Seahawks notebook: McDaniel no longer overlooked

By Danny O’Neil

RENTON – It’s hard to overlook Tony McDaniel these days, and not just because at 6-foot-7 he is the tallest player on the Seahawks’ roster.

He’s looming large in the middle of Seattle’s defensive line, competing for a starting job at tackle on the defense that allowed the fewest points in the league in 2012. It’s unexpected considering that this is a guy who was not drafted in 2006 and has started a total of four games in his seven NFL seasons, playing first in Jacksonville and later in Miami.

Even McDaniel found himself surprised when the Seahawks came calling free agency.

“When I heard they were interested, I got excited because of what they did last year,” McDaniel said. “I wanted to have a chance to be on a playoff team, and they’ve got awesome uniforms.”

McDaniel played the past four seasons for the Dolphins, who have one of the league’s more imposing tackle tandems in Paul Soliai and Randy Starks. McDaniel made up his mind that he wanted a chance to compete for a starting job.

He has got that here in Seattle, where he’s competing with rookies Jordan Hill – who practiced with the first-unit on Sunday – and fifth-round pick Jesse Williams, who missed his second practice after tweaking his knee on Friday.

Defensive tackle is one of the only spots on Seattle’s defense that is open after the Seahawks chose not to re-sign Alan Branch this offseason, and while McDaniel wasn’t necessarily expecting this opportunity, he’s hoping to make the most of it.

“I thought Seattle was the perfect opportunity,” McDaniel said.

Tough enough

Right tackle Breno Giacomini has made a name for himself as a player not afraid to push the envelope, as evidenced by his four 15-yard personal-foul penalties in 2012. (AP)

Right tackle Breno Giacomini wasn’t making any friends on the defense with the way he has practiced the past couple of days. He even managed to put defensive tackle Red Bryant on his back at one point, precipitating a few testy exchanges later in the practice.

That’s not exactly surprising as Giacomini is someone who has a tendency for pushing the envelope with his play. That is why he received four 15-yard personal-foul penalties last season, but it’s also a reason he’s so valuable as the starting right tackle.

“He’s so aggressive when the play is going on, all the way up to the very, very last second,” quarterback Russell Wilson said. “That’s what makes him really, really good for us. He’s that edgy player in terms of the offensive line. You need one of those. You’ve got to be careful having two of them, but you need one of them for sure. He’s that guy for us.”

Notes

• • WR Percy Harvin was not seen on the practice field. Harvin’s hip injury creates the opportunity to audition other kickoff returners. Wide receivers Golden Tate and Bryan Walters and cornerbacks Will Blackmon and Jeremy Lane will all get chances to audition.
• • LB K.J. Wright is practicing with a cast on his left arm, the result of offseason surgery to repair ligaments in his wrist. Wright is hoping to be out of the cast in the next week or two and said he doesn’t expect to be wearing it once the season starts.
• • The team’s second day in pads turned out to be a tough day at the office for rookie fullback Spencer Ware. First, he took a significant hit from Wright in a 7-on-7 passing drill. Later, it was safety Winston Guy who lowered the boom during full-team drills.
• • John Moffitt and J.R. Sweezy have been alternating first-team snaps at right guard so far in training camp, while Paul McQuistan has been the first-team left guard as James Carpenter works his way back into shape.