Seahawks Offense | Uncertainty clouds receiver spot

RENTON — Receiver Koren Robinson isn't back with the Seahawks.

At least not yet.

It appears he's getting closer, though, after injuries to wide receiver Logan Payne and backup quarterback Seneca Wallace resulted in an active dialogue between the team and its former first-round pick on Monday.

When reached by telephone on Monday night, Robinson said nothing had been agreed to yet. He was asked if anything would be agreed to.

"I'm not sure," he said.

Is it possible something could happen?

"It might," he said.

So a whole lot of uncertainty, which is kind of appropriate given the situation at wide receiver where the Seahawks have suffered a rash of injuries so severe that they finished Sunday's game with only three healthy receivers, two of whom had been on the active roster for less than a week.

The Seahawks have lost Payne, Nate Burleson and Ben Obomanu to season-ending injuries. Bobby Engram and Deion Branch are not expected back until October.

Robinson was the team's first-round draft pick in 2001. He played four seasons in Seattle, but in 2004 he was suspended for four games by the NFL for violating the league's substance-abuse policy and benched for a game by coach Mike Holmgren for breaking team rules. The Seahawks released him in 2005 after a DUI arrest, the first of Robinson's two arrests in the span of 18 months.

Robinson was asked in a telephone interview last week if he is sober.

"I'm living that lifestyle," he said.

Holmgren was asked Monday specifically about the possibility of Robinson returning, and he said the former Seahawk was included on the list of options the team would weigh at a personnel meeting on Monday afternoon.

"I should have some idea this afternoon how we're going to approach this thing," Holmgren said. "The value there is he's played here, he knows this system. He's played for us before."

Robinson was chosen No. 9 overall by Seattle in 2001, and his best season came in 2002 when he caught 78 passes for 1,240 yards, both career-highs.

After he was released by Seattle, he signed with Minnesota and made the Pro Bowl as a kick returner in 2005. He was released by Minnesota in 2006 after a DUI arrest after he was chased by police. Robinson was suspended for one year by the NFL. He played with the Packers last season, catching 21 passes.

Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said he couldn't comment on the football side of Robinson's career, but he did talk about other progress his former teammate has made.

"What I care about more is that he grew up and really matured and got his life turned around in the right direction," Hasselbeck said, adding that he saw Robinson this offseason.

"He's married, has a child, has another one on the way, so I'm really happy for him," Hasselbeck said. "I'm proud of him."

The addition of Robinson would be one step toward regrouping at a position already so depleted the Seahawks had taken the step of moving Wallace from backup quarterback to wide receiver and then promptly lost him before he ever played in the game. Wallace injured his calf while warming up for Sunday's game.

"It felt like somebody shot me from out of the stands," Wallace said. "I got shot in the calf. I felt a big pop in my calf muscle."

Trainers said it wasn't a complete tear of the muscle, but it is a strain serious enough that Wallace was on crutches Monday and in a walking boot. Coach Mike Holmgren said he expects Wallace to be out three to four weeks.

It was one of two injuries the Seahawks suffered at the position. Logan Payne, who started at split end, suffered a torn medial-collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee. He will be placed on injured reserve and is out for the season.

Wallace, the team's backup quarterback the past three seasons, was going to play as both split end and flanker for the Seahawks against the 49ers.

"Maybe the correct thing to say is that I wasn't physically ready to be playing wide receiver," Wallace said. A tight hamstring limited him in practice on Wednesday, but there was nothing wrong with his calf before the game. "Maybe I added a little bit more pressure to myself because I wanted to perform and help the team out," Wallace said. Wallace's injury leaves the Seahawks with Charlie Frye as the backup quarterback. Brian Russell -- who played quarterback up until his junior season at San Diego State -- could be used in an emergency. Holmgren said he expects the team to add a quarterback this week, though that could be to the practice squad.

As far as receiver, the Seahawks will certainly add to the position. Jordan Kent, currently on the practice squad, is a candidate, and Koren Robinson remains someone who's both experienced with Seattle's offense and available. Holmgren was asked if the team might have to look at trading for a receiver and not sifting through the players who are unsigned.

"We need to consider it," Holmgren said. "Because you wind up looking at the same list all the time. Believe me, we'll explore every option we can because desperate times calls for desperate measures."

Notes

• Cornerback Kelly Jennings suffered a broken rib in the first half of Sunday's game, but finished the game. He received an injection at halftime. He isn't expected to practice much this week, but should be able to play on Sunday against St. Louis.

• Right tackle Sean Locklear has a chance to play this week if he returns to practice after missing the first two games with a knee injury ... Holmgren did not rule out Deion Branch returning for this week's game, but he isn't expected back until the fourth game after the Seahawks' bye week.