Seahawks notebook: Contract talks with Jamal Adams remain ‘amicable’; backup QB Sean Mannion to sign with Seattle

RENTON — What Seahawks coach Pete Carroll considered the first week of camp — a reporting day and then four practice days — ended Saturday as it began, with Jamal Adams and Duane Brown in attendance and wearing their jerseys, but watching from the sidelines.

But that could soon change.

Teams so far have been limited to practices without full pads or contact.

But that will change next week. The Seahawks will be off Sunday, and NFL rules allow for teams to go full pads beginning Monday.

And if there’s a time when the Seahawks would ideally want to begin integrating Adams and Brown — two of their best and most influential players — back into things, it’s when the pads go on.

Carroll hinted Saturday that things might be close with Adams, who is in negotiations with Seattle on a contract extension. He is under contract for the 2021 season at $9.86 million per year, but the team and Adams each want him to get an extension now that would likely assure he stays with the Seahawks for another four seasons or so beyond this one.

“Talks are ongoing and amicable,’’ Carroll said. “And we’re trying to get something worked out.’’

Adams has been a visible and engaged presence throughout his four days of watching. Saturday, he stood for much of practice alongside Marquise Blair — who sat out after getting kicked in the heel Friday — and has been in constant conversation with teammates and coaches.

Brown has as well.

Brown’s situation, though, is publicly a little more mysterious.

Brown, who is entering the final season of a contract due to pay him $10 million this year, also wants a new deal. And like Adams, he has watched practice without stepping between the lines.

But while Carroll has several times acknowledged that the team is negotiating with Adams, he has declined to say the Seahawks are negotiating with Brown, saying earlier this week that the Seahawks simply would not talk about Brown’s contract situation.

And Saturday, Carroll again indicated that part of the reason Brown is sitting out right now is body maintenance — Brown is 35 and the team has been careful with his practice workload since acquiring him from Houston in 2017.

Asked when Brown would be back on the field, Carroll said, “Soon, soon. This is a long camp, and there’s ballgames and there’s weeks and weeks to get ready. He’s returned in fantastic shape. He’s doing all of the stuff in the morning (walk-throughs) and participating to the maximum of all of that. 

“I’m not worried about Duane’s football. I just want to make sure that we do everything we can to make him as strong as possible when it comes time to start. … So I’d like to buy him some time here.’’

Carroll’s comments obviously don’t rule out that Brown is waiting until he has a new deal to take the field, ala Adams. But exactly what Brown is thinking isn’t clear since he has not been made available to talk to the media.

With Brown out, Jamarco Jones has worked at left tackle with the starting unit through the first four days of camp (Blair and Ryan Neal have stepped in for Adams).

Seahawks test negative for five straight days

Carroll volunteered Saturday that the entire Seahawks roster has tested negative for COVID-19 for all five days since the team reported Tuesday.

Carroll earlier said that 90 of the team’s 91 players were either fully vaccinated or had gotten at least one shot, and that the entire coaching staff also has been vaccinated.

When he spoke to the media Wednesday, Carroll said he had some concern over players possibly exposed at home over the summer and bringing it to camp.

That everyone has tested negative Carroll says shows “that the transition that we made from being home to get in here and starting up camp went perfectly. And I’m really, really happy and proud of the guys for getting that done. So what that means is we know where we are right now or we’re very much in command of where we are. And now we have to do a nice job of continuing to manage all of that. But it’s a really good statement from the locker room.’’

Seahawks agree to sign Mannion

The Seahawks have reached agreement with quarterback Sean Mannion, a source confirmed to the Seattle Times that Mannion is expected to sign.

A former star at Oregon State, Mannion has been a backup in the NFL since 2015. that includes three years with the Rams, two of which he worked with current Seattle offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who was with the Rams from 2017-20. Waldron and Mannion were together with the Rams in 2017 and 2018.

Mannion has started just two NFL games, with the Rams in 2017 and the Vikings in 2019. He is 45-74 passing in his career for 384 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions.

Seattle has four quarterbacks on its roster — Russell Wilson, Geno Smith, Danny Etling and Alex McGough.

Seattle would seem unlikely to keep five quarterbacks.

Smith has been the clear backup to Wilson in the three training camp practices open to media so far, with Etling appearing to be the third and McGough, who was a seventh-round pick of the Seahawks in 2018, getting little work in team drills.

Blair sits out, Pocic returns

As noted, Blair did not practice Saturday after getting kicked in the heel Friday.

But Carroll indicated his stay on the sidelines should be a short one.

“It’s not a serious injury,’’ Carroll said. “But it was sore today. So we had to we have to rest today.’’

Blair has been working mostly as the No. 1 nickel but also seeing time at strong safety with Adams out. Ugo Amadi worked as the No. 1 nickel Saturday with Blair out.

Center Ethan Pocic, sidelined the first two days of open practice with a hamstring injury, was back in limited fashion Saturday. Pocic had a helmet on and went through individual drills and early work, though he did not appear to take part in the 11-on-11 sessions.

Kyle Fuller has been running as the No. 1 center with Pocic out.

“We’ve just got to make sure we don’t make a mistake and go too far, too fast with that,’’ Carroll said. “He’s dying to get out there. And he sees Kyle doing a really good job. And you know, nothing like competition. So he’ll be back soon.’’

Still no timeline on Eskridge

Receiver D’Wayne Eskridge, the team’s first pick in the 2021 draft, taken 56^th overall, remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list with a toe injury.

And Carroll said there remains no clear ETA for a return.

“He ran well yesterday,’’ Carroll said. “I don’t know what he did today. I didn’t see him yet. But he ran well and ran hard. Had one little tweak thing in there somewhere, but didn’t sustain it, was OK. So he’s making progress, and I don’t know much more than that. We can’t project yet. I don’t know what to tell you, timeline.’’