This is an unedited version of my story for tomorrow's News Tribune:

Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Gil Haskell said he notices something very distinctive each time he sees young wide receiver Jordan Kent line up across the ball from cornerback Kelly Jennings during practices.
Almost subconsciously, Haskell said, Jennings, a staunch defender in his own right, tends to backpedal slightly as the count gets closer to the snap.
Jennings doesn’t do that with Nate Burleson or Bobby Engram or Courtney Taylor or any of the other receivers on the Seahawks’ roster.
Of course, none of those other receivers were all-American sprinters in college, as Kent was at Oregon, the proverbial mecca of college track. And so none of them quite inspires the type of fear in an NFL defensive back, especially a Seahawks’ defensive back, whose top priority is not to get beat deep.
“You just see (Jennings) creeping back, creeping back, creeping back,” Haskell says with a grin. “Speed kills.”

=> Read more!

I briefly spoke with first-round draft pick Lawrence Jackson, who said his agent has not even had discussions yet with the Seahawks about a contract. HE said that is more on the Seahawks' schedule than his own. Talks are likely to ensue after next week's mini-camp ends.

The 90-minute practice was dominated by teaching, and once again was under overcast skies, though the sun broke through at the end.

During a blitz drill, Marcus Trufant had an interception of Matt Hasselbeck pass, while Kevin Hobbs picked off a Charlie Frye pass.

=> Read more!

The Seahawks released former UW WR Anthony Russo, who has missed the last few days of mini-camp with some undisclosed injury, and signed Trent Shelton.

Shelton, 6-0, 202 pounds, came into the NFL with Indy as a rookie free agent, spending the first two weeks of the 2007 season on the practice squad before being released. Apparently the team just ripped Russo's name off the back of his jersey and velcroed (sp?) Shelton's because Shelton is wearing the same No. 17 that Russo vacated.

Former Seahawks receiver Peter Warrick, signed by the Montreal Alouettes this week, was released by the team. Here is the link.

First, I am standing in for Elise Woodward on KJR tonight, hosting from 7-10. There will be plenty of Seahawks talk if you want to call in and chat about whatever is on your mind. There also has been some Sonics discussion on this site in the past week, so that is open for discussion, as well.

Second, I had a funny Chris Gray anecdote to relay. I was interviewing him yesterday for the story I wrote today about him being the player rep at a time that labor strife can be seen in the distance. I thought it was interesting because while he is the player rep now, he is not even going to be around when the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement come to a head.

Anyway, as I was interviewing him, Walter Jones comes walking by with an enormous goofy grin on his face. And Chris Gray says, "What do you think of my clothes?" I tell him they are sporty, a nice golf shirt. Whatever. He says, "What do you think of the jeans?" They were clearly designer jeans, no creases, a little long, hanging over his sparkling white tennis shoes. I didn't really know what to say. Really, what was I supposed to say? Apparently, the offensive linemen all chipped in to buy Gray new clothes so he could be more stylish. He said his 9-year-old daughter was killing him at home because he looked so un-Gray-like. She said she thought he was going to break out some hand gestures used by rappers. Pretty funny.

=> Read more!