Seahawks personnel notes: Cooper Helfet needs surgery, C.J. Prosise has hamstring strain

RENTON – Cooper Helfet’s chances of making the Seahawks’ roster as one of the backup tight ends have taken a big hit with news that the broken bone in his foot needs surgery.

Helfet practiced Saturday when the Seahawks opened training camp then missed the last two days. Coach Pete Carroll said Monday that Helfet will require surgery but didn’t give an ETA as to when he may be back. It’s fair to assume that it will be a while, though.

It’s a tough break for Helfet, who has been a backup with Seattle the last two seasons and was trying to secure a roster spot. He was anything but assured of one given how tight end is one of the deeper position groups in training camp, at least on paper. There are eight listed on Seattle’s 90-man roster, though Jimmy Graham is on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and has yet to begin practicing while Brandon Cottom is playing fullback.

With Graham out, veteran Luke Willson is assuming No. 1 duties while rookie third-round pick Nick Vannett has been getting his share of looks. Another player who figures to get more looks with all the absences at the position is Brandon Williams, a fourth-year tight end who has played in 29 games over three seasons, all but four of those appearances coming with Carolina.

The Seahawks signed undrafted rookie Clayton Echard following Helfet’s injury. Ronnie Shields is the other tight end on Seattle’s roster.

Here are some additional personnel notes from Monday’s practice:

• Carroll said the hamstring injury that rookie running back C.J. Prosise sustained during the first practice on Saturday is a first-degree strain. “It’s usually seven-to-10 on this deal,” Carroll said, referring to the number of days that Prosise is expected to be sidelined. “It’s a first-degree hamstring strain, so we’ve got to see how that goes, see if that holds up.” Fellow rookie Zac Brooks figures to get more opportunities in Prosise’s absence.

• Carroll didn’t have any update on Graham or running back Thomas Rawls, who is also starting camp on PUP. He said the team is taking it one day at a time with those two and reiterated that they’ll be re-evaluated on Wednesday, when the Seahawks have an off day following their first four practices.

• Defensive end Frank Clark was limited in practice, seen at one point with ice wrapped around the back of his right leg. But Carroll said Clark is OK and that it was “something minor.”

• Left tackle Garry Gilliam took some reps with the first-team offensive line during the 11-on-11 portion of practice as he continues to ease his way back from having a cyst removed from his knee. Bradley Sowell still got the majority of the work there.

• Wide receiver Tyler Slavin has reverted to Seattle’s injured reserve after clearing waivers, according to the NFL’s transaction report. The Seahawks signed Slavin earlier in the offseason and waived him with an injury designation when they signed Echard.