Seahawks’ Carroll: Cross out, Witherspoon in vs Lions; more OL updates

Sep 15, 2023, 9:35 AM | Updated: 3:08 pm

Charles Cross looks to block during the preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Lumen Field on August 18, 2022. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

BY BRANDON GUSTAFSON

Assistant Editor of SeattleSports.com

The Seattle Seahawks will be without one top-10 pick this Sunday in Detroit, but they’ll have another against the Lions.

Bumpus: What can help Seattle Seahawks’ O-line this week despite injuries

During the weekly Pete Carroll Preview on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM’s Seattle’s Morning News, the Seahawks head coach had a number of injury updates.

First, let’s start on the offensive line.

Right tackle Abraham Lucas is already out of this week’s game due to a knee injury. He’s been placed on injured reserve, so he’ll be out for at least four games.

“Abe’s gonna go through a process that’s going to take him a few weeks. That’s why the IR thing was obvious,” Carroll told Steve Raible Friday morning.

That’s not the case for left tackle Charles Cross, who also left Week 1 with an injury. Cross, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has an injured big toe.

“With Charles, we’re gonna go week to week and see what happens,” Carroll said. “He made good improvement by the end of the week, but not enough to get him ready to play (this week). We’ll talk all about it next week and see where it is and if he’s fortunate enough (to play). With those big toe sprains that they get, those can be pretty hard on everybody, particularly the big guys. So we’re gonna see how that how he gets through it. But he did make good improvement, which is a real good sign.”

On the other side of the ball, it appears we’re going to see the NFL debut of cornerback Devon Witherspoon, the No. 5 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, who didn’t play last week due to a hamstring injury.

“Yeah, Devon’s going to play,” Carroll said. “He had a great week (of practice). He had a good week last week (when) he was limited. He was unlimited in his reps (this week). He could do everything, which he did well. He had a big week, he made plays in practice and had fun with it. His juice is obvious when he’s on the field. So he’s going.”

Another member of the secondary who didn’t play last week is saftey Jamal Adams, who suffered a severe quad injury last year in Week 1 and hasn’t played since. He returned to practice this week.

“Jamal had his first week back, and he had a ball. I mean, he was out there running around and making plays … He is such a fireball,” Carroll said. “(Adams and Witherspoon) in particular have about as much spirit as a couple guys could have.”

Carroll didn’t directly address Adams’ status for Week 2, but seemed to hint that the veteran safety won’t be playing.

“When they’re all back together and out there playing, that’s going to be a good scene for us. It’s going to take us a little bit, but only positive stuff coming from those two reports (on Adams and Witherspoon),” Carroll said.

The ‘new’ guy on Seahawks’ offensive line

With Lucas out for at least four games and Cross not playing this Sunday, the Seahawks hit the free agent market to sign a notable offensive tackle in Jason Peters, who was signed to Seattle’s practice squad.

Peters is new to the Seahawks, but he’s hardly new to the NFL.

Peters is 41 years old and is destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as he’s a nine-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro. Peters spent last year in Dallas and this season is his 20th in the NFL.

That age didn’t show up on film, Carroll said.

“We went back and looked at every play that he had last year with Dallas. He wound up playing a couple of spots (on the line) to help them out. He really looked good,” Carroll said. “He moved well, he was light on his feet, and obviously, very well-grooved about the game and understand how to set and how to read guys and all that kind of stuff. And he came out here on the practice field (for us) and for the most part, looked like he’d been practicing. We limited the number of reps that he took, but he looked light on his feet, he was bouncing around.”

While Carroll was impressed with Peters in practice this week, it doesn’t sound like he’s going to play this week.

“We’ve got to give him some time to get going and to get practicing because he was at home working out on his own, which is not anywhere near the same thing,” Carroll said. “But he’s really determined to nail this 20th season, and he’s got a lot of pride about that, which is great. He just may wind up helping us. I haven’t seen anything that wouldn’t tell us that. The only thing that you’re holding up is you say ‘how old is he?’ And I’m not looking at that. I’m just looking at those quick feet and that awareness that he has and that moxie. It’s a really cool thing to be watching happen.”

Listen to this week’s Pete Carroll Preview at this link or in the player near the top of this story. The Pete Carroll Preview airs every Friday at 8:15 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM.