DANNY ONEIL

Seahawks’ rookie lineman Germain Ifedi has another flare-up in practice

Aug 10, 2016, 2:27 PM

Germain Ifedi, who suffered a high-ankle sprain during practice this week, is inactive Sunday. (AP)...

Germain Ifedi, who suffered a high-ankle sprain during practice this week, is inactive Sunday. (AP)

(AP)

RENTON – Rookie offensive lineman Germain Ifedi shoved linebacker K.J. Wright in the back.

Then, Ifedi shouted at Richard Sherman, pointing at Seattle’s All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman as Bobby Wagner stood in front of Ifedi, trying to calm the rookie offensive lineman down.

It was the latest practice-field flare-up for the first-round pick out of Texas A&M who has shown in 11 days of practice that his temper runs hot and he won’t concede anything to Seattle’s defensive lineman.

Last week coach Pete Carroll praised that mindset, but he also said Ifedi will have to find the limits for what he can and can’t do. On Wednesday, Ifedi crossed that line at least for one drill, being held out as first wide receiver Doug Baldwin talked to him and then coach Carroll. Ifedi returned to the practice field, finishing without incident.

There will be some who see this as a positive sign, a rookie who’s adamant about holding his ground on an offensive line that has already been questioned – and even criticized – before it has played so much as a single preseason down. Others will wonder if there’s a hothead on Seattle’s roster, one who will be prone to the same kind of lapses in judgment that used to cost Seattle 15 yards when Breno Giacomini decided it was time to strike one of the oven mitts he called hands into the side of an opponent’s helmet.

Here’s another word to try when it comes to explaining the skirmishes: normal. It’s what happens when you’ve got younger players trying to make an impression going against veterans who know how important it is to stay healthy.

The difference in Seattle this season is that it’s a young offensive line that’s trying to make an impression against a veteran defensive line. It’s usually the other way around. In fact, it’s almost always the other way around for NFL teams given the priority that the league places upon experience along the offensive line.

Ten years ago, it was Steve Hutchinson who would snarl when a younger defensive player was going a bit too hard for his taste. Then it was Ray Willis – a backup tackle – who took up the enforcer’s position for the offensive line whenever it was felt that a defensive lineman was putting too much pepper into his practice hits.

But in Seattle this year, the youth is on the Seahawks’ offensive line, which is seeking to make it clear that there’s some new blood and some new leaders. That’s why Michael Bennett has been hopping mad so often, and why Cliff Avril has been shouting at some of the rookies. And it’s why Wright came over after his scrape with Ifedi, explaining to the rookie that he needed to slow his roll.

And that’s what Ifedi did. At least for the rest of the practice.

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