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Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson shows support as Duane Brown, Jamal Adams continue their ‘hold-in’ from Seahawks

Adam Jude and Bob Condotta Seattle Times

The Seahawks’ star quarterback wants his left tackle back on the field as Russell Wilson expressed support for Duane Brown’s pursuit of a contract extension from the team.

“Not having Duane Brown out there is, you know, a pretty significant deal,” Wilson said Sunday. “Because I think he’s one of the best left tackles in the game. There’s no arguing it. I think he’s as good as it gets.”

Brown and safety Jamal Adams continued their “hold-ins” Sunday, each watching from the sideline during the Seahawks’ first scrimmage of training camp before an announced crowd of 15,758 at Lumen Field.

Brown is set to make $10 million on the final year of his deal with the Seahawks. The 49ers signed 32-year-old Trent Williams to a new contract in March that pays him $23 million per year, making him the highest-paid left tackle in the NFL.

Brown has not been available for interviews during training camp, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday cited a source in Brown’s camp who relayed the left tackle’s frustration that he hasn’t received a new deal from the Seahawks.

Brown will turn 36 on Aug. 30. Wilson said he believes the left tackle could play for several more years.

“Age is just a number,” Wilson said. “(Brown) easily looks like he’s 28 (or) 30 out there. He’s really exceptional. He’s so smart and understands the game. … We definitely want to be able to get him back out there. We’ve got to figure that out. Because we need Duane Brown.”

Veteran middle linebacker Bobby Wagner expressed similar sentiments about Adams earlier in camp.

Adams was wearing a hoodie and waving a white towel on the sideline Sunday for much of the mock game.

“We can’t wait for him to be back out there on the field,” Wagner said last week. “He’s deserving of everything that he’s looking for and we as players support him.”

Seahawks general manager John Schneider and Adams’ representatives have been trying to put the final touches on a deal that would make Adams the highest-paid safety in the NFL, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told The Times.

Both sides had hoped to have the deal completed by now.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Sunday that Adams’ contract is “unique in the dynamic of it. It’s a big deal.”

Carroll added, “We’ve worked very hard to make this work out. We’ll see what happens.”

Carroll and Schneider have worked through a number of high-profile contract extensions together over the past decade — notably with Wilson and Wagner on multiple occasions — and Carroll said they will rely on that experience to close this deal with Adams.

“We have been through a lot,” Carroll said. “We’ve had a lot of really high-quality individuals in the program, guys that we love, that we’ve worked with for a long time. We’ve watched them go through the process of it, and we do have a lot of information about that and we have a lot of experience there. We try to utilize it and help our guys as they go through it.

“But for the players going through it, it’s usually their first time (in negotiations) and they have to go through it and try to get a sense for how it’s going and how they’re feeling about it, and figure it out. We have a little bit more background than the players do so we just have to go through it.”

At what point, Carroll was asked, might he become concerned about Adams’ extended absence on the practice field?

“Why would I tell you that? I don’t know,” he said.

Talks between Adams’ representatives and the Seahawks are expected to continue Monday. It is believed the Seahawks want to complete Adams’ deal before negotiating a potential new deal for Brown.

Brown’s absence, injuries mean Forsythe gets call at left tackle

Brown’s left-tackle spot usually has been filled in camp by fourth-year player Jamarco Jones. Or if not Jones, then veteran Cedric Ogbuehi.

But both Jones and Ogbuehi missed the mock game Sunday with injuries suffered Saturday, which forced Seattle to use rookie sixth-round draft choice Stone Forsythe with the first team Sunday.

Carroll said Jones suffered back spasms Saturday and indicated it’s not a significant injury, saying “it’s going to be a couple of days for that to loosen up.’’

Ogbuehi’s situation could be more problematic. Carroll said he suffered “a bicep strain’’ and that the team has to “figure out what it’s all about.’’

Ogbuehi has been competing with Brandon Shell at right tackle. But with Ogbuehi out, Shell got all the work with the starters Sunday.

The Seahawks also were without backup tackle Tommy Champion, who suffered a groin injury Saturday. So, to have enough tackles to fill out a first and second team, the Seahawks used rookie Jake Curhan as a backup at right tackle. Curhan played tackle at California but has been playing primarily guard with the Seahawks.

Carroll said he couldn’t really tell how Forsythe performed at first glance but said it was “great” that Forsythe “made it through because a couple of days ago he had a little ankle thing that he turned. But he sucked it up. We needed him, too, with all that happened. He played with the ones all day long today. What a great opportunity for him.”

Seattle’s line also was without center Ethan Pocic, who recently re-aggravated a hamstring injury. In Pocic’s absence, Kyle Fuller is working as the starting center. Fuller and Pocic have been portrayed as in an open competition for the job this year.

“We don’t know how serious it is at this point,’’ Carroll said of Pocic’s injury. “He doesn’t feel like it is and so it may be a couple of more days. Hamstrings can get nagging if we (aren’t) smart, so we have to be careful there.”

Penny, Reed also sit out

Several other players also sat out Sunday, but Carroll indicated none have significant injuries and the team was just being careful.

That includes running back Rashaad Penny, whom Carroll says has “a thigh thing. … he ran (Sunday) and feels fine but we are just being cautious.’’

Penny, the team’s first-round draft choice in 2018, has recovered from a knee injury and played well early in camp and is competing for playing time behind starter Chris Carson this year.

Cornerback D.J. Reed suffered a groin injury late in practice Saturday, but Carroll indicated it’s not serious. Tre Flowers started at right cornerback with Reed out with Ahkello Witherspoon on the left side.

Among others also remaining out were defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche (groin) and linebacker Cody Barton (quad).