Bolton works to nail down job
Jeff Bolton’s chances of sticking with the Seattle Seahawks are slim, but that might be all he needs to make it somewhere else.
“All I’m thinking is I’m going to do everything in my power that I can possibly do to put myself in the best position to make a team,” Bolton said after practice Tuesday at Eastern Washington University. “Whether it’s practice squad, active roster, whatever, I just want to make a team.”
That team is unlikely to be the Super Bowl Seahawks, who have nine locks for what is expected to be nine spots along the offensive line, but the free agent from Montana State is getting a great opportunity to build a resume.
A week ago, Chris Spencer and fourth-round draft pick Rob Sims were getting most of the snaps as second-team guards. Then left guard Floyd “Pork Chop” Womack tweaked a hamstring and center Robbie Tobeck elected to have surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow. That put Sims in Womack’s spot, Spencer, a first-round draft pick a year ago, at his natural center position, and Bolton at left guard with the second team.
“I definitely have a good opportunity, I just have to make the most of it,” said Bolton, who earned several Big Sky Conference and All-American honors playing every position on the Bobcats line. “The biggest thing is learning the plays better. You have to know them backward and forward. There’s just a lot more plays and in college, there are not as many guys so you get reps, you get more of a chance to correct your mistakes. You have to know what you’re doing at all times (in the pros).”
“We’ll look at the young guys at guard,” said Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren. … For the young guys, this is a great opportunity for them to practice and play and show in the game. That’s how guys make football teams. … Of course, you want your starters there, for continuity and practice, but it is what it is.”
The 6-foot-4, 325-pound Bolton had a tryout with Tampa Bay after the draft but wasn’t signed. He was working in a lumberyard in Bozeman for $10 an hour when the Seahawks called in May.
“I was just really excited at first,” he said. “Then coming in here and being around all these phenomenal athletes, it kind of made me think. Hopefully, I can keep playing well and get a little better. Hopefully, it will rub off being around these guys.”
What helps is getting into preseason games, when other teams who may be shopping for depth can get a look at backups who may get released. That’s how punters Chris Kluwe and Donny Jones ended up making in the NFL. Kluwe, with Minnesota, led the NFC in net average last year and Jones, with Miami, was second in the NFL gross average.
Bolton has also been reunited with Bobcats teammate Travis Lulay, who was signed about two weeks earlier.
“I have somebody to talk to that I know really well,” Bolton said. “But at the same time, it’s great meeting new people. I have good friends here already.”
Lulay faces longer odds as the No. 5 quarterback, but Bolton said he remains upbeat.
“He’s working his tail off,” Bolton said. “He’s a great player. He’s doing everything in his power to make the team, too. He’s just not getting the same shot as everybody else. Quarterback is a very different position, there’s so much more stuff you need to know. But he’s working his butt off. I don’t think he’s discouraged.”
Not all training camp experiences are great. Every day the Bobcats have to traipse past Woodward Field where they were handed a 35-14 thumping by Eastern Washington last fall.
“Last year left a sour taste in my mouth,” Bolton said. “Every time I walk past the stadium, it ticks me off a little bit. But I’m starting a new legacy here. It’s time to forget about memories and start something new.”
All he needs is a chance.