said.
During the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, the television broadcast replayed an incident during which assistant strength coach Darren Krein and assistant trainer Donald Rich had to be separated. Holmgren was seen yelling at Rich shortly thereafter.
“I did mention to those two guys that, hey, I am coaching the game right now,” Holmgren said on Monday. “I said, ‘I really don’t need this right now.’”
Holmgren said the argument started when the assistant coaches were trying to keep people back on the sideline.
“Someone stepped on someone else’s foot,” he said.
Running nowhere: Holmgren is still dissatisfied with his team’s running game, although he did say that it’s getting better.
In Sunday’s game, the Seahawks ran 28 times for 80 yards while splitting playing time between halfbacks Maurice Morris and Shaun Alexander.
“Of course you’d like to run more,” Holmgren said. “But they ran hard. They got what was there. We made a nice conversion on fourth down. But … at the end (of games) when we need three yards, we haven’t done a good job of that.”
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