Hawks notebook: Quietly, Alexander gets job done

KIRKLAND — For a guy who was the focus of a lot of attention throughout the offseason and the beginning of training camp, Shaun Alexander has run silently for the past four weeks.

Since signing his one-year, $6.32 million contract just before camp, coming in a few days late after his second daughter was born and missing a few days with a strained hamstring, the Seahawks' Pro Bowl running back has gone about his on-field business with nary another disturbance.

"I'm just getting better every week, and I'm really excited about where I am right now," said Alexander, who rushed for a team-record 1,696 yards in 2004. "I do the same thing I do every year. I haven't changed one bit. I can't even give a good, juicy story. It's been the same."

Not everything's the same, according to coach Mike Holmgren. He said Alexander has grown up a lot during his five years as a Seahawk and has been consistently good in camp this year. And not just carrying the ball.

"He's catching the ball well," Holmgren said. "In pass-block drills in camp, he was as active as I've ever seen him in that drill."

Holmgren said he wasn't concerned that Alexander's effort would be affected by the lack of the long-term contract the franchise running back wants.

"You know what? We've been down that path before a couple of years ago with him," Holmgren said of the effort. "And he's grown up a lot. No, I wasn't that concerned.

"Look," Holmgren said, "you sign a one-year contract — even though it's for a lot of money — it's important for you to have a good year. And he wants to do well. I think he's grown up a lot over the last few years."

Urban renewal needed

Early in camp, Jerheme Urban seemed to be distancing himself from Seattle's other young receivers for one of the final roster spots. He was running good routes and catching everything thrown his way. But he has hit a few snags — or non-snags, as it were.

It began in the scrimmage on Aug. 6, when he dropped a touchdown pass. And it has continued in the two exhibition games — he dropped an easy touchdown pass against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday.

"Jerheme is in a battle; he's in a battle for his life right now. And he's one of my favorite guys on this team," Holmgren said of the third-year player from tiny Trinity University in Texas. "But that's pretty much an indication of how that group at wide receiver is going.

"I wish he was a little more consistent," the coach added. "He dropped a couple balls, which is not like him. I've had it with that stuff. I have a very short fuse with that stuff now."

But Holmgren has not given up on Urban or made any final decisions on the probable three receiver spots behind Darrell Jackson, Bobby Engram and Alex Bannister.

"To eliminate anybody now I don't think would be fair," Holmgren said, "because they're all pretty close."

Notes

• Arthroscopic surgery yesterday revealed no further damage to DT Rashad Moore's shoulder, Holmgren said. Moore is still out indefinitely.

• Holmgren said the starters will play into the third quarter tomorrow in Kansas City.

Chris Cluff: 206-464-8787 or ccluff@seattletimes.com. Times staff reporter José Miguel Romero contributed to this report.