O-line in flux
Seahawks center Spencer out at least a month
RENTON, Wash. – The Seahawks knew they had a puzzle to solve along their offensive line this preseason.
They didn’t know that puzzle would require advanced medical degrees and crystal balls to solve.
Monday, Seattle lost the third member of its starting offensive line in the past four weeks, when doctors determined center Chris Spencer will be out at least a month with a torn thigh muscle.
Coach Jim Mora said Spencer injured the quadriceps muscle in his left leg and will “absolutely” miss at least the first two regular season games, barring a miraculous recovery.
“That’s a tough one,” Mora said. “I don’t want to put a timetable on it, but … it’s not going to be two weeks, it’s going to be into the season.”
Steve Vallos and rookie second-round draft choice Max Unger are expected to get the first shots to replace Spencer, the 26th overall draft choice out of Mississippi in 2005. Vallos started five games last season when Spencer had a bad back.
Seattle is already without nine-time Pro Bowl left tackle Walter Jones. The 35-year-old had his second knee surgery in eight months last week and will be out at least into September.
Starting left guard Mike Wahle was released at the start of training camp. The two-time Pro Bowler failed a physical after shoulder surgery.
“If you’re a pessimist, you’d say, ‘The sky is falling,’ ” Mora said. “Well, I’m not a pessimist. I’m an optimist. I say, ‘Well, this gives other guys a chance to step up.’ ”
Those guys are the new starting line: Sean Locklear, the usual right tackle, is at left tackle; Rob Sims, last year’s right guard who played just one game because of a torn pectoral muscle, is at left guard; Vallos, a seventh-round pick in 2007, is at center; Mansfield Wrotto, a fourth-round choice in 2007 who has four career starts, and Unger, an All-Pac-10 center last season at Oregon, are battling at right guard; and Ray Willis is at right tackle.
Willis, a fourth-round pick in 2005, made all 10 of his career starts last season.
When asked if his team even has enough bodies to practice, let alone play, Mora said: “It’s right at the edge. It’s close, you know. We just had a personnel meeting. We talked about that, with Grey Ruegamer not having practiced much lately. Now, we’re going to get him back.”
Who’d have thought Seattle would be holding its breath to get Ruegamer, a guard, healthy? The 33-year-old, who has started 17 games in 10 NFL seasons, wasn’t even listed on the Seahawks’ depth chart three weeks ago.