Thursday, June 13, 2013 @ 1:06am

'Brilliant' Lynch and other thoughts from Cable

Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable joined "Brock and Danny" before Wednesday's minicamp practice for a 13-minute discussion that included some interesting insight on Seattle's running game, its read-option attack and two of the players that make them go.

"There's no reason why he can't be better this year," offensive line coach Tom Cable said of running back Marshawn Lynch, who ran for a career-high 1,590 yards in 2012. (AP)

'Marshawn is really brilliant'. It might not be the first word that comes to mind with enigmatic running back Marshawn Lynch, who has a violent running style and an eccentric personality. But Cable twice called Lynch "brilliant" while explaining how Seattle's running game took off following a slow start in 2011 once he got Lynch to embrace the principles of his scheme.

"I think first it was to find out what is important to him, how does he see it. From there, once that connection was made, it was like, he has no idea but he was made for this system," Cable said. "So once I was able to show him how this will help him because of who he is and how he does things, he just grabs onto it.

"He's such a brilliant guy. People don't probably understand that or appreciate that about him. He's, in a lot of ways, an expert at football. He understands how to run it, why, what do I need to do, how do I set up combinations, he understands all the protection, doesn't miss a route, all those things. What people didn't know is that Marshawn is really brilliant.

"And I think once you connect it to that, don't just make him a running back, make it a little more human, and he saw that and he said, 'OK, what do you want me to do?' And when that happened, you've seen the last two years. And there's no reason why he can't be better this year."

Assurance for Wilson's well-being. Earlier this offseason, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin publicly dismissed the read-option as a passing fad because of the risk it poses to quarterbacks who are exposed to extra contact.

Seattle's Russell Wilson showed discretion while running in the open field last season and for the most part was able to avoid big hits because of it. Cable said the Seahawks are determined to keep it that way and suggested they're different in that regard from Carolina and Washington, whose offenses also include read-option plays.

"I think there's a couple styles with this whole thing. If you look at, say, what Washington's doing or Carolina, the quarterback is part of it. He's gonna go in there and he's gona keep it and run down there in the – we call it the briar patch – and he's gonna get whacked," Cable said. "We said we're not doing that, we're not gonna do that. If we're gonna continue to [run the read-option], our guy's gonna be like an old option quarterback – hash number, sideline, slide. You see danger, get down.

"But we weren't gonna run him up in there because in my opinion – you may not like to hear this, some people – but I think that's foolish. ...There's 32 of them [starting quarterbacks] and then we're fortunate enough to have a franchise guy. Those are special dudes, so take care of him. And that's what we'll do."

Wednesday, June 12, 2013 @ 12:44pm

Tarvaris Jackson says he'll sign with Seahawks

All indications are that the Seahawks are set to welcome back T-Jack.

Tarvaris Jackson, who was Seattle's starting quarterback in 2011 before he was traded to Buffalo during training camp last summer, indicated on Twitter Wednesday afternoon that he's headed to Seattle and that his deal with the Seahawks will become official Thursday.

This comes a day after ESPN's John Clayton and Adam Schefter reported that Seattle was likely to sign Jackson, who was released by the Bills earlier this week. According to Schefter, Jackson will sign a one-year deal with the Seahawks.

It's not known whether the Seahawks will make a corresponding roster move with quarterbacks Brady Quinn or Jerrod Johnson, who are competing to be Russell Wilson's backup. Seattle kept two quarterbacks on its active roster last season and three the year before.

Jackson, 30, earned the respect of his teammates and a reputation for toughness while playing through a painful pectoral injury in 2011.

"He was a guy that worked hard, he was a guy that in some trying times he never blamed anybody, he was a guy who took accountability for whatever he did wrong," Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson told "Bob and Groz" Wednesday. "And like I said, a really good player. Even with a torn pec he came out there and he can throw the ball better than most of the league, so a really tough guy."

Former Seahawks defensive tackle Alan Branch had this to say when he signed with the Bills in April, reuniting with Jackson:

"I'll say this: Tarvaris Jackson is one of the toughest competitors I've seen out there," Branch told ESPN. "When he played when I was in Seattle, the guy was hurt in more than half the games and he kept playing. He had us winning games, too. We were in every single game. It's not like we ever got blew out."

None of those wins came in come-from-behind fashion, though, which was the knock on Jackson during that 2011 season. His inability to lead a game-winning drive despite several chances left him with a 7-7 record as a starter and no guarantee that he would be the starter in 2012.

Seattle signed Matt Flynn in free agency before drafting Russell Wilson in the third round, and Jackson was the odd-man-out in the three-way quarterback competition. He was traded to the Bills in August for a seventh-round pick and didn't appear in a game last season while serving as Buffalo's third quarterback.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013 @ 2:20pm

Seahawks hope Chris Clemons will be ready Week 1

RENTON – After the Seahawks' revamped pass rush took a hit this offseason with Bruce Irvin's suspension and Cliff Avril's foot injury, coach Pete Carroll finally had some good news to share Wednesday.

Chris Clemons, the team's sack leader in each of the past three seasons, is still progressing nicely from knee surgery and could be available when Seattle opens the season at Carolina on Sept. 8.

Coach Pete Carroll says defensive end Chris Clemons has a chance to play in Seattle's opener Sept. 8, eight months after he tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee. (AP)

Clemons tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee during Seattle's playoff win over Washington in January, making his availability for the beginning of the regular season a question mark. Carroll said Clemons will be in attendance at next week's mandatory veteran minicamp, but he won't practice.

Avril, meanwhile, is expected to practice on a limited basis as he continues to recover from plantar fasciitis, which has sidelined him during OTAs.

"I don't think we'll put him in any kind of competitive situations but he'll get some early work in practice and stuff like that," Carroll said.

Some more notes from Carroll's post-practice press conference:

Roll call. Running back Marshawn Lynch, one of the few healthy Seahawks who have skipped some of the voluntary workouts, was in attendance Wednesday. He missed Monday's session and another of the four that were open to the media.

"We know what Marshawn can do as long as he's in good shape and he's in fantastic shape. He's hard as a rock and he's worked really hard to this point," Carroll said.

Right tackle Breno Giacomini, also absent from the open practices this week, has been in New York undergoing tests on an injured knee. Carroll said no surgery was required and that Giacomini could have practiced this week if necessary.

The only absences from Wednesday's practice were injury-related.

Chancellor, Harvin rest. Strong safety Kam Chancellor and wide receiver Percy Harvin were among the Seahawks not participating in drills Wednesday. Chancellor was resting his surgically-repaired ankle while Harvin has a hip-flexor injury that Carroll described as minor.

Rookie cornerback Tharold Simon continued to sit out due to a foot injury that dates back to his days at LSU. Carroll said the injury is similar to a stress fracture and that the team is giving Simon as much time as necessary to heal.

Rookie defensive tackle Jesse Williams was also held out of practice.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013 @ 3:41pm

Christine Michael trying to put attitude questions to rest

Right after the Seahawks drafted Christine Michael at the end of the second round, the running back drew laughter from reporters when he explained how he overslept at the scouting combine and missed meetings with a pair of NFL teams.

Christine Michael

The misstep he was describing was less of a laughing matter than the reasons it happened. It was another perceived strike against a player whose attitude had been called into question after he fell out of favor with the new coaching staff at Texas A&M.

Michael, a guest on "Bob and Groz" Tuesday, said those concerns were unfounded.

"I knew I didn't have a bad attitude. I probably was in a couple situations to where it may have looked that way, but I've never been that type of guy who was an irresponsible kid, a disrespectful kid, a guy who does the wrong things at the wrong time, a guy who never does anything right or a guy that coach has got to worry about when he's sleeping at night. I've never been that guy," he said.

"But it [was] just some things that happened my senior year that made it look that way. I'm happy that that's all over with and I'm able to move on and better that name that I have for myself."

Michael has, by most accounts, looked good during Seattle's rookie minicamp and more recently during organized team activities, where he's seen plenty of action with the No. 1 offense because of starter Marshawn Lynch's sporadic attendance.

But it was Michael's attitude that stood out to Bob Stelton and Dave Grosby during their conversation Tuesday. They share more thoughts on Michael in the video below.

You can listen to Tuesday's show here.

Friday, May 31, 2013 @ 3:03pm

Red Bryant says foot injury is no longer an issue

The Seahawks have plenty of issues along their defensive line, whether it's the question about Chris Clemons' availability as he recovers from knee surgery, Cliff Avril's foot injury or the suspension that will keep Bruce Irvin out of the first four games.

The plantar-fascia foot injury that noticeably slowed Red Bryant last season isn't one of them. Seattle's defensive end delivered that news himself when he joined "Bob and Groz" following an organized team activity earlier this week.

Red Bryant

That's good news for the Seahawks and their run defense, which faltered in the middle of last season around the same time Bryant's foot injury flared up. It's probably not a coincidence that Seattle had its worse games defending the run in Week 7 against San Francisco, Week 9 against Minnesota, Week 12 against Miami and Week 13 against Chicago.

Bryant didn't miss a game but finished the season with 24 tackles, eight fewer than his 2011 total. That wasn't what Bryant or the Seahawks had in mind when he signed a five-year, $35 million deal last offseason.

Plantar fasciitis is considered one of the more painful sports injuries, and it didn't help Bryant that his feet have to support a body that is likely a little heavier than its listed weight of 323 pounds.

"When I was dealing with it it was in the middle of the season and I had to go every week," he said, "so I really didn't get that ample time for it to rest and to heal up."

Avril, one of the Seahawks' biggest free-agent additions over the offseason, is dealing with a similar injury. He didn't practice during the two OTA sessions that were open to the media. Coach Pete Carroll said last week that Avril didn't need surgery and is expected to be back to full strength well before the Seahawks begin training camp.

"If you're ever going to have an injury of that kind, this is the perfect time to have to deal with it because he'll be able to get the right amount of rest, the right amount of treatment so when he steps on the field during training camp he'll be ready to go," Bryant said.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013 @ 11:50am

Seahawks waive injured tight end Anthony McCoy

RENTON – The Seahawks have waived tight end Anthony McCoy with an injured designation and signed tackle Jake Bscherer.

The team made the announcements before Tuesday's organized team activity.

McCoy, Seattle's backup tight end, is expected to miss at least six months after having surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon, an injury he sustained last week. McCoy, a sixth-round pick in 2010 out of USC, was entering the final year of his rookie contract.

Bscherer took part in the Seahawks' rookie minicamp earlier this month on a tryout basis. He went undrafted out of Minnesota-Duluth, where he spent his senior season after transferring from Wisconsin.

Friday, May 24, 2013 @ 11:32am

Law: Zduriencik's seat 'getting hotter by the day'

What a difference a week makes – or in this case, six games.

Things were looking up for the Mariners entering their four-game series against the Indians last Friday. They had just taken two of three from the Yankees in New York and were 5-0-1 in their last six series, climbing into second place in the AL West and pulling to within a game of .500 in the process.

Jack Zduriencik

It's also reignited questions about general manager Jack Zduriencik's job security.

"I just got a text today from a senior front-office guy in another organization that said, 'I hear Jack Z's seat in Seattle is getting hotter by the day,'" ESPN's Keith Law told "Wyman, Mike and Moore" Thursday afternoon.

"And that doesn't surprise me at all. He's been there for a while, and the major-league team, they're not good on paper in terms of the standings and they look even worse."

The Mariners dropped to 20-27 after being swept by the Indians and Angels. They're now on pace for another 90-loss season, which would be their third in Zduriencik's five years in Seattle.

The back end of the rotation and an inconsistent offense have been the biggest culprits this season. While Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma have been one of the best one-two punches in baseball, Joe Saunders, Brandon Maurer and Aaron Harang have a combined record of 6-15 and all have ERAs north of 5.5.

After scoring one run during their two-game sweep in Anaheim, the Mariners are averaging just under 3.6 runs per game, slightly less than last year's average of 3.82.

"I think if you had to watch this club play every day you might actually think they're worse than they actually are because it's an ugly style of baseball when your offense is that anemic," Law said. "And I could see that coming down on the manager or on the front office just because one, that's the industry rumor and two, that's kind of how GMs get replaced across the game of baseball."

The continued struggles of once-highly-regarded prospects Justin Smoak, Dustin Ackley and Jesus Montero haven't help matters – neither the Mariners' offense nor Zduriencik's track record.

"They just have not had any success developing young hitters once they get to the big leagues," said Law, a former front-office executive. "The guys all look fine in the minors. They get to the big leagues and they just stop hitting."

Zduriencik received a multi-year extension in August of 2011 even though the Mariners were en route to their second-straight losing season. He's been credited with replenishing a farm system that was considered bare when he replaced Bill Bavasi before the 2009 season. While Law believes the Mariners' future is bright with Mike Zunino, Nick Franklin, Brad Miller and the Big 3 pitching prospects on the horizon, he thinks 2015 is the soonest the team could conceivably contend.

"There's a lot to like, actually, in the long term for this club," he said, "but the short term is probably still going to be pretty unpleasant."

Friday, May 24, 2013 @ 9:26am

Report: Seahawks' Anthony McCoy has torn Achilles

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll thought it was a ankle injury that forced tight end Anthony McCoy to be carted off the field during Monday's organized team activity.

Anthony McCoy is expected to miss at least six months after tearing his Achilles tendon during Monday's OTA. (AP)

McCoy suffered a torn right Achilles tendon and will miss at least six months after having surgery Thursday to repair the injury.

The Seahawks announced the injury Friday, confirming an earlier report from Mike Garafolo of USA Today.

McCoy, 25, was Seattle's backup tight end last season, playing behind Zach Miller while seeing plenty of time in two-tight end sets. After struggling with drops, penalties and injuries during his first two seasons, McCoy finished 2012 with career highs in receptions (18), receiving yards (291) and touchdowns (3). He appeared in all 16 regular-season games and both of Seattle's playoff games.

McCoy, a sixth-round pick in 2010 out of USC, is entering the final year of his contract.

His injury clears the path for rookie Luke Willson to be Seattle's No. 2 tight end. Seattle chose Willson in the fifth round out of Rice, and he was among the standouts during the team's rookie minicamp earlier this month.

Darren Fells, Sean McGrath, Cooper Helfet and Victor Marshall are the other tight ends on the Seahawks' roster.