Wallace making most of opportunity
What was expected to be one of the highlighted showdowns in the Seahawks training camp has become a showcase.
Injuries have turned the battle for Seattle’s No. 3 quarterback into the Seneca Wallace Show.
“I’m glad you brought him up,” Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said after a recent practice at Eastern Washington University. “I couldn’t be more pleased with him. If I had to pick out one guy that I’m really pleased with in this camp, it’s Seneca. Honest to goodness. He’s a great kid. He’s a good example for all of our players.”
The second-year pro from Iowa State couldn’t get a much better endorsement, but he’s earned it, taking advantage of a back injury that has sidelined Brock Huard, his main competition.
Besides getting the snaps that would have gone to Huard, who returned to the Seahawks as a free agent, Wallace is taking many of Trent Dilfer’s reps because the backup also has a balky back.
The misfortune is good fortune for the player who was No. 3 last year but appeared destined for the practice squad when Huard was signed as a free agent.
“It’s a business and it doesn’t matter what I felt about it,” Wallace said of Huard’s arrival. “I just have to keep doing what I’m capable of doing. As long as I keep playing, hopefully everything will fall into place. We’ll see what happens.”
Wallace’s progress in the past year has been remarkable, considering he attempted 43 passes in the preseason and he was inactive for the 16 regular season game.
“Last year at this time we had to pick and choose (plays Seneca could run),” Seahawks quarterback coach Jim Zorn said. “He couldn’t function because he couldn’t call fronts, he really didn’t know how we were calling coverages. Then the plays, there is a lot going on on every single play. To try and make those become simple takes time.”
After a three-week break at the end of the season, the native of Sacramento returned to Seattle and worked five to seven days a week with Zorn, both on the field and in the classroom.
“He’s a great coach, he knows what he’s talking about,” Wallace said. “I just worked on knowing more about the offense, learning more about coverages, which is a key thing. That type of thing comes from experience. And ball placement and my drops.”
Zorn said, “It translates into being able to trust him to run the offense, not just run plays but actually get out there and compete and run the show. That’s what I’m hoping for this week.”
The Seahawks’ first preseason game is Monday in Green Bay and after starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck makes his short appearance Wallace will play the majority of the game.
“Right now he’s the guy, out of necessity more than anything else,” Zorn said. “I really did think this was going to be a difficult early preseason with four guys. I have to get Trent work, I have to get Brock work, I have to get Seneca work. Now with Trent and Brock down … I’m trying to get another guy ready to work.”
The Seahawks signed Bryson Spinner on Thursday to share the workload but he might not be game ready by Monday.
Wallace is.
“I think it’s going pretty good,” he said. “I’ll play my four preseason games, see how I improved from last year and see how it goes. Everybody is kind of sluggish now but everybody is getting excited for the game.”
Notes
Friday was sweltering but Holmgren was much cooler than he was a day earlier as the players executed better … Starting offensive linemen Chris Terry and Steve Hutchinson remained on the sideline, Holmgren calling it a rest day … It was a good day to rest with the temperature at 88 degrees for the main practice in the morning and 100 during the afternoon hour of special teams … The coach has decided to let everyone get more rest, pushing today’s morning practice back 75 minutes to 10 a.m. It will end at 12:45. The afternoon full-squad practice remains at 2:45.
Those remaining sidelined with injuries, besides the two backup quarterbacks, are WR Taco Wallace, DE Anton Palepoi, CB Kris Richard, FS Arnold Parker and RB Clarence Farmer. DE Grant Wistrom, TE Ryan Hannam and CB Jemaro Gilford still haven’t passed their physicals.