The Seahawks released their 2006 scheduled for training camp. The first full practice is July 29, as previously noted. The usual 45-minute session with quarterbacks and rookies begins at 11 a.m. on Friday the 28th. The team breaks camp in Cheney on Aug. 24.

The full camp schedule runs below, or you can view/download a copy in Excel here.

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The 49ers have signed former Seahawks punter Tom Rouen, released by Seattle last week. SF49ers.com has a press release here. Rouen will apparently compete for the job with Andy Lee. This signing makes some sense given that 49ers vice president Scot McCloughan was with the Seahawks when Seattle signed Rouen. The 49ers also waived P Tom Malone.

Tis the season for NFL beat writers to burn vacation days. I'll be golfing this morning, always an adventure, so there won't be new content from me until at least this afternoon.

Hawk fans looking to entertain themselves might want to check out some of the videos available here. There have also been some stories recently suggesting the Steelers could have a little trouble re-signing coach Bill Cowher in light of the deal Mike Holmgren received in Seattle.

The Bears' signing of former Hawks WR Alex Bannister provides a good opportunity to look at the bigger picture in terms of roster movement. I have updated the Excel file showing where the Seahawks' free agents and released players have signed. This file also includes salary information. You can view it here in Internet Explorer of Firefox's IE Tab. From there, you can export the file to Excel and save it, should you choose. Or you can simply view an image of the file below. This should have everyone (street free agents excluded), but please point out anything that needs updating. THANKS.

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Former Seahawks WR Alex Bannister has signed with the Bears. The Seahawks released Bannister this offseason largely because the former Pro Bowl special-teams player has suffered a series of broken right clavicles. It's somewhat interesting that Seahawks president Tim Ruskell would release Bannister, only to have his close buddy Jerry Angelo (Bears GM) sign him.

Bannister's talent is not the issue. He's nearly unblockable as a special-teams player when healthy. The issue is whether he'll wind up on injured reserve the next time he's on the field. He has broken the clavicle during non-contact work at minicamps, so the risk seems high. But if he's healthy, he instantly makes the special-teams coverage units more formidable. Who knows, he might even be able to get some more work at receiver, something that wasn't going to happen here. Bannister always wanted to get more extended time at receiver. For now, getting out of training camp healthy appears to be priority No. 1.

Paul Zimmerman of Sports Illustrated weighs in today with a column looking ahead at potential Hall of Fame candidates for the class of 2007. He anticipates an emotional debate over the candidacy of former Broncos RB Terrell Davis, who played at a Hall of Fame level for about three seasons, until injuries ruined his career.

Davis did many outstanding things, notably leading the Broncos to a pair of Super Bowl titles. But if he makes it into the Hall of Fame, that would seem to open the door for other great players who saw their careers ended prematurely because of injuries. I raise the point because former Hawks SS Kenny Easley fits the criteria.

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This is a fascinating time for media watchers. Our own coverage has changed quite a bit over the last couple of years, notably with this blog. In the broader view, it's interesting to watch how various corporate entities are covering themselves. The NFL is doing this aggressively with its cable network and Web site. Individual team sites are joining the table independently. Content varies widely. I was stunned to read the following passage on the Patriots' official site today, provided by Patriots Football Weekly's Tom Casale during a mailbag column:

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Marshall Faulk's potential retirement from the Rams isn't getting much attention here. Two likely reasons: Faulk is no longer a dynamic player, and the Seahawks have more reason to fear successor Steven Jackson, at least in the future. The chart at right (squint-free Mr. Magoo edition) shows how Faulk has fared against Seattle in all regular-season matchups since Mike Holmgren became Seahawks coach in 1999. The games are sorted by total yards, most to fewest. We see two 100-yard rushing games, including a memorable 183-yard effort against a 2002 Hawks defense that no doubt sent many of you into therapy. We also see Faulk's trademark versatility, particularly in that 32-carry, seven-reception masterpiece from 2002.

Hawks RB Shaun Alexander became a member of a high school hall of fame Sunday. The story shows a picture of Alexander decked out in a suit as he addresses the crowd. The hall recognizes Cincinnati-area athletes for their high school accomplishments. The story notes that Alexander rushed for 3,166 yards and scored 54 touchdowns at Boone County (Ky.) High School, according to the Enquirer. "This whole summer has been really awesome with awards, dedications, and nominations - from the ESPYs to commercials - it's all been overwhelming," Alexander said in the Cincinnat Enquirer story. "It's been honorable, but I have felt greatly loved by so many people." Info on hall inductees here. Info on eligibility guidelines here.

This just in: Walter Jones is good. You knew that, of course, but we might as well point out this USA Today story calling him the best lineman in the NFL. Reporter Larry Weisman polled a few experts for the story, including former Philadelphia Eagles DE Hugh Douglas. Said Douglas: "A tackle is either a run-blocker or a pass-blocker, but Walter does both really well." It's tough to think of a time when Jones was beaten last season, outside of two plays when Seattle was obviously trying to throw the ball late in the second quarter against the New York Giants (and Jones got his feet tangled with those of a teammate on one of them). I think it's safe to say he is the best Seahawks player I have covered.

Seahawks rookie OL Rob Sims missed the recent minicamp after the passing of his father, former Cleveland Browns DL Mickey Sims. Loved ones told some funny stories during a recent memorial service. Mickey Sims' former coach at South Carolina State, Willie Jeffries, recalled one of the funnier ones. "Jeffries told of one time when the team was at church and Harry Carson, another future NFL star, nodded off during the sermon," the Spartanburg Herald-Journal reported. "The preacher asked Sims to wake up his buddy. 'You wake him up,' Sims said, according to his coach. 'You're the one who put him to sleep.' "

Hawks RB Shaun Alexander, speaking with the Canton Repository (story here), said the Seahawks became a Super Bowl-caliber team in part by adding players from big-name college programs. And when you look at the Seahawks, it's tough to argue with that assessment. Then again, the best programs tend to have the best players; it's not like NFL rosters are filled with small-college guys. Moving along, Alexander also had good things to say about Joe Jurevicius, now with the Browns. And in one of those moments when a professional athlete does not risk underestimating his own impact, Alexander said his best quality is "getting other guys to play above their heads. Third-rounders, fifth-rounders, first-rounders, whatever. You try to get everybody playing better than he thinks he can ... including yourself." Hmmm. Guess that means Wayne Hunter actually overachieved during his time here.

The NFL recently released its 2006-2007 league calendar as well as a calendar with unofficial training-camp reporting dates for rookies and veterans. Note that reporting dates differ from start-of-practice dates. Seattle's first practice is Saturday, July 29. Reporting dates are listed as July 27 (rookies) and July 28 (veterans).

The Seahawks finished second in two of four league-oriented awards handed out annually by the Pro Football Writers of America. Coach Mike Holmgren finished a close second to Titans general manager Floyd Reese (far left) for the Horrigan Award, given to "the league or club official for his or her qualities and professional style in helping the pro football writers do their jobs." The Seahawks also finished second in balloting for the Rozelle Award, given to "the club public-relations department that consistently strives for excellence in its dealings and relationships with the media."

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The Carolina Hurricanes' recent Stanley Cup victory had to bring back some hair-razing memories for Matt Hasselbeck. The Seahawks' quarterback was attending the wedding reception of current Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette about 10 years ago when lightning struck the table where Hasselbeck was sitting. Hasselbeck recalled the story in a comical 2001 interview that I'll make available in full. First, a preview ...

"This was June 8, 1996. I know because the bride and groom had T-shirts made. What’s funny about it, I had a really bad headache for two days, but I felt really, really rejuvenated. I felt like I was never tired, so healthy. But that’s when I started losing my hair. I heard that joke for about a year and a half." -- Hasselbeck in 2001 interview

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Hawks CB Marcus Trufant is scheduled to appear Saturday night as a guest of the Seattle Mariners' Triple-A affiliate. The Tacoma Rainiers are honoring Trufant and the Seahawks following their Super Bowl season. Trufant plans to sign autographs before the game. Cheney Stadium gates open at 5:30. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05. The evening includes a fundraiser for Trufant's foundation. We spoke to Trufant recently about some of his charitable work in the area, starting with the Tacoma house he helped rebuild. We also spoke about about his foundation's annual gala. Audio is here.

Things would be a lot more interesting around here if Paul Allen (far left) ripped the officials after tough losses, or if he slammed reporters for allegedly lazy work. While Allen has become a bit more accessible as Seahawks owner, he still keeps his distance. Consider: I have spoken to Allen in person perhaps three times in my eight-plus years covering the team (once when the new stadium opened, again when Tim Ruskell was introduced as team president and most recently as Allen came off the field following the NFC title game). There has been at least one conference call (when Bob Whitsitt was fired as team president) and one phone interview (during Super Bowl week). But that's about it.

Suffice to say that Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban operates on the other side of the personality spectrum. The differences in public styles were particularly striking to me during the Mavericks' participation in the NBA Finals. They're different, and yet both men watched their teams win conference championships before suffering disputed losses in the championship round. Just think what Cuban would have said following the Super Bowl had he owned the Seahawks. Allen said nothing, instead offering up routine comments about the NBA team he owns. For a closer look at how Cuban and Allen project themselves publicly, compare Allen's site with Cuban's blog. Note, too, that Cuban gets a lot of attention for the criticisms he levies, in part because the NBA has reportedly fined him more than $1.6 million, but he also dishes out praise when he feels it's merited.

As some of you have noted, ESPN.com has placed the Seahawks atop its power rankings heading into the 2006 season. Informed of this development, my wife sarcastically chimed in with, "Would that be with or without Ty Law?" ESPN.com is taking the ratings a little more seriously. Its top five: Seahawks, Steelers, Colts, Broncos, Panthers. Dead last: 49ers. Of course, it can be tough enough making predictions from week to week, let alone five weeks before training camp. But it's fun to talk about. Said ESPN.com:

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Having settled its 12th Man lawsuit with the Seahawks, Texas A&M University is now asking Yahoo! to stop making "12th Man" references in its World Cup coverage. We can't make up this stuff, but if we could, we'd make it go away (the lawsuits, not the World Cup).

Some things to consider while using valuable company time to ponder whether Skyler Fulton might become the next Steve Largent, or even the next Robert Wilson: The Seahawks have allocated 78 players to NFL Europe since 1995 by my count. Sixty-seven of those players have never played in a regular-season game for Seattle. Of the 11 who have played in a game for the team, three were limited to a single appearance and only two appeared as starters (Jon Kitna, with 33 starts, and James Logan, with four). Nine of the 11 who played in games were allocated to Europe between 1997 and 1999. The chart lists the 11 players in order of how many regular-season games each has played for the Seahawks. This year: Seattle allocated 11 players to NFL Europe; 10 remain on the roster. Chart note: "GP" refers to games played as a Seahawk, while GS refers to games started.

This is the time of year when I try to take some days off. Sometimes that means I don't have immediate access to a computer if news breaks. That is the case today. So, if something breaks and you don't see it here right away, that would be the reason. The plan is to check back here tonight, probably not before 8 PDT.

The Seahawks released veteran P Tom Rouen today. The team announced this about 90 minutes ago. Sorry for the lag time. Out playing with the kids today. Rouen's release means the team appears ready to hand over punting duties to someone not yet eligible for the presidency of the United States (unfortunately for Rouen, he turned 38 the other day). Rookie seventh-round pick Ryan Plackemeier and 30-year-old Gabe Lindstrom are the only punters on the roster now. In past years, the Seahawks tended to go with Rouen (left) or another veteran while one of their less-experienced legs wound up finding success elsewhere. Now they seem much more likely to go with one of the young guys. All three guys seemed to punt pretty well at minicamps.

ANALYSIS: Age would be the obvious factor behind this decision, and the fact that a two-man punting race is sufficient come training camp. Otherwise, it's tough to make the case that the Hawks are better off after making this move. At the very least, Rouen could have provided insurance in case the younger punters weren't ready for whatever reason (poor performance, injury, etc.). The team seems confident that will not be the case. Rouen's departure also means the team will have to find a new holder for field goals and extra points.

Note: Updated roster available for download and viewing in IE or Firefox's IE tab. These reflect the release of Rouen.

Sports Illustrated's Peter King gives the Seahawks a C-minus grade in this look back at the 2001 NFL draft. That was the year Seattle moved back two spots to take WR Koren Robinson with the ninth overall pick. The Hawks then landed LG Steve Hutchinson with the 17th pick. As noted by one of our readers, Floyd Womack is the only 2001 Seahawks pick still with the team.

The Robinson selection was considered a little risky at the time. His maturity was in question, for reasons obvious today. Michigan's David Terrell was the other highly rated receiver in that draft. Chicago took him eighth overall after Seattle moved back to No. 9 in a trade with San Francisco (the trade allowed Seattle to recoup a third-round pick). Seattle used the picks acquired from the 49ers to select Robinson, FB Heath Evans and T Dennis Norman. The 49ers drafted Andre Carter and Menson Holloway with the picks from Seattle. Five years later, none of those five players is with his original team.

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If your knees and ankles hurt after years of pickup basketball, imagine what NFL players must feel like after taking so much more abuse. A guy like Hawks center Robbie Tobeck has been playing organized tackle football for more than 25 years. Ouch! Along those lines, USA Today checked in with former Hawks receiver Sam McCullum for a story about the effects of osteoarthritis (story is here). McCullum, 53, is now known for running a meat distributorship and this business in the Seattle area. Decades have passed since his last NFL game, but the knee injury he suffered in 1977 is still wth him every day. Note: The USA Today story shows McCullum receiving treatment from Jim Whitesel, the Seahawks' former trainer.

The SportsLine column is online for those going through post-minicamp withdrawals. Noted: The Seahawks are deeper than they've been at most positions. But they'll have to avoid injuries at key positions to avoid the kind of dropoffs that recent Super Bowl losers have suffered through.

"Like the Eagles last season, the Seahawks would certainly be in trouble if they lost their quarterback. Hasselbeck might even be at increased risk, too, after Seattle lost Pro Bowl left guard Steve Hutchinson. But unless Hasselbeck suddenly trades his Humvee for a fleet of Suzuki Hayabusas, there's little reason to think he's in imminent danger." -- Me

This morning I wrote a column for CBS SportsLine about the recent trend of Super Bowl losers falling flat on their faces the following season. I'll link to the column once it's online (please let me know if you see it first). The last five Super Bowl losers finished with losing records the following season. I took a closer look at those teams and concluded there's no reason to expect a similar performance from Seattle. That doesn't mean it won't happen, but I think this team would need to suffer a major injury (at QB, for instance), or numerous injuries, to follow the trend (that is exactly what happened to some of those teams). Tennessee was the last Super Bowl loser to post a winning record the following season (13-3 in both seasons). Stay tuned.

Our latest roster analysis is the position-by-position variety that usually doesn't appear until training camp. This version incorporates some information from the previous analyses (1, 2). The starting lineup is pretty much set, but the Seahawks face the usual round of difficult decisions on backup positions. The team is carrying 93 players on its roster if you count unsigned draft choices. Rules call for teams to reduce their rosters to 75 players by Aug. 29. The 53-man limit takes effect Sept. 2, eight days before the regular-season opener.

WR Bobby Engram said he wants a fair shot at a starting spot when asked about his role during an interview after practice today. It's widely presumed that WR Darrell Jackson and WR Nate Burleson will start this season, with Engram returning to the No. 3 role he played from 2001-2004. Engram ranked among the league leaders in receptions as the starting split end early last season. An injury to his ribs prevented him from keeping that early pace, but he still finished with 67 receptions, his highest output since an 88-catch season in 1999. Engram is 33 years old so he might have only another year or two. That's probably why he wants to make sure he gets a fair shot. He simply won't have many more opportunities to start for such a high-powered offense. We have the Engram audio here.

SS Michael Boulware can't be certain if he'll be back from ankle surgery at the start of training camp, but that is his goal. The ankle feels much better this week than it did last week, and Boulware has started doing some jogging as part of his rehabilitation. The missed time at minicamps hurts him because Boulware, by his own admission, is still making the transition from linebacker to defensive back (Boulware was once a Butkus Award finalist at Florida State). Boulware spoke with reporters today and we have the audio here
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Offensive line coach Bill Laveroni (left) moved backup C Chris Spencer into the starting RG spot this week after veteran Chris Gray missed two days of practice because of illness. The team was also without rookie G Rob Sims, who is spending time with family following the death of his father. Laveroni explained what goes through a coach's mind when deciding whether to experiment with various combinations on the line. The audio is here.

We have noted in the past that coaches tend to resist change in favor of what is comfortable. This is usually most obvious on an offensive line. Continuity is important. Coaches get comfortable with a guy who knows his assignments, even if that guy has some physical limitations. Sometimes that is the right move. Other times a younger player doesn't get the opportunity he needs to become better than the guy who is playing. It's tough to argue with the approach Laveroni and the offensive staff have taken here. C Robbie Tobeck, 36, is coming off a Pro Bowl season. Gray, who turns 36 in four days, played quite well last season. Overall, the line was probably the most effective in the league.

Hawks coach Mike Holmgren has finished speaking with reporters on the final day of the two-week passing camp. We have the audio here. Holmgren discussed a number of bigger-picture issues, including the receiving situation. He also said it might be tough to land a veteran backup quarterback this late, even though the team wants one. In 2001, the Hawks did sign Trent Dilfer during training camp, but that type of signing seems a little unrealistic this year. Holmgren also said the team has about five motorcycle riders, and that he spoke with them this week in light of the Ben Roethlisberger situation in Pittsburgh. Holmgren said he always wears a helmet when he rides his bike.

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WR Nate Burleson hopes to bond with QB Matt Hasselbeck for the benefit of both players and the offense. Their relationship seems to be in the early stages still. Practicing together at minicamps has to help. That's something WR Darrell Jackson hasn't done a whole lot. Jackson's rapport with Hasselbeck has been developed mostly through games over the years, given that Jackson has missed lots of practice time and quite a few minicamps as well. Burleson has a chance to close the gap by participating fully in the various offseason programs. Dave Boling has the story here.

Veteran RG Chris Gray was sick today and did not practice, so the staff moved 2005 first-round pick Chris Spencer (left) from backup center to first-team right guard. The starting line was as follows: LT Walter Jones, LG Tom Ashworth, C Robbie Tobeck, RG Spencer and RT Sean Locklear. They still hope to have Floyd Womack at LG and Gray at RG, but line coach Bill Laveroni also said he was glad to let another combination get some work. Tobeck said he thought Spencer worked well in the new position, noting that he was ready to help out in pass protection, but Spencer didn't need any. This might not mean much in the bigger picture, but it shows at least some level of willingness to work Spencer at a position other than center. We have audio of Spencer here. This was a group interview, so you might have to put up with some off-the-wall questions.

QB Matt Hasselbeck has finished speaking with reporters following practice today. We have the audio here. Asked about his plans for the next six weeks or so, Hasselbeck said he'll be keeping his usual summer schedule: attending a couple weddings, taking the kids to various Disney properties, driving down to Tacoma. He was kidding about that last part. But given Hasselbeck's familiarity with the mean streets of Kirkland and Bellevue (you might recall his joking references to representing the 425 area code last season), we made sure he knew Tacoma was a 253 town. Note: Transcript below.

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We spoke with defensive coordinator John Marshall last week about a range of issues. He's concerned about having so many defensive linemen missing minicamps, but he likes the way Kelly Jennings and Marcus Trufant are playing at cornerback (in fairness to others at that position, Marshall was asked only about those two guys). This interview was from the minicamp last week. I wanted to make the audio available before too much time passed. The interview runs about six minutes. File size is 1.74 megabytes.

Future Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice had some interesting things to say today during his debut as a radio host. Rice, who caught 30 passes for the Seahawks in 2004, criticized Deion Branch for skipping the Patriots' mandatory minicamp. Rice also criticized Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger for riding a motorcycle. When asked about the players he considered role models, Rice pointed to Seahawks Hall of Famer Steve Largent. Endorsing Largent nationally validates what Rice told reporters when he was playing for the Seahawks a couple of years ago.

Q: "Who is the one guy that you hear this player’s name and you’ll think, 'Wow, there’s a special ballplayer.' "

Rice: "Steve Largent. Whenever we played Seattle I would sit and watch this guy. Not a big guy, but a guy that had a lot of heart and a lot of determination. He was criticized about his speed and when I first came in I was criticized about my speed. But when I see him I’m like, 'Wow, that's my idol right there.' That's the guy that I tried to really mold myself after."

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CB Marcus Trufant thinks he's on the verge of realizing his potential following an injury-affected start to his NFL career. This is the first time Trufant has been able to participate fully in the Seahawks' offseason programs. He is going all out at minicamp practices. He recently laid out for a ball and landed pretty hard on his surgically repaired right shoulder. I watched closely to see whether he might be slow to get up. Trufant bounced up quickly and continued practicing. The shoulder wasn't a factor. We caught up with Trufant recently and the audio is here

It has come to this for former Seahawks cornerback Ike Charlton: The 2000 second-round pick (pictured at left) is now playing strong-side linebacker in the CFL. Jim Bender of the Winnipeg Sun has the story here. Charlton, of course, never panned out in Seattle or the NFL in general. "Charlton blamed his NFL frustration on turf toe that affected his 4.40-speed," Bender wrote. Wayne Hunter, one of Seattle's more recent first-day picks, still has a chance to make it in the NFL. Jaguars.com spent some time with Hunter recently for a piece about the "inner demons" that have nearly derailed his career. The Jaguars claimed Hunter off waivers from Seattle last month.

The minicamp equivalent of senioritis has kicked in here, at least for me. Two days of practices remain before the Seahawks are off until the start of training camp July 29. There was not much news out of practice today. WR Bobby Engram was back after missing one day. TE Itula Mili is tending to some family obligations. RB Shaun Alexander missed a second consecutive day, although some reported seeing him on a certain TV show.

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Hawks coach Mike Holmgren rode his Harley to work a couple of times last week. We did not speak with him today -- his next scheduled media session is Thursday -- so we won't be able to ask him for his thoughts on the Ben Roethlisberger situation right away. It's worth noting, as this AP story does, that Holmgren once prohibited Green Bay kick returner Glyn Milburn from riding the Harley he won as MVP of an exhibition game in Tokyo. Unlike Roethlisberger, the Steelers QB who suffered multiple injuries in a crash this morning, Holmgren does wear a helmet when he rides.

The Seahawks' voluntary minicamp resumed today without several high-profile players, notably RB Shaun Alexander, WR Bobby Engram and TE Itula Mili. They call these camps "voluntary" for a reason. ... LG Floyd Womack (left) was in attendance, but he missed practice as a precaution after suffering some soreness in the triceps tendon that he injured last season. Womack rode a stationary bike off to the side while Tom Ashworth worked overtime at left guard (Ashworth played left guard in every line combination I saw, in part because rookie G Rob Sims has not yet returned after leaving camp to be with family following the death of his father last week). A guy missing practice isn't necessarily a big deal, but Womack's situation is worth monitoring because the Seahawks want him to replace Steve Hutchinson, and Womack has had trouble staying healthy. ...

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The Sporting News has given the Seahawks an A-minus for their offseason moves, one of the NFL's higher grades in this analysis from Phil Barber. The Dolphins and Lions led the way with "A" grades, while New England received the only F. Such analyses are fun to read. We'll revisit this one during the regular season. The A-minus might be a little generous given that Seattle's top two priorities in free agency might have been to re-sign Steve Hutchinson and Joe Jurevicius. And yet the Hawks do deserve some credit for retaining Shaun Alexander, adding Julian Peterson and acquiring Nate Burleson. Note: Seahawks owner Paul Allen also owns The Sporting News, although he is trying to find a buyer.

The Seahawks' Web site has a touching story today on Kyler Young, the 18-year-old from Puyallup who has received a kidney transplant from each parent. Young attended practice last week as part of the Make-A-Wish program. They chauffered him to and from team headquarters in a limousine (giving him a glimpse of what life as a beat writer is like), and then Young was able to hang out with prominent players while serving as an honorary ballboy. Very cool.

"Born in Utah, Young has had failure in both kidneys, and has fought rejection from kidney transplants provided by both of his parents. But he hardly wallows in it. In fact, last week he earned three gold medals in cycling at Fort Lewis in the Special Olympics to earn a free trip to China for the 2007 Special Olympics." -- Seahawks.com

While we're on the topic of dropped passes (or caught passes in the case of our earlier item), this might be a good time to make available our 2005 Season Log with detailed information on penalties, dropped passes and those sorts of things. You can download this Excel file here or view it in Internet Explorer. We offered this file immediately after the season, as I recall, but since then we've changed the blog quite a bit and added some new readers. These files are also available along the right side of your screen under the "resources" section.

ESPN Insider's KC Joyner divided a player's dropped passes by "catchable" passes to determine which receivers were most dependable last season. There is obviously some subjectivity in this type of equation, but it's interesting to note that Seattle's Bobby Engram (left) ranked third in the league by Joyner's calculations. The top five were: T.J. Houshmandzadeh (three drops, 2.6 percent), Marvin Harrison (four drops, 3.2 percent), Engram (four drops, 4.3 percent), Jason Witten (four drops, 4.5 percent) and Steve Smith (seven drops, 4.7 percent). For the record, I had Engram for two drops last season. Seattle had 21 drops as a team by my count.

This one won't mean much to those living outside the Northwest. Area fans of the Seahawks might want to know that Pro Bowl MLB Lofa Tatupu (far left) and OLB Leroy Hill are scheduled to sign autographs Saturday morning at Costco in Kirkland. They'll be signing cookbooks featuring recipes provided by players, coaches, alumni and staff (those hoping to beef up might want to try Coach Holmgren's Rice & Green Chilies Cheese Bake, for instance). This event is scheduled for 10-11 a.m. Cookbooks cost $12. Proceeds benefit the Seahawks Leadership Academy.

Coach Mike Holmgren has finished speaking with reporters following practice today. We have the audio here. I asked Holmgren about third QB David Greene. Holmgren's answer made it clear that Greene will have to step it up this summer. That has been a somewhat hot topic here on the blog so I wanted to get the latest from Holmgren. His answer was pretty illuminating, I thought. I also asked him about Gibran Hamdan. A full transcript of Holmgren's comments follows.

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The Seahawks have capped season-ticket sales at 61,000. They have sold 19,000 season tickets this offseason and there are now about 2,000 people on a waiting list, according to CEO Tod Leiweke. Single-game tickets go on sale July 29. The most entertaining part of the announcement was the following quote from Leiweke in the official press release: "The 12th Man has now become renowned throughout the NFL as the greatest fans throughout sports. ... We thank our 12th Man and look forward to a great 2006 season." I wonder if Texas A&M's lawyers were listening (or reading, in this case).

We were asked yesterday for the largest ring size among Seahawks players. Pro Bowl LT Walter Jones checked in with a size 18 ring, largest on the team. By my amateur math, that works out to 1.047 inches in diameter if one uses this international ring-sizing chart as a point of reference. I remember hearing years ago that coach Mike Holmgren's late father, Lincoln, could slip a half-dollar through his wedding band. I heard this from Holmgren's cousin while researching a Holmgren story we wrote in 1999. A half-dollar coin checks in at 1.181 inches in diameter according to this coin chart (we converted millimeters to inches). Heads up: In doing some research, it turns out that a Tacoma jeweler was among those who sized the Seahawks for their rings. I spoke with him today and will put together a story for the Friday paper. We'll have more details here later.

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The Flint (Mich.) Journal recently caught up with former Seahawks WR Daryl Turner, who is trying to put his life in order after years of drug-related problems. Turner put up some big numbers for the Hawks in the mid-1980s before disappearing (we tried to track him down a while back, to no avail). As the Flint paper points out, Turner caught 101 career passes and 36 of them went for touchdowns. Turner now says he has been a changed man since August 2003, and he is engaged to be married.

Jim Corbett of USA Today Sports Weekly takes a closer look at the impacts of 2005 rookies Lofa Tatupu (left) of Seattle and Shawne Merriman of San Diego. This is part of USA Today's series on elite and up-and-coming NFL players. Corbett has spent a fair amount of time in Seattle over the last few years, making him one of the national reporters who often writes about the team without sounding uninformed (so we'll forgive his reference to John Marshall as linebackers coach, the position Marshall held until he became defensive coordinator). Full disclosure: Some of the freelance work I do for SportsXchange runs in USA Today Sports Weekly. SportsXchange pays me. USA Today Sports Weekly does not.

"He is very much his father's son, yet Tatupu has emerged in his own light as a player who has commanded leaguewide respect for the football immeasurables only the Seahawks seemed to see in the 45th overall selection of the 2005 draft." -- USA Today on Lofa Tatupu

These things are bigger than rookie corner Kelly Jennings. Almost, anyway. Championship rings of any kind always seem way too big to actually wear, but football players, with their massive hands, can pull it off better than most.

Seattle players, coaches and staff seemed pretty excited about commemorating the first NFC championship in team history with a little bling (as team president Tim Ruskell did not put it). Their rings feature 58 diamonds (1.7 carats combined) set in 14-carat white gold, according to paperwork provided by ring manufacturer Jostens.

I was quick to put Ruskell on the spot (audio here and here) by asking whether he planned to pick up some hardware for Mrs. Ruskell (players and staff can purchase related items from a catalogue, and right now it appears Linda Ruskell is in luck). As for the rings, two additional photos are available below (that's QB Matt Hasselbeck on the left and RB Shaun Alexander on the right, for those who stumbled in here by mistake).

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The Seahawks have finished practice and are now headed into a large tent to receive their NFC championship rings. We'll be talking to players after the ceremony. In the meantime, I asked defensive coordinator John Marshall whether the "other" ring is something people look forward to receiving.

"It's not the ring, it's the significance of the ring. And for this organization I think it's extremely valuable and very, very meaningful. Now, we're starting all over this year. We may be starting at a different level because of what transpired. It's a better jumping-off point for this year, but basically you're a fool if you don't think you are starting over again. You've got to put the dynamics of the defense together. Then the players have to react together. How do they fit? At this point we don't know. We have some good guesses, but we have to put it together before we have the kind of year we expect to have." -- Defensive coordinator John Marshall

WR Darrell Jackson was out on the practice field watching his teammates today, a bit of a surprise given that this is a voluntary minicamp. Jackson (left) has stayed away from the voluntary camps recently, citing some concerns about his contract. Nothing has changed on the financial front, but Jackson seemed to be in great spirits out there today. He plans to rest his surgically repaired knee as much as possible this offseason, so we probably won't see him on the field until sometime during training camp. Jackson didn't stick around to speak with reporters (injured players generally aren't available anyway), so we won't have any comments from him at this time.

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Feel free to download our latest 25-category Seahawks roster. Or, if you would prefer to view the roster in Internet Explorer or using Firefox's IE tab feature, click here. Categories include: jersey number, name, specific position, general position, height, weight, date of birth, experience, college, hometown, state, date of visit, date of tryout, when/how acquired, drafted by, draft year, draft round, overall draft slot, 2005 NFL starts, current starter (yes/no), injury status, estimated return date, injured reserve date, NFL Europe status and date of release.

Tech tip: To view the roster in your browser, you might want to download Web Components or this Excel viewer.

Free-agent CB Ty Law apparently backed out of a golf tournament at the last minute, leading event organizers to think he might be close to signing a contract. We're following this one from afar and will keep you posted if more concrete details emerge. Law visited the Seahawks earlier in free agency, leaving without an offer from Seattle.

Dave Boling takes an entertaining look at musically inclined DT Craig Terrill in his latest column. Terrill's guitar licks helped the Seahawks get through the night of their loss to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XL. For background information on Terrill's band, The Strangers, check out this story from his days at Purdue. See also this old Q-and-A with Terrill. He's quite a character.

RT Sean Locklear's domestic-assault trial has been pushed back from June 13 to July 20, according to Seattle Municipal Court records. Locklear has a "readiness hearing" set for July 7. Training camp is set to begin July 29. In other court proceedings, DE Bryce Fisher faces a Dec. 6 pretrial hearing on similar charges.

"I talked to Sean a long time ago because this happened prior to the Super Bowl, and I talked to Bryce. You know, the story came out a fair amount of time after the actual incident. I think I know what happened. I don’t like to see my players in the headlines that way. When these things are finished, when the incidents are finished and the court things are finished, everyone will kind of realize what happened. I believe they were being honest with me and are trying to work out their situations." -- Coach Mike Holmgren

I don't want to make too much of this because both guys are expected back for the season, but Marcus Tubbs (left) and Rocky Bernard (far left) did undergo surgeries last month. It's a knee on Bernard and an ankle on Tubbs (same injuries they've been rehabbing all offseason). I meant to ask coach Mike Holmgren for details today but, as noted previously, another interview sidetracked me. I'll follow up when the opportunity arises. For now, there's no information suggesting these surgeries will prevent either player from contributing when the games count. But obviously they would have preferred to continue their rehabilitations without surgeries. It's worth noting that DL Chris Cooper was working at one of the DT spots with the backups today. He has experience at DE and DT. We should probably think of him as a DT as long as he is practicing there.

Before I was married with kids, I spent a few months of my life researching a series of biographical stories on the Seahawks' then-new coach, Mike Holmgren. The package filled something like five pages of a Sunday paper. In any event, the San Francisco Chronicle put together a pretty entertaining story of its own during Super Bowl week. I missed it then because I was slammed with Seahawks-related coverage, only to run across it tonight while looking up something online. What I really liked was the Chronicle photo gallery featuring vintage shots that probably make Holmgren cringe a little now. The photos at left compare Holmgren circa 1965 with the present-day version. The old photo ran in the Chronicle but I'm pretty sure we ran the same one, or a similar one, with our package way back when. Good stuff.

The Seahawks released WR Kevin Kasper today, making him the third WR to receive his release in the last week. Jerheme Urban and Alex Bannister were the others. Like those two, Kasper had been rehabbing an injury (his was a knee).

There are now 12 receivers on the roster. In alphabetical order, they are: Tony Brown, Nate Burleson, Bobby Engram, Skyler Fulton, D.J. Hackett, Darrell Jackson, C.J. Jones, Maurice Mann, Ben Obomanu, Taco Wallace and Peter Warrick. Four of the 12 receivers were drafted by Seattle, none in the first two rounds: Jackson, Hackett, Obomanu and Wallace. Kasper had been signed as a free agent. Denver drafted him in the sixth round (2001). Warrick is the only first-round receiver on the roster, affirming what we already knew: Teams can find good receivers toward the end of the draft's first day, and sometimes later. By the way, Fulton and Jones do not count against the 80-man limit because they were NFL Europe players this year.

QB Matt Hasselbeck appeared sharp and accurate for a guy who supposedly had a sore foot not too long ago, but the defense was probably most impressive. There's just so much more speed out there than what we saw a couple years ago. These guys get to the ball. There were a high number of dropped passes, particularly by backup players trying to move up the depth chart. An off day in June might not mean much in the end, but some of these guys need to show consistency catching the ball. WR Taco Wallace had at least two drops. RB Shaun Alexander dropped a couple in the flat. WR Peter Warrick had at least one drop. TE Mike Gomez dropped one. You get the picture. If coach Mike Holmgren talked about any of this, I didn't hear him; I missed the start of Holmgren's comments because I was interviewing DE Grant Wistrom for another story. That's why our MP3 audio of Holmgren is a little shorter than usual. On the injury front, FB David Kirtman was back out there and going full speed after missing most of the last camp with a hamstring injury. Also, WR Skyler Fulton missed practice, no surprise given that he played in the World Bowl not long ago.

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Dave Boling and I will be heading to Kirkland in the morning for the first of eight scheduled practices over the next two weeks. We'll have the usual daily reports with audio when applicable. A couple of positions jump out as we head into this camp. Defensive tackle is one of them. The addition of Russell Davis makes this position one of great potential, but only if Rocky Bernard (knee) and Marcus Tubbs (ankle) can get (and stay) healthy. Bernard appears to be ahead of Tubbs in his rehabilitation. We'll know more after speaking with coach Mike Holmgren this week. Receiver is another position that will get some attention (as usual). We'll be watching to see whether Skyler Fulton, Ben Obomanu or any of the other young receiver steps up and claims what might be the sixth and final roster spot at the position. Note that Seattle released WR Alex Bannister and WR Jerheme Urban once those players recovered from injuries. Kevin Kasper is another receiver coming off injury; we'll have to see whether he still figures into the Hawks' plans (if not, there's always his Web site).

Kerry Joseph's career has continued as a quarterback in the CFL. The Regina Leader-Post profiled the former Seattle safety today (see also: this story). Joseph was essentially a special-teams player and backup safety who wound up starting back when the Seahawks couldn't do much right on defense. I remember him as a good all-around athlete who was eager to do what the coaches wanted, but this story reminds how bad Seattle's defense was back in the 2000 range. Let's put it this way: I don't think any of the Hawks' current safeties would be better suited playing quarterback in Canada.

We have updated our 25-category roster reflecting moves through today. You can download the Excel file or view it in Internet Explorer. Note, too, that these are available along the right side of your screen in the "Resources" section (if anyone knows how to make Excel files display in Firefox, please let me know). Update: Excel files open in Firefox using IE tab as long as you have installed Web components for Office 2003. The Excel viewer can prove helpful for those without Office 2003.

The Seahawks released WR Jerheme Urban (left) and WR Alex Bannister (far left) today. Regular readers recall us noting previously that both players would have a hard time sticking around because of their injury situations. Urban (foot) and Bannister (clavicle) have been rehabilitating at team headquarters. Rules discourage teams from releasing injured players; teams often wait for the players to regain their health before making the cuts. Analysis: The timing of these moves has nothing to do with June 1 and everything to do with the start of a minicamp Monday; the team apparently wasn't willing to put either player at additional risk for injury. In another move, the team released DL Garrett McIntyre.

In years past we might be watching to see which high-priced veterans will be released for salary-cap reasons after June 1 (Seattle released WR Koren Robinson and CB Bobby Taylor at this time last year). We'll see a few NFL players let go, but times have definitely changed. The new labor agreement left many teams with ample salary-cap space. The Seahawks have more than $10 million by most accounts. Len Pasquarelli of ESPN.com takes a closer look at what June 1 means these days. Update: John Clayton on the cuts.

NFL teams have changed the exemption status of NFL Europe players recently, standard procedure following the NFLEL season. WR Skyler Fulton is among those players getting some treatment for bumps and bruises incurred during the NFL Europe season, which explains why he showed up this week on the exempt/NFLEL injured list. P Gabe Lindstrom and K Ryan Killeen showed up on an exempt/NFLEL injury replacement list, as did newly signed DE Darrell Wright (some of you might remember him from his Oregon days). The type of NFLEL exemption doesn't really matter. The bottom line is that these players are eligible to remain on the team without counting against the 80-man roster limit.

Pat Kirwan takes an in-depth look at offensive personnel groupings in his latest column for NFL.com. Kirwan's background in coaching and personnel shines through in his work. This particular column uses the Seahawks' individual offensive playing-time percentages to help explain why personnel groupings are so important (by personnel groupings, we mean the combinations of players used at running back, receiver and tight end on a given play). The total always adds up to five because there the six other positions never change (five OL, one quarterback). Kirwan notes that Seattle has used six groupings on its first six offensive plays of a game, allowing offensive coaches to get a feel for how the opponent might respond to various combinations.

Seahawks DE Bryce Fisher, facing a Dec. 6 court appearance on a fourth-degree assault charge, said he didn't mean any harm when he placed his wife in an "arm bar" hold while the two struggled for control of his cell phone during an argument, according to police. This information comes from the police report, which is public information and available here (sensitive information blacked out by Kirkland Police). The report quotes Fisher's wife as giving a similar account. She also told police the arm-bar maneuver caused pain because she had undergone wrist surgery last year.

"Based on the comparison of the accounts given and the agreement that a struggle did in fact happen, and the physical size disparity and complaint of pain, I arrested Bryce Fisher for Assault/Domestic Violence." -- Officer quoted in police report

Police reports are generally public information, as noted, but we don't always make them available for download. For example, after consulting with deputy managing editor Dale Phelps, we decided against posting the Wayne Hunter police report. Hunter was not a prominent figure on the team or in the community, and the report contained names and addresses for witnesses. Fisher's situation is different. He is a Renton native who led the team in sacks last season. Also, the report provides information that helps us determine what happened.