Seahawks
Notebook: Injury puts Huard out for season

By Greg Bishop
Seattle Times staff reporter

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KIRKLAND — Grant Wistrom, D.D. Lewis and Chris Terry came back to practice yesterday. Because of his ailing back, Puyallup native Brock Huard won't be back at all this season.

The Seahawks signed the Washington graduate away from Indianapolis before the season. Yesterday, they moved him to injured reserve, an announcement anyone who watched him struggling up the dining hall steps at training camp could have predicted.

"Bless his heart, he just can't play football," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "It just happened sometime in practice, and it created a tremendous nerve problem, and he couldn't function. It's just too bad. He has not gotten better. He's had some very bad luck."

In the absence of Huard, Seneca Wallace had emerged as a strong candidate for the emergency quarterback job anyway, behind Matt Hasselbeck and Trent Dilfer. This way, the Seahawks can keep all four quarterbacks in some fashion and worry about next season when it gets here.

"They play the same position, so you kind of lump it together, but really, they are quite separate issues," Holmgren said. "Seneca has done a nice job, but I still feel badly for Brock."

Cold cuts

This much we know: the Seahawks waived cornerback Jernaro Gilford yesterday, and they have to get down to 75 players by tomorrow. Holmgren said the team will release the remainder of the first round of cuts today.

Several players didn't practice yesterday. Don't be surprised if several of their names are on that list, which includes: kicker Tyler Fredrickson, quarterback Bryson Spinner, receivers Marque Davis and Sammy Moore, running back Clarence Farmer, cornerback Derrick Tatum, linebacker Rod Royal, tight end Casey Poppinga, guards Dustin Kroeker and Isaac Herring, free safety Arnold Parker and defensive end Gabe Nyenhuis.

Holmgren also mentioned the punt return touchdown the Seahawks yielded to San Diego. It looks like that play could figure into the cuts as well.
 
"I was very disappointed in the energy level," he said. "I'm not talking about scheme or technique — I'm talking about wanting to make plays. We didn't have enough guys on that play saying that. Some of those guys won't be here Wednesday, and some of them better show me Thursday that they don't play the game that way. Otherwise, they won't be here Friday."

Just in time

Lewis returned to practice for the first time in three weeks, first pronouncing his left shoulder "all right," then offering, "OK." He had shoulder surgery in the offseason, but pain returned during training camp, and rehab has been going slower than either the Seahawks or Lewis would like.

"It's real frustrating," Lewis said. "You get surgery to heal up, and you think you're going to come back and have a good year, and something like this happens and it sort of ticks you off. It makes you angry and really frustrated."

Lewis will wear a harness that limits movement in his shoulder. No word yet on whether he will play against Minnesota.

Middle men

Niko Koutouvides helped himself on Friday, making three tackles in his debut as the starting middle linebacker. That doesn't mean he'll start on Thursday — Holmgren said it will likely be Orlando Huff. Those two are locked in a competition for the starting job with Solomon Bates.

"They're making it hard on us," Holmgren said. "It's very, very close at that position."

Notes

• Holmgren said he expects first-round pick Marcus Tubbs to begin practicing next week. Tubbs missed practice yesterday, along with WR Bobby Engram (lower back bruise), G Jerry Wunsch (ankle), WR Darrell Jackson (at practice, but not participating) and FS Damien Robinson (excused absence). WR Alex Bannister stopped practicing after a fall. He had an ice pack on his left shoulder.

• With Terry back on the starting offensive line at right tackle, Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack showed his musical chairs prowess and moved back to left tackle for the absent Walter Jones. Asked about Jones, Holmgren quipped, "What kind of car does he drive? I'm looking for it."

• OLB Tracy White started with the first-team defense yesterday. He's competing with Isaiah Kacyvenski for the starting strongside job after Chad Brown broke his leg. Both took turns with the first team.

• FB Chris Davis also practiced. He was the Seahawks' lone injury of concern from Friday.