Seahawks dialing back Aaron Curry

RENTON — Aaron Curry's first step has never been a problem.

Not in terms of his speed as he was the fastest linebacker at the NFL's scouting combine in February.

And Curry's first steps this season were both forceful and fast. He was the Seahawks' single most disruptive defensive player over the first five games of the regular season.

But after a recent dip in Curry's playing time and production, the challenge is for Curry to find his stride.

"He's going through a learning curve, there's no doubt," defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. "There has been a lot thrown at him."

For the past two weeks, the coaching staff has pared down Curry's responsibilities. He's no longer rushing off the edge as a defensive end in passing situations, and at times he has come off the field when Seattle adds an extra defensive back or two.

The hope is that a small step back in playing time will prepare Curry for a great leap forward over the final six games of the season.

"He's never played this many games in a season," coach Jim Mora said. "Never in his life. It can build up on you. We see it every year. Every rookie goes through it, with the rare exception.

"So you just have to help him, and sometimes helping him means dialing it back just a little bit to allow him to regroup."

Curry became a husband and a father this year. He also became the highest linebacker drafted in nine years, and a millionaire many times over as the fourth overall choice in last April's draft.

In the regular-season opener he was an agitator, getting under the opponent's skin and in their heads. Rams running back Steven Jackson was assessed a personal foul for taking a swipe at Curry at the end of the first half in the first game of the season.

Week 3 against Chicago, Curry had a sack and forced a fumble that put Seattle in position for a field goal that gave the Seahawks a fourth-quarter lead. Two weeks later against Jacksonville he was a 60-minute menace.

Curry had 33 solo tackles and two sacks over the first six games of the season. In the past four, he's been credited with nine solo tackles and he doesn't have a sack since that game against the Jags on Oct. 11.

"We're not disappointed in him at all," Mora said. "At all. Matter of fact, we're encouraged by the things that he shows athletically, physically, mentally. He's a quick learner."

But his role shifted after the return of linebacker Leroy Hill, who's playing alongside middle linebacker David Hawthorne in formations with five defensive backs.

Curry's playload has gone on a diet.

"As a staff we have to be careful it's not too much where he's thinking so much it slows him down," Bradley said. "So we're getting back to some of the things we've been doing with him trying to get it where he gets into a flow or a rhythm, and hopefully he can get that same productivity we had early in the year."

Consider this a fresh start for the final six games, a fresh beginning for a player who's at his best early on.

"It's important that we get him going and he has some success early because he feeds off that," Bradley said. "You saw that in the preseason. He gets excited and he gets kind of in a mode or a mindset that he can't be stopped."

Notes

• S Deon Grant is practicing with a cast on his left hand. He suffered a ligament injury in last week's game and was seen by a hand specialist, but plans to play with the cast, which allows him use of his fingers and thumb.

"As long as he can grab, then he should be OK," Mora said.

• RB Julius Jones returned to practice Thursday, limited in his repetitions as he recovers from a bruised lung. Jones suffered the injury while picking up a blitzing Arizona linebacker on Nov. 16 and missed last week's game. Jones said he remains sore. "It was a pretty brutal injury," he said. But he's hoping to play.

• DT Red Bryant (knee) and DE Cory Redding (knee) were limited in practice Thursday, but expect to be OK to play.

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com