Wallace opening eyes with run at No. 2 QB

KIRKLAND — The throws were so good, they might have caught the receivers off guard.

Yes, the Seahawks dropped a few passes in practice yesterday, and coach Mike Holmgren had a few words for the offenders.

Don't blame Seneca Wallace, the quarterback who made those throws. He was good, as has been the case in many a practice since last summer.

Never mind the fact he's only 5 feet 11, considered by many too short to be an NFL quarterback. Forget that his speed and elusiveness led the Seahawks to try him out as a punt returner in practices this offseason, if for no other reason than to find some way to get him on the field. And try to put aside the fact that Wallace has never appeared in a regular-season game in two pro seasons.

These days, Wallace is sending the message to Seahawks coaches that he wants to be, and can be, Matt Hasselbeck's backup. As recently as last week, he drew praise from Holmgren for his efforts in the current minicamp. Yesterday, Wallace took all of the snaps with the No. 1 offense in the absence of Hasselbeck, who was tending to a personal matter.

If nothing else, Wallace has Holmgren in his corner. The coach proclaimed himself "a fan of Seneca's" after a practice last week.

"It builds your confidence, knowing that at least somebody out there is respecting what you do," Wallace said. "It helps you when you go out there and play, especially when it's the head coach."

The improvement from year to year, month to month, is visible.

"Seneca has great prospects to be No. 2," quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn said. "He's looked great in practice, but practice isn't the game. I don't have any doubt that Seneca will be exciting in a game because he's got some electric moves."

Zorn said Wallace simply needs game experience, so the exhibition season will be critical. And the Seahawks could still find a veteran quarterback to sign to compete with Wallace in training camp.

"If that happens, that should not be a sign that we don't like Seneca," Zorn said. "This is a guy we [coaches] want to succeed. If there's a great competition, our team's going to be better."

Wallace seems oblivious, preferring to focus on what he has to do to win the job.

"Just keep working and show the coaches that I can be that guy, and when preseason comes, be able to transfer that onto the field," he said. "It doesn't bother me. I'm here to play football, and when I get an opportunity to do it, I just do it."

Casullo makes his point

Special-teams practice hasn't been this fun to watch in years, now that assistant coach Bob Casullo is in charge.

Casullo, the Seahawks' third special-teams coach the past three seasons, doesn't hold back. He's a hands-on instructor with a knack for wisecracks and congratulatory shouts to his players.

Casullo doesn't hesitate to call out someone's name for either a mistake or a good effort. And his choice of words can be funny.

"I can only be me," Casullo said. "I'm going to be enthusiastic when I work. One thing a player can never say to me is, 'Coach, I didn't hear you.' "

Casullo said he tries to get his point across with a humorous tone so the players he chides don't take it personally.

"Look, we gotta have fun, and the only way you're going to have fun is when you win," he said, "and the little bit that I can contribute making it fun, hopefully they'll pick up on it and we'll be OK."

Note

• OT Floyd Womack was at practice yesterday, having returned from dealing with a family matter in his native Mississippi last week. He did not do any work on the field, however.

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