Hawks Notebook | Seahawks' Scobey back to returning

KIRKLAND — The door has opened for Josh Scobey once again.

Beginning this Sunday the Seahawks will go with Scobey at kickoff returner, where he played all of last season, now that Willie Ponder has been released.

The need for a third quarterback forced the Seahawks to play roster roulette, and Ponder was the player deemed expendable Tuesday. The Seahawks already had a return man in Scobey, who was relegated to duty in kickoff and punt coverage and return teams for the first six games of this season after Seattle signed Ponder before Week 1.

"It's just another opportunity for me to go out there and get my hands on the ball," Scobey said. "I feel real good about it."

Scobey had been excelling as a gunner, the coverage guy who sprints down the field to try to make first contact with an opposing return man. He leads the Seahawks in special-teams tackles with seven.

He'll keep that role; he'll just add return duties to his job. Scobey stopped catching kicks before practice earlier this season, but on Wednesday he resumed that drill.

Special-teams coach Bob Casullo admitted he was a bit surprised that Ponder, who was fifth in the NFC in return-yards average at 23.5, was released.

But having Scobey means not having to start from scratch.

"We went to the Super Bowl with him [Scobey] last year," Casullo said. "We have no reservations about doing it. It was kind of a surprise to us but we understand why it had to happen. It's not like we're breaking somebody in. Just keep going."

Locklear downgraded

The Seahawks received more bad news on the injury front Thursday when right tackle Sean Locklear (left ankle) was downgraded from probable to questionable for Sunday.

Locklear hasn't practiced this week, with Tom Ashworth working at right tackle with the starters.

The bit of good news is that Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack returned to practice for the first time since the Arizona game in Week 2. Womack is coming back from a left knee injury and is also questionable.

He worked at right tackle with the scout team.

"I'm a little rusty right now," Womack said. "The knee's fine. I just want to be back out there."

Womack, the Week 1 starter at left guard, has battled injuries since training camp.

"I just have to get back in shape," he said.

The prototype

At 6 feet 5, 251 pounds, Tony Gonzalez is a specimen. And in his 10th NFL season, he's still playing at a high level as the Kansas City Chiefs' leading receiver.

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren had some high praise for the seven-time Pro Bowl tight end.

"Tony has been and was for a while the guy they measured everybody up against," Holmgren said. "And he still is a very good player. And now, San Diego's tight end [Antonio Gates] is a good player. I always thought Jerramy [Stevens] had a chance to be that type of player. [New York Giants' Jeremy] Shockey certainly is that type of player. There's more tight ends now that fit into that group.

"But Tony Gonzalez was and is still kind of the standard that scouts and people look to," Holmgren added. " 'Who's he like? Is he like Tony Gonzalez?' That's come up more than once in our meetings."

Notes

• New starting safety Jordan Babineaux, who'd been a key special-teams player, will have his special-teams workload reduced while the team works former starter Michael Boulware into the units.

• WR Bobby Engram, LB D.D. Lewis and DT Marcus Tubbs missed their second day of practice this week but remain questionable for Sunday.

• DE Grant Wistrom's annual Halloween Bash to raise money for pediatric cancer patients is Monday night from 6 to 11 p.m. at Russell's Dining & Bar in Bothell. There will be a costume contest and silent auction with appearances by several Seahawks and SeaGals. Tickets are $98 and can be ordered by calling Nancy Vizal at (402) 613-2982.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com