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Brady HendersonESPN
RENTON, Wash. – A Jamal Adams extension has been more a matter of “when” than “if” for the Seattle Seahawks and their Pro Bowl strong safety. That time could be soon.
Or as coach Pete Carroll put it Wednesday, very soon.
“The conversations have been ongoing for some time and been very amicable,” Carroll said. “He’s in a good place. They’ve worked really hard to this point. I’m very hopeful that it’s going to get taken care of here soon, very soon.”
Adams reported for training camp Tuesday along with the rest of the team, as expected. He didn’t take part Wednesday in the team’s first practice but appeared engaged while watching from the sideline, high-fiving some teammates and instructing others while wearing his jersey and a Seahawks baseball cap.
Asked if Adams not practicing was contract-related, Carroll gave an indirect answer noting that he’s recovering from offseason surgeries on his shoulder and fingers.
“He wouldn’t be working yet,” Carroll said. “So it’s OK at this time right now. He’s out there for the walk-throughs and he’s in the meetings and all that kind of stuff.”
Another Seahawk who’s seeking a new deal, left tackle Duane Brown, was also a spectator during Wednesday’s practice. Carroll said it’s not an injury issue and described Brown not practicing as a maintenance matter, as he did when Brown attended minicamp but didn’t practice.
Carroll declined to discuss whether the Seahawks and Brown are in negotiations on an extension.
“He did the whole walk-through today,” Carroll said of Brown, who turns 36 next month. “Starting up camp. Got a long haul. He looked great. He’s in great shape. Hopefully we’ll get a ton of work over the course of time but right now we’ve got extra guys at left tackle, that helps us a little bit with rotations, so he didn’t work today.”
Jamarco Jones filled in for Brown with the No. 1 offense Wednesday. Kyle Fuller was at center as Ethan Pocic didn’t practice because of what Carroll described as a nagging hamstring injury, though he was not placed on the physically unable to perform list.
The Seahawks put rookie wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge and running back Travis Homer (calf) on PUP to begin camp. Eskridge, chosen in the second round with Seattle’s first of three draft picks, was sidelined earlier in the offseason with an injured big toe.
“We’re going to hold a really good thought that we can get him back out here in a week or two,” Carroll said Wednesday.
Defensive end Aldon Smith practiced Wednesday for the first time since signing a one-year deal with Seattle in April. The Seahawks excused him from minicamp because Smith didn’t feel like he was ready physically.
He’s scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 24 on a battery charge in Louisiana.
“He’s worked really hard here throughout the summer,” Carroll said. “I didn’t think it was time for him back in the spring time just because we didn’t know the body of work coming in, but he’s in really good shape now, he’s worked really hard to get here and excited to see what he looks like.”
Carroll said 90 of the 91 players on Seattle’s roster have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccination. The lone holdout, whom Carroll did not identify, has “real personal reasons” for not getting the vaccine.
“Our guys made an extraordinary effort to take care of one another,” Carroll said. “The statement they made, particularly the guys who were uncertain about what to do, they made a decision based on their team as well as themselves and they wanted to do what was best for everybody and what would be safest for everyone. It’s a marvelous statement that our guys made.”