Seahawks G Moffitt expected to start Sunday

By Liz Mathews

John Moffitt is expected return to his starting spot at right guard Sunday when the Seahawks host the Cowboys.

“It’s good to have him back in. He was almost there last week,” coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday. “If he makes it through the week solid and healthy, we’ll get a chance to see John come back for us, which will be great.”

Moffitt started as a rookie in 2011 before his season ended with a knee injury. Moffitt was limited throughout this offseason, but was able to participate in training camp before having surgery in August to remove some loose fragments in his elbow.

Rookie J.R. Sweezy started the regular-season opener in Moffitt’s place.

“I think it was needed. I don’t think my elbow was 100 percent there,” Moffitt said. “I think it was something that if we rushed it, it might have caused more problems. But like everybody, you want to play.”

Moffitt said that his knee has been “phenomenal” and he hasn’t experienced any issues since the beginning of OTAs.

“We’ll see how John does,” Carroll said. “J.R. did a great job for us. All the way throughout he’s been growing and getting better. He had a hard game in this one, this last week. The fact that John has a chance to come back is – he’s ready to play again. John will start. We’ll see how this goes.

“We feel like we have two guys who can play.”

Sweezy is expected to play some Sunday, regardless of whether Moffitt starts.

Notes

• Carroll said wide receiver Charly Martin will miss this week of practice, still recovering from the bruised lung he suffered Sunday against Arizona. “He feels fine and he’s getting around fine,” Carroll said. “It’s just severe enough that he’s going to have to take a week or so to get back.”

• Left tackle Russell Okung did not practice Wednesday and is expected to be limited as a result of his knee bruise. “It looks like the kind of bruise he has he’ll be able to get better by the weekend,” Carroll said. “It might be hard for him to get much work early.”

• Wide receiver Golden Tate will return to practice this week and should be available Sunday. Tate missed the regular-season opener, sidelined by the knee injury he sustained in the final preseason game. “He’s had a good recovery,” Carroll said. “But he has to make it through the week and show us that he can do all the things we need to do.” Carroll said Tate should be a full participant on Thursday.

• Carroll confirmed the plan for now did not include adding another receiver to the roster.

• Offensive line coach Tom Cable said Wednesday the goal is to give guard James Carpenter a 50 percent workload this week. Carpenter had been limited in practice throughout training camp, recovering from last season’s knee surgery, but did start the season on the active roster.