Seahawks Tackle Russell Okung Practices With Team For First Time Since Injury

Offensive tackle Russell Okung went through team drills with the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday for the first time since his early preseason ankle injury, according to Curtis Crabtree. Okung has been doing individual drills at practice for two weeks now, and he is finally healthy enough to take the field again. He practiced with the second-team offensive line on Wednesday.

Okung injured his left ankle during the first series of the Seahawks' preseason opener against the San Diego Chargers three weeks ago. The second-year player, who struggled with knee issues last season and appeared in only 10 regular-season games, appears ready just ahead of the 2011 season and should start during the Seahawks' Sept. 11^th season opener against the San Francisco 49ers.

It remains to be seen whether or not Okung will play in Friday's final preseason game against the Oakland Raiders. Coach Pete Carroll stated earlier this week that Okung will likely sit out, but a few reps of preseason action could do the young tackle some good as he prepares to return to the line-up. On the flipside, though, Okung injured his ankle against the Chargers on just a handful of snaps and the Seahawks may want to avoid any injury risk altogether this close to the season.

Seattle Seahawks Training Camp Update: Aaron Curry And Mike Gibson Return, Coach Carroll Gets On His Defense

The Seattle Seahawks worked on late-game drills and goal-line situations during Wednesday's practice, according to Eric Williams. The team practiced for around two hours, going through two-minute drills and hurry-up offense ahead of Saturday's preseason game against the Denver Broncos.

The team saw linebacker Aaron Curry- who has been in the news for his restructured contract lately- and center Mike Gibson return to action. Offensive tackle Russell Okung, who suffered an ankle injury during the early portion of the team's first preseason game, continues to practice individual but not with the team. The Seahawks will likely ease him back onto the field only after they are absolutely sure that his ankle is okay, given Okung's history with injuries.

Wednesday's practice grew heated at one point. Coach Pete Carroll, who watched his first-team defense draw several penalties in quick succession, scolded his defensive players for their mistakes. Carroll is becoming more vocal as the practices draw on, a good sign for the Seahawks if they hope to sharp at the start of the season.

The Seahawks play the Broncos on Saturday at 9:00 ET in the team's third preseason contest. 

Seattle Seahawks Training Camp Update: Thurmond Back, Okung Practicing And Jackson Still The Starter

The Seattle Seahawks may finally be getting healthy, according to a report by Eric Williams. Tuesday's practice saw a few injured players- namely cornerback Walter Thurmond and offensive tackle Russell Okung- go through drills after recovering from ankle injuries.

Thurmond, who has been out for three weeks with an injury to his left ankle, returned to practice on Tuesday. Thurmond was running full speed and doesn't seem to have lost a step due to the injury. The second-year player likely just needs time on the field to work himself back into rhythm.

Okung, who has been dealing with his own ankle injury, was slated to practice today but ended up just doing individual drills. Okung has been doing individuals drills since last Thursday as he continues to nurse his ankle. He is not expected to play in Saturday's game against the Denver Broncos, but he is expected to return to the field soon afterwards.

Meanwhile, Coach Carroll reiterated after practice that Tavaris Jackson is still the starter at quarterback and that Charlie Whitehurst will be the back-up. Jackson did not play well during Seattle's 20-7 preseason loss on Saturday, while Whitehurst played well in the second half and led the team 89 yards for the Seahawks' only score of the day. Saturday's game apparently did not change any of Carroll's plans going forward because Jackson is still Carroll's starting quarterback.

The Seahawks will play their third preseason game this Saturday against the Broncos at 9:00 ET.

Whitehurst Preferred Two-To-One Over Jackson By Seahawks Fans, According To ESPN Poll

Back-up quarterback Charlie Whitehurst was favored two-to-one over starting quarterback Tavaris Jackson by respondents of a Seattle Seahawks poll, according to ESPN's Mike Sando. The poll surveyed 4,400 people, and the results add an interesting dimension to Seattle's quarterback situation given that Jackson has been touted as the team's starter for several weeks now by Coach Pete Carroll.

Jackson had a bad outing against his former team, the Minnesota Vikings, during Saturday's 20-7 preseason loss. He completed 11 of 21 passes for 75 yards, but also threw a costly pick-six to Marcus Sherels, who returned the ball 64 yards for a touchdown. The Seahawks did not score any points during the first half, when Jackson was the quarterback.

Whitehurst, meanwhile, came out firing when he got his chance to play in the second half. He completed 14 of 19 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown, completing his first seven passes in a row and leading the Seahawks 89 yards down the field on his first drive for the score.

The results are clear: Whitehurst is winning the confidence of the Seahawks' fan base while Jackson is not. Coach Carroll indicated earlier this preseason that Jackson is the starter, but that he expects competition between his two quarterbacks for the starting job as the season goes on. Given Whitehurst's recent play and the results of this poll, the QB battle could come earlier than expected. 

Seahawks’ Starting QB Job May Be Closer Than You Think

Coach Pete Carroll has said that quarterback Tavaris Jackson will be the starter on opening day, citing his familiarity with the offensive scheme as the reason. Carroll has also said, though, that at some point in the season there could be competition between Jackson and quarterback Charlie Whitehurst for the starting job.

That day may not be too far off. Jackson didn't perform quite as well as he would've liked in Saturday's 20-7 loss to his former team, the Minnesota Vikings. He played the game's first half, completing 11 of 21 passes for 75 yards, but also threw a pick-six that Marcus Sherels took 64 yards for the touchdown.

Whitehurst, meanwhile, looked impressive as he took the quarterback snaps in the second half. Whitehurst connected on 14 of 19 passes for 97 yards and one touchdown. He completed his first seven passes of the game, leading the Seahawks to a touchdown on his first drive after starting on their own 11-yard line.

Whitehurst is certainly getting better with the offense very quickly, and Jackson's advantage of knowing the offensive scheme may not hold out for too much longer. Put those two facts together and the anticipated Jackson-Whitehurst battle for the starting job could be closer than we think.

Pete Carroll Zings Golden Tate On Twitter

PHOTO: Marshawn Lynch Stiff-Arming His Way To The Season

Seahawks Training Camp Notes For Monday

The Seahawks resumed practicing on Monday after being given the day off on Sunday. It's always fun to monitor the day's goings-on via Twitter and the interwebs, and today brought some juicy nuggets of information straight from the VMAC.

First, per Curtis Crabtree, CB Walter Thurmond, CB Roy Lewis, DE Red Bryant, DT Colin Cole, DT Kentwan Balmer, LB Aaron Curry, RB Thomas Clayton, TE Cameron Morrah, WR Deon Butler and WR Kris Durham did not participate today. Thurmond, Lewis, Cole, Morrah, and Butler have yet to practice in this year's training camp. Red Bryant has been brought along slowly for the past few weeks because of his knee injury from last season. Balmer, Curry, Clayton and Durham have been practicing but it's unclear why they sat out today. I had heard that Durham was nursing a bruised thigh the other day but I'm not sure if that's a carry-over or not.

Now, on to the action. Fellow Seahawks blogger Derek Stephens, of The Blue Bird Herd, was in attendance at camp today, and had some good updates on his twitter account, including the following notes:

--Rookie Byron Maxwell blanketing underneath. Solid. Richard Sherman nice punch to receiver chest in press.

--B Maxwell just took QB Portis out at the knees. Portis had red jersey on. PC giving Mxwll a pep tlk.

--TJax holding 2 long. Not reading safety. Picked by ET easily on MWill fly route down left sideline.

--UDFAs that look good - Doug Baldwin, Ron Parker, Josh Portis, Ricardo Lockette.

Dave Boling also attended and had a good quick-hitter of the practice, including this anecdote that I loved:

On a short pass to Golden Tate, a defender bulldogged him a little roughly. Defensive end Dexter Davis came over to get a little frisky himself. But tackle Russell Okung would have none of that. He hurried over and needed only a quick shove to put an end to Davis' involvement. This offense hasn't had that kind of enforcement for a few years, and Okung clearly is stepping up.

Stay tuned for more, and check out more Seahawks' coverage at Field Gulls.

Colin Cole, Deon Butler, Others Placed On Seattle Seahawks PUP List

The injury bug has seemingly been visting every single NFL team with regularity since the start of training camp, and the Seattle Seahawks are no different. They have placed four of their players on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list already, taking some big hits along the way. 

Defensive tackle Colin Cole is still recovering from offseason ankle surgery, landing him on the PUP list as of now. head coach Pete Carroll feels that Cole is still "quite a ways away" from getting back on the field, possibly remaining sidelined through training camp and maybe longer. Cole's first tast of football in 2011 may be after the season is in full-swing.

Wide receiver Deon Butler is still recovering from a broken leg he suffered against the 49ers towards th end of the 2010 season, which gas taken longer than expected to heal. The more time Butler spends on the PUP list the likelier the 'Hawks look to taller, healthier WR's that have been practicing with the team and making an impression on Carroll. Butler will get off the PUP list soon enough, but there may not be much space for him on the field by then.

Cornerback Roy Lewis went down with a knee injury during training camp, landing him on the PUP list. Coach Carroll said it would be a few weeks for Lewis to heal enough to resume football activities.

TE Cameron Morrah is yet to practice with the team due to a nagging toe injury, leaving his status with the Seahawks in danger as well. With the addition of Pro-Bowl tight end Zack Miller it has seemingly gotten a bit crowded at that position, possibly leaving Morrah out in the cold once he returns from injury. 

For more on Seahawks head over to Field Gulls to get your fix. 

Seahawks Training Camp: Reserve Quarterback, Wide Receivers Impress

The Seattle Seahawks had their first full pads practice on Saturday, and with it came plenty of football action. The passing game of the Seahawks was on full display as third-string quarterback Josh Portis, cousin of Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis, impressed with a range of wide receivers.

Portis, who jumped around from Florida to Maryland before settling at California University (Division II) his senior year of college, showed that he could perform at the next level with several throws on Saturday. Portis made nice passes over cornerbacks to wide receivers Sidney Rice, Isaiah Stanback and Ricardo Lockette.

Among that list of wideouts, Rice is the only surefire player. Stanback, a five-year veteran, is trying to secure a starting spot on the team after stints with the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. He has never recorded more than three receptions in a season.

Lockette has plenty of potential. The rookie out Fort Valley State was the fastest wide receiver at the combine, clocking in at 4.37 seconds. Scouts originally envisioned Lockette not as a wide receiver but rather as a special teams contributor with his size and speed. It looks like Lockette might be proving them wrong as he ran routes well and was able to distance himself from defenders when the ball was tossed his way.

This all bodes well for the Seahawks' offense. With receivers Mike Williams and Rice established as clear-cut starters, the competition amongst the younger wide receivers could breed an excellent WR 3 in Pete Carroll's system.

Seattle Seahawks Training Camp DJ Is A Real Thing

Tarvaris Jackson Finds The Ice Cream Truck And Other Seattle Seahawks Training Camp Photos

Pete Carroll Wants You To Call A Seattle Seahawks Play

Pete Carroll Goading Nate Robinson Into Seahawks Defensive Back Workout?

Seattle Seahawks Training Camp Photos: Weekend Edition

Tarvaris Jackson Named Seattle Seahawks Starter Before Joining Training Camp

Turns out there will be no real competition for the Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback job. Instead, head coach Pete Carroll ended any kind of drama on Saturday, telling reporters Tarvaris Jackson will be the starter when he joins the team, and the quarterback job is his to lose. Jackson signed with the Seahawks early in this year's wild NFL free agency period and was expected to be a stop-gap at quarterback as the team worked to find a long-term solution, perhaps in the 2012 offseason.

But there is a caveat to Jackson being named the starter. As Mike Sando notes, Jackson will run the show because he knows the offense, but his status could change as the rest of the team catches up.

Carroll: Tarvaris Jackson is Seattle starter til others can learn offense. His job to lose. By naming Tarvaris Jackson starting QB because Jackson knows Bevell's offense, Carroll buys short-term QB clarity w/o losing flexibility.

With not mini-camps or organized team activities, this is the nature of the 2011 preseason. The Seahawks are trying to install a new scheme, and have little time to adjust to Bevell's new offense. With Jackson, at least there's an element of familiarity.

Charlie Whitehurst will run the first team offense until Aug. 4, when Jackson joins the team officially. Jackson was at camp, along with Sidney Rice and the other Seahawks' free agency signings, on Saturday.

For the latest of the Seahawks training camp, stay with this StoryStream. Be sure to head over to Field Gulls for all things Seahawks in this wild time of uncertainty.

Seattle Seahawks Training Camp Photos: Day Two

Seattle Seahawks Training Camp: Kris Durham Impresses Big Mike Williams

The Seattle Seahawks' long awaited training camp is underway, and everyone is anxious to see what the young core of the team are able to do. One player to keep an eye on is fourth round pick, WR Kris Durham out of Georgia. He's 6'5, 215 pounds and runs the 40 in 4.42 seconds. He's got solid hands and a big frame but flew under the radar much of his senior season at Georgia, so it's hard to guess what to expect.

Well, fellow Seahawk receiver Mike Williams had a pretty glowing review of the young buck's training camp performance, and had this to say about Durham on twitter:

That's music to my ears. I had the chance to interview Durham just after the draft and he had some interesting things to say. Give it a read -- I've got the feeling you're going to be hearing his name more and more as the season goes on.

2011 Seattle Seahawks Training Camp Schedule

Want to get in on the Seahawks Training Camp action? Well, if you didn't already know - some of the practices are open to the public and for five measly dollars you can watch your favorite players run around really fast and catch footballs and guard each other and chest bump and do that new thing that's like a high five but instead you just jump up and touch bodies, usually your shoulders or sides, in mid air. You can see all this in the flesh (they're not naked... that's just an expression that means you can see them in real life). 

Also, you may be able to get some autographs and talk to Pete Carroll and see his khakis in real life, if you're lucky.

Here's a look at the dates available. You can register here for individual practices so don't wait. Before you know it, they'll be sold out (I'm not actually sure they sell out, but you shouldn't test your luck). Here are the dates and times open to the public:

Saturday, July 30th: 9:00am, 4:00 pm

Sunday, July 31st: 1:30pm

Monday, August 1st: 9:00am

Tuesday, August 2nd: 1:30pm

Thursday, August 4th: 9:00am

Friday, August 5th: 1:30pm

Saturday, August 6th: 9:00am, 4:00pm

Monday, August 8th: 1:30pm

Tuesday, August 9th: 1:30pm

Saturday, August 13th: 1:30pm

Sunday, August 14th,  1:30pm

Monday, August 15th: 1:30pm

Wednesday, August 17th: 1:30pm

Get after it, Twelves! Go show your support.

Seattle Seahawks Training Camp Photos: Day One

Rob Riggle Joins Seattle Seahawks On Field At Training Camp

Seattle Seahawks Training Camp: Tom Cable Makes Early Impression

Back before Tom Cable became Al Davis's hand-picked head coach for the Oakland Raiders in 2008, he had the fine distinction of being one of the hardest-working offensive line coaches in the game. He had spent three years in the NFL with the Raiders and the Falcons as an O-line coach, and another decade in college at stops like Cal, Colorado and UCLA. The offensive line in Oakland had made massive strides before he was relieved of command this past winter, and even though Cable wasn't the coach of that group anymore (those duties fell to now-Cal OL coach Jim Michalczik), you had to figure he had something to do with its development.

Doug Farrar of Football Outsiders tweets that Cable has always been considered an intense and detailed teacher by Raiders players, and that he observes those qualities in him during the first day of practice. He'll have his work cut out for him in Seattle--the offensive line rates as one of the most inexperienced and inconsistent in the league, and they'll need to get whipped to shape in less than a month.

For more on the Seahawks in training camp, turn to Field Gulls.

Rob Riggle, Pete Carroll Engage In Hilarious Twitter Banter

Shawn Kelley Not A Fan Of Tim Tebow's 'Act'

Seattle Seahawks Training Camp: League Calendar Presents A Challenge For Pete Carroll

The Seattle Seahawks have a problem at quarterback that stretches beyond who will take the reigns for the 2011 season. As the league year begins, Charlie Whitehurst is the only quarterback under contract on the roster, leaving Seattle in a difficult spot with training camp set to begin on Wednesday. Not matter what the Seahawks do in the coming days, be it re-signing Matt Hasselbeck or finding another experienced quarterback through a trade of free agency, the team will be at a disadvantage, at least for a week.

As the rules are now, any player signed cannot practice until Aug. 4, according to ESPN's John Clayton. New acquisitions can watch film, enter the team facilities and participate in virtually everything except practice. You can see how this would be a problem for the Seahawks beyond finding a viable quarterback for the future.

The Aug. 4 date is important as it's the day the collective bargaining agreement is set to officially be ratified. Until then, free agents are in limbo, effectively rendered useless to their new teams. With only Whitehurst on the roster, the Seahawks simply won't have enough arms in practice as it stands now. They will need to undrafted free agents or find a player on the roster that can throw routes.

For Whitehurst, the opportunity is standing right in front of him. With no real competition until Aug. 4, he'll have a chance to get ahead on the field while learning the system. He'll get the reps with the first team, as well as a chance to show new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell what he has.

Don't be surprised if Pete Carroll is out throwing at training camp. He's done it before and with a lack of depth at quarterback, he may be doing it quite a bit for the first week this year.

No matter how soon they reach agreement or sign, free agents cannot practice until August 4th, when the CBA is expected to be ratified.

Seattle Seahawks Training Camp Schedule: Meetings Wednesday Night, Practice Friday

The Seattle Seahawks will ease into training camp, sitting down for meetings on Wednesday night before hitting the field for practice on Friday. The Seahawks will be one of the first teams to hit the field for training camp, joining the Broncos, Cardinals, Cowboys, Chargers, Eagles, Jaguars, Patriots, Raiders, and Ravens in opening camp on Wednesday. Teams will open camp as soon as Wednesday, with staggered starts running through Sunday, when the New York Jets and Houston Texas will start their season.

Seattle PI sports reporter Christian Caple reported the schedule on Twitter.

#Seahawks will meet Wednesday evening, not tomorrow. Then two walk-throughs on Thursday, two practices on Friday.

As usual, training camp practices will be open to the public. The Seahawks will conduct training camp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Complex on the shores of Lake Washington, just north of Renton. The team is still working on a full schedule, and should be releasing it sometime in the enar future.

For the latest of the Seahawks training camp, stay with this StoryStream. Be sure to head over to Field Gulls for all things Seahawks in this wild time of uncertainty.

2011 NFL Training Camp Start Dates: Seattle Seahawks Set To Open Camp On Wednesday

The NFL lockout is finally over, allowing us all to get on with our lives and get back to focusing on football. But with the end of the lockout comes an incredibly accelerated schedule, with free agency set to begin as soon as Monday and training camps set to open as early as Wednesday. For the next week or so, it's going to be a wild ride as teams quickly sign free agents to round-out rosters while beginning training camp in preparation for a 2011 NFL season that will begin on time.

The Seattle Seahawks will be one of the first teams to open training camp, with a start day tentatively scheduled for Wednesday. As soon as word begin to trickle out that the lockout was coming to a close on Monday, the focus shifted, and schedules were released. Below is what we know as of now, though the dates are subject to change in what's been a very fluid situation (via Matt Pomeroy of NFL Network).

Teams starting camp Wednesday: Broncos, Cardinals, Cowboys, Chargers, Eagles, Jaguars, Patriots, Raiders, Ravens, Seahawks
Teams starting Training Camp Thursday: 49ers, Bengals, Buccaneers, Chiefs, Dolphins, Falcons, Lions, Redskins, Saints, Steelers
Teams Starting Camp Friday: Bears, Bills, Browns, Colts, Giants, Packers, Panthers, Rams, Titans, Vikings
Teams Starting Training Camp Sunday: Jets & Texans

As usual, the Seahawks will open camp at the VMAC in Renton, making setup and preparations for the arrival of the players much easier than that of teams who travel away from team headquarters for the preseason. The preseason schedule will also go on as scheduled, with only the Hall of Fame Game canceled.

For the latest of the Seahawks training camp, stay with this StoryStream. Be sure to head over to Field Gulls for all things Seahawks in this wild time of uncertainty.