A look at a memorable moment in Seahawks history that occurred on May 14:

2010: Scott Fitterer is promoted to director of college scouting. Fitterer joined the Seahawks in 2001 as an area scout and served five seasons as western region director of college scouting before being named to his current position.

At the conclusion of the Seahawks’ three-day rookie minicamp on Sunday, coach Pete Carroll said, “The ‘varsity’ is not here yet, so we’ll see how that goes.”

The “varsity” returned today, as the veterans kicked off the third and final week in Phase 2 of the offseason program. Also on field for the 45-minute session were nine of the team’s 10 draft choices – defensive end Bruce Irvin, middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, quarterback Russell Wilson, running back Robert Turbin, linebacker Korey Toomer, cornerback Jeremy Lane, on-the-mend safety Winston Guy, guard J.R. Sweezy and defensive end Greg Scruggs; as well as six of the 10 rookies who were signed as free agents after the draft – wide receiver Phil Bates, tight end Sean McGrath, on-the-mend defensive back DeShawn Shead, guard Rishaw Johnson, defensive end Cordarro Law and kicker Carson Wiggs.

Things weren’t quite the same for the rookies, however. Just ask Bates, who went from Wilson’s go-to target during the minicamp to when-do-I-get-to-go-in status with the return of the veterans. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Bates caught four passes in one drill on Sunday, only to get four reps – total – today.

But Bates was smiling nonetheless after spending most of the workout studying the play-card with Dave Canales, and then staying out after the session to get a little extra instruction from the team’s offensive quality control coach.

“It was actually a lot different, but I kind of expected that,” Bates said. “It didn’t matter. I’m just trying to get in and learn as much as I can.”

Bates is just one of the intriguing prospects signed this year by general manager John Schneider and Carroll in the long line of players with unique qualities they have been compiling since joining the Seahawks in January of 2010. Bates’ learning curve is bit steeper, however, because he was an option QB at Ohio University for two seasons before switching to receiver last year – and catching 15 passes for 197 yards.

“I’m just trying to make sure I grab something new every day – make sure I just keep building and just keep going,” Bates said. “That’s the goal every day: Just try to get better.”

Bates was one of the better players at the minicamp, making plays from Friday’s first practice to Sunday’s final practice.

Now, he’ll have to wait his turn in a crowded wide-out group that includes Doug Baldwin, who led the team in receiving as a rookie free agent last season; an eclectic group of veterans that includes Golden Tate, Ben Obomanu, Deon Butler and Ricardo Lockette; and, eventually, Sidney Rice and Mike Williams, the incumbent starters who remain sidelined while recovering from surgery.

Good morning. Here’s what’s “out there” about the Seahawks for today, May 14:

The Seahawks wrapped up their three-day rookie minicamp on Sunday and coach Pete Carroll said that Russell Wilson had played himself into the competition for the starting quarterback job with Tarvaris Jackson and Matt Flynn.

Former Seahawks QB Brock Huard, now a host on 710 ESPN, offers his take on Wilson at mynorthwest.com: “Flynn and Jackson will soon learn that a 5-foot-11 Rose Bowl quarterback is a lot closer in this race than (Brock) Osweiler, Nick Foles, Kirk Cousins and (Brandon) Weeden would be if they were in Seattle. The kid oozes with the ‘it factor,’ and has an arm and command that clearly puts him smack dab in this quarterback competition. Seahawks fans will sit on the berm in August and I am sure will ‘ooh and ah’ the same way many in the media did over the weekend. Carroll and his staff will have to figure out a way to dish out enough quality reps and work to fully evaluate the quarterback move that lies ahead. Sitting in the pole is Flynn; this is his job to lose. Jackson has the starts and experience under his belt, and Josh Portis has raw athleticism and talent. Yet lurking is Wilson, the constant over-achiever, the want-to-be quarterback anomaly at 5-feet-11 that is out to prove the NFL wrong. Carroll wants competition. Well, he’s got it now at the most critical position in sports. Get ready, Seahawks fans, the quarterback conversation is just beginning.”

Danny O’Neil at the Seattle Times looks at what Carroll’s decision means as the team moves deeper into its offseason program: “Carroll offered no specifics on how the competition would be structured and no estimate on a timetable for a decision, but suggested some patience. ‘It’s going to take us a long time to do this,’ Carroll said. ‘It’s going to be frustrating for you guys. You’re going to keep asking and want to know. I’m just going to be more patient than you can imagine as we go through this process, and we’ll just figure it out when we do.’ ”

Eric Williams at the News Tribune has the word on Wilson, and also profiles two of the campers from the South Sound area – Karvario Middleton and Renard Williams: “Seahawks coach Pete Carroll recognized the long odds for players such as Middleton and Williams making a Week 1 roster. ‘This is a first step for a lot of those guys, and for some of these guys it’ll be their only step,’ he said. ‘So we try and treat these days with them with a lot of respect for where their hearts are and all that.’ ”

 
Here at Seahawks.com, we’ve also got the word on Carroll’s assessment of Wilson that shouldn’t have come as a surprise: “Carroll did not step to the podium after practice and declare that Wilson was going to compete with Jackson and Flynn. In fact, his comments came in response to a question about whether Wilson was a developmental player. ‘Here’s what I’m going to say about it, he’s going to be in the competition,’ Carroll offered before the question had even been completed. ‘He’s showed us enough, he’s in the competition.’ And that is saying a lot. Wilson played one season at Wisconsin after transferring from North Carolina State. Jackson has been in the league for six seasons and started 34 games, including 14 for the Seahawks last season after he was signed in free agency. Flynn was the most sought after QB in this year’s free-agent class, despite having started only two games for the Green Bay Packers the past four seasons. But Wilson showed enough in three minicamp practices that “we need to see where he fits in with these guys,” as Carroll put it.”

We’ve also got a recap of the three-day rookie camp in Hawkville: “ ‘For these guys to have that chance to get out here and be in the NFL for a weekend and show what they can do, they’ll never forget it,’ coach Pete Carroll said. ‘And I think it means a ton to them.’ You could tell it meant just that, as the players sought out coaches at the conclusion of practice to shake hands and say thanks. The team’s 10 draft choices and seven of the 10 free agents signed after the draft will join the veterans in the offseason program on Monday, and it was those players who drew most of the attention in the minicamp practices – from first-round draft choice Bruce Irvin; to third-rounder Russell Wilson, who used the minicamp to throw himself into the competition for the starting job; to seventh-rounder J.R. Sweezy, a defensive tackle in college who spent the weekend learning to play offensive guard; to wide receiver Phil Bates, one of those free-agent additions who caught pass after pass after pass.”

If you’d rather watch than read, there’s Tony Ventrella’s video recap, as well as Carroll’s post-practice Q&A session.

For a look around the league, there’s Peter King’s “Monday Morning Quarterback” at SI.com, but he also includes his take on the Wilson situation: “Is it dumb? No, it’s not dumb. As GM John Schneider told me after the draft, Wilson was the third-best player he studied in all of college football last year, and Schneider doesn’t care what anybody on any other team or on TV thinks of his draft-weekend decisions. Against a big-time schedule with Wisconsin last year, Wilson put up some phenomenal numbers – 73 percent passing, 10.3 yards per attempt, 33 touchdowns and four interceptions – and his leadership is similar to Drew Brees’.”

A recap of the Seahawks’ three-day rookie minicamp that concluded today, May 13:

FOCUS ON

Three days in May. Make that three picture-postcard days, and three days when almost three dozen tryout players got to chase their dream of playing in the NFL.

The Seahawks wrapped up their rookie minicamp this afternoon, with another spirited practice on another gorgeous day along the shores of Lake Washington at Virginia Mason Athletic Center.

“For these guys to have that chance to get out here and be in the NFL for a weekend and show what they can do, they’ll never forget it,” coach Pete Carroll said. “And I think it means a ton to them.”

You could tell it meant just that, as the players sought out coaches at the conclusion of practice to shake hands and say thanks.

The team’s 10 draft choices and seven of the 10 free agents signed after the draft will join the veterans in the offseason program on Monday, and it was those players who drew most of the attention in the minicamp practices – from first-round draft choice Bruce Irvin; to third-rounder Russell Wilson, who used the minicamp to throw himself into the competition for the starting job; to seventh-rounder J.R. Sweezy, a defensive tackle in college who spent the weekend learning to play offensive guard; to wide receiver Phil Bates, one of those free-agent additions who caught pass after pass after pass.

“I can only tell you that we were thrilled with the (draft) picks,” Carroll said. “We think there’s something in every guy that’s unique and special. That we were fortunate enough to get guys in the spots that we got them and have a real plan as we look ahead where they can fit in and help us, it just feels like the next big step has been made.

“This is a first step for a lot of those guys, and for some of these guys it will be their only step. So we tried to treat these days with them with a lot respect with where their hearts are and all that.”

TURBIN-POWERED

Carroll was especially pleased of the performance of Robert Turbin, a running back who was drafted in the fourth round. After playing in a spread offense at Utah State, Turbin made an almost seamless shift to the Seahawks’ zone-blocking scheme.

“He had an excellent camp,” Carroll said. “He has terrific speed. He has excellent feet. We were a little bit unsure of how well he would flow with the zone running game because he ran out of the (shot) gun all the time.

“He did it like he’s been doing it all along. So he showed natural instincts for the flow of the line of scrimmage.”

Turbin’s best run came Sunday, when he broke through the line on a counter play to gain 30 yards.

“He’s shown ability through the (three) days here that he can see the line of scrimmage well,” Carroll said. “He can feel it and he can burst.”

STICKING OUT

Asked which “unknown” players stood out, Carroll mentioned three:

Rishaw Johnson, a 6-3, 313-pound guard from California University in Pennsylvania and one of the free agents who was signed after the draft.

“He showed some tremendous stuff,” Carroll said. “We liked him going through the later rounds of the draft. He’s just a long ways down the road of understanding how to play the game. I think if he’ll continue to learn and understand what we’re asking of him, he has a chance to help us.”

Sweezy, the defensive tackle from North Carolina State who was drafted in the seventh round as a guard.

“The experience with J.R. was obvious that we’re on the right track,” Carroll said. “He’s very aggressive and carried over the defensive mentality that you’d hoped he would have. Tom (Cable, offensive line coach) was thrilled about what he saw from him.”

Donny Lisowsky, a 5-11, 185-pound cornerback from Montana and Seattle’s O’Dea High School, and one of the tryout players in camp.

“He was all over the place out here,” Carroll said. “I had no (idea about him), other than he ran extremely fast when he showed up for a workout day. And then he went out there and made a bunch of plays. So I was really fired up about him.”

YOU DON’T SAY

“We had a joke. I said, ‘Man, if I accidently tackle you, I’m sorry.’ ” – Sweezy, on having been a defensive tackle when Wilson also was playing at North Carolina State

Russell Wilson showed enough during the Seahawks' just-completed three-day rookie minicamp that coach Pete Carroll says the third-round draft choice will compete for the starting job.

Welcome to the three-headed, three-armed competition to be the Seahawks’ starting quarterback this season.

Three? That’s right, third-round draft choice Russell Wilson was impressive enough in the three-day rookie minicamp which ended today that coach Pete Carroll said the QB from Wisconsin will compete with incumbent Tarvaris Jackson and free-agent addition Matt Flynn for the job.

“He’s going to be in the competition,” Carroll said. “He showed us enough, he’s in the competition. That is going to tax us, as we know. It was already going to be taxing with two, but he’s shown us enough that we need to see where he fits in with these guys.”

That competition will begin Monday, when Wilson and the rest of the team’s draft choices will join the veterans in the offseason program.

Good morning, and Happy Mother’s Day. Here’s what’s “out there” about the Seahawks today, May 13:

Joe Frollo at USAFootball.com did a Mother’s Day piece that features Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung and his mom, Dorothy: “This weekend also is special for Dorothy as her daughter graduates from Texas A&M. Big brother has always been protective of his little sister – even if it means standing up to mom. ‘When Russell was 6 or 7, his sister was misbehaving, and I spanked her,’ Dorothy said. ‘She ran crying to her brother, who came up to me and told me not to do that. I’ve called him ‘Big Daddy’ ever since. I still do. He is a protective type and takes care of stuff around the house whenever something needs to be done.’ ”

Dave Boling at the News Tribune takes a look at the toughness the running game is developing under line coach Tom Cable: “Scheme? No, commitment and attitude. ‘Where we want to go is being a physical football team that throws the ball on you to score points but runs the ball to beat you,’ Cable said. ‘There are some teams in the league who are exceptional throwing the football. But to be a truly tough-minded football team, you have to run it. You can’t just talk about it, you have to do it.’ ”
Also at the News Tribune, Eric Williams checks in with former Utah State teammates Bobby Wagner and Robert Turbin, who are teammates once again: “ ‘I’ve got a different number, he’s got a different number and it’s like, here we go again,’ Turbin said. ‘It’s just a different helmet on – a different team, a whole different scheme. The greatest thing about it is we know each other enough that we can kind of push each other a little bit to get better.’ ”
Steve Kelley at the Seattle Times looks at how Turbin has used the death of his brother as motivation: “I pointed to Turbin’s massive biceps that practically look as big as a couple of heads of lettuce and asked him where they came from. ‘My brother,’ the Seahawks’ fourth-round pick said. ‘He used to make me work out all of the time when I was little. Even when we’d be watching cartoons he’d make me do push-ups and sit-ups. We would wrestle all the time. He was always pushing me.’ On Feb. 6, Turbin was in Phoenix, preparing for the NFL combine when he got a call at 3 a.m. from his cousin. Lonnie had been shot and killed in Oakland. It would be Turbin’s job to call his father, Ronald, with the tragic news. ‘I would have brought him (Lonnie) with me here to Seattle, to camp,’ said Turbin, 22. ‘Maybe he could have worked around here. Pass out drinks or something. Just be around a positive environment.’ “

Also at the Times, Danny O’Neil looks at quarterback Russell Wilson, who continues to battle questions about his height: “Russell Wilson stood out early on. Wait. That’s a poor choice of words considering all the fuss over Wilson’s height — or more accurately his lack thereof — at 5 feet 11. It’s the size of his arm that was evident long before he became a four-year starter at quarterback, a baseball prospect in the Rockies organization or the Seahawks’ third-round draft pick. This was back when Wilson was in fifth, maybe sixth grade in Richmond, Va., serving as a ball boy for the high-school varsity team, and he left a referee waiting for the football in the middle of the field. ‘For once in his life, Russell must not have been paying attention,’ said Charlie McFall, the coach at the Collegiate School. Instead of running the ball out, Wilson threw it from the sidelines. ‘He just chucked that ball out to him,’ McFall said. ‘I was like, ‘Oooh, I’m going to hang around for this guy.’ “

Tim Booth at the Associated Press checks in with Alex Barron, a veteran who is standing out at the Seahawks’ minicamp: “Alex Barron got down into his three-point stance at left tackle, looked to his right and saw a seventh-round draft pick that has never played on the offensive line at any level of football. Barron’s presence at the Seattle Seahawks’ rookie camp this weekend is a long way from the days when he was a first-round draft pick out of Florida State and starter for the St. Louis Rams. ‘It’s just kind of how it is right now, where I’m at in my career,’ Barron said. ‘Just take the good with the good, the bad with the bad and continue to work hard. That’s all you can do.’ “

Liz Matthews of 710 ESPN also has the word on Wagner at mynorthwest.com: “Wagner spoke to the media Saturday and said that for now he is focusing specifically at the middle linebacker spot. ‘I think it helps learning one position because you’ve got to figure out what’s to the right of you, what’s to the left of you,’ Wagner said. ‘So if I do get to the right I’ll know what’s in the middle and what’s on the other side. I think it’s good playing Mike first.’ “

Here at Seahawks.com, we look at the latest infusion of speed for the defense – first-round draft choice Bruce Irvin and second-rounder Bobby Wagner: “We all saw what the speed of Earl Thomas and Chris Clemons brought to the Seahawks’ defense two years ago. Boiled down to the simplest statistical terms, it was a team-high five interceptions (by Thomas, a rookie free safety) and a club-leading 11 sacks (by Clemons, who had been acquired in an offseason trade). Then there was the infusion of length last season provide by 6-foot-3 strong safety Kam Chancellor; cornerbacks Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman, who are 6-4 and 6-3; and 6-4 strongside linebacker K.J. Wright. Each was in his first season as a starter, all delivered unique contributions to the NFL’s ninth-ranked defense – as this quartet ranked 2-7-8-5 on the team in tackles, led by Chancellor’s 94; combined for 14 of the Seahawks’ 22 interceptions, including Browner’s team-leading six; and also had 54 passes defensed. Now come Bruce Irvin and Bobby Wagner, this year’s first- and second-round draft choices who are turning the team’s three-day minicamp into a dare-to-dream exercise as you ponder just what their speed and length can add to the defense’s already impressive mix of flashing arms and legs. ‘First and foremost, it’s the speed. We really like their speed,’ defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said Saturday, following the second of three two-hour practices in this rookie minicamp. ‘We’re excited about both those guys’ progress.’ ”

In Hawkville, we also take a look at the relationship between Wagner and Turbin: “Teammates. Again. Still. That’s Bobby Wagner and Robert Turbin, the duo from Utah State who shares not only a first name but now a professional team after the Seahawks selected them in the second and fourth rounds of the NFL Draft. And these two are getting some good looks at one another in the team’s three-day rookie minicamp, as Wagner is lining up at middle linebacker with the No. 1 defense and Turbin is getting a lot of touches with the No. 1 offense. ‘It’s great. I actually catch myself rooting for the offense sometimes, which I probably shouldn’t be,’ Wagner said today after another two-hour practice in ideal conditions at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. ‘But it’s great to have a person that you know well and he knows you well. It definitely makes moving here and getting settled here much better.’ ”

There’s also Tony Ventrella’s video recap.

A recap of the activities in Day 2 of the Seahawks’ rookie minicamp for May 12:

FOCUS ON

Teammates. Again. Still. That’s Bobby Wagner and Robert Turbin, the duo from Utah State who shares not only a first name but now a professional team after the Seahawks selected them in the second and fourth rounds of the NFL Draft.

And these two are getting some good looks at one another in the team’s three-day rookie minicamp, as Wagner is lining up at middle linebacker with the No. 1 defense and Turbin is getting a lot of touches with the No. 1 offense.

“It’s great. I actually catch myself rooting for the offense sometimes, which I probably shouldn’t be,” Wagner said today after another two-hour practice in ideal conditions at Virginia Mason Athletic Center.

“But it’s great to have a person that you know well and he knows you well. It definitely makes moving here and getting settled here much better.”

Turbin offered similar sentiments when asked about his former college teammates being his current NFL teammate.

“It’s funny, because I look over there and I see 54 and that’s the same guy that used to wear No. 9 lined up in the same spot at middle linebacker,” said Turbin, who wore No. 6 for the Aggies but is No. 22 for the Seahawks.

“And here I am playing running back. I’ve got a different number. He’s got a different number. It’s like here we go again. It’s just a different helmet on – a different team, a whole different scheme. The greatest thing about it is we know each other enough that we can kind of push for each other a little bit to get better. I know when Bobby is affected by something and he knows when I am. So we’ll be able to communicate about what’s happening to kind of better ourselves so we can produce for this football team.”

And that, more than the college or first name they shared, is why both are here. Wagner will compete for the starting middle linebacker spot with veteran Barrett Ruud, who was signed in free agency. Turbin will be the more-physical presence coach Pete Carroll has been looking for to complement leading rusher Marshawn Lynch.

WHO’S WHERE

The veterans aren’t participating in this minicamp, so it might not matter which players comprise the No. 1 units. But here’s who’s where:

Offense

Quarterback: Russell Wilson

Running backs: Turbin or Vai Taua and fullback James Stampley

Receivers: Phil Bates and Cam Kenney, or Lavasier Tuinei and Jermaine Kearse; and tight end Sean McGrath

Line – from left tackle to right: Alex Barron, J.R. Sweezy, Brent Osborne, Rishaw Johnson, Chima Okoli

Defense

Line: Pierre Allen, Jaye Howard, Renard Williams, Bruce Irvin

Linebackers: Korey Toomer, Wagner, E.J. Savannah

Cornerbacks: Jeremy Lane, London Durham

Safeties: Kareem Moore, Craig Ray

LOOKING FOR LYNCH

The team’s 10 draft choices, as well as seven of the 10 rookie free agents who were signed after the draft, will join the offseason workouts on Monday. Turbin can’t wait to see Lynch in the flesh, rather than on ESPN highlights.

“The greatest thing about it, in my opinion, is that I think Marshawn Lynch is going to make me a better player,” Turbin said. “Not just from a competitive standpoint, but just learning how to do it. I mean, he’s been a pro for about five or six years now. He knows how to do it.

“I’m just a rookie, so I don’t have a clue, you know what I mean? I think he’ll be the perfect guy to be able to look up to as a rookie running back.”

TRY, TRY AGAIN

The club added four more players today to the group that is in this camp on a tryout basis: Central Washington wide receiver Justin Helwege; North Dakota State cornerback Josh Gatlin; Montana tight end Kavario Middleton; and Oregon defensive tackle Terrell Turner.

YOU DON’T SAY

“The motivation is to stay here. A lot of people get here and in three years you never hear from them. So I’m trying to stay here for a while and be a contributor to this team.” – Wagner, when asked what he was using for motivation now that he’s been drafted into the NFL

The Seahawks' already fast, long and athletic defense added two more impressive parts in the NFL Draft, as rush-end Bruce Irvin and middle linebacker Bobby Wagner are displaying at the team's rookie minicamp.

Good morning. Here’s what’s “out there” about the Seahawks for today, May 12:

Mike Sando at ESPN.com offers his thoughts from the first practice of the three-day minicamp, including: “Coach Pete Carroll raved about running back Robert Turbin. He loved Turbin’s quickness and feel for the zone running game. Turbin has huge biceps, but his lower body looks like it belongs to a smaller man.”

Eric Williams at the News Tribune has his impressions of the player who made the biggest impression: “The much-anticipated debut of rookie quarterback Russell Wilson in Seattle Seahawks gear took place on the team’s practice field Friday afternoon. Wilson passed with flying colors. The former University of Wisconsin player appeared in command leading Seattle’s offense during the first workout of the rookie minicamp, taking the majority of the snaps during the team portion of practice. Some might debate Wilson’s ability to effectively play the position in the NFL at 5-foot-11, but they can’t question his fastball. As advertised, Wilson showed a strong arm, played with great anticipation and was very accurate on most of his throws. ‘He was putting the ball on the money,’ former University of Washington receiver Jermaine Kearse said. ‘He was throwing great passes and putting the ball where it’s supposed to be, so how can you not catch it?’ ”

Tim Booth at the Associated Press also takes a look at Wilson’s pass-filled practice: “Russell Wilson stepped in behind center for the first minicamp of his professional career on Friday and never took a break. The Seahawks are making sure they get a long look at Wilson this weekend while the Seahawks’ veteran quarterbacks are not around. ‘It’s important for me to understand the offense and continue to grow. I’m trying to learn all the nuances of the quarterback position here,’ Wilson said on Friday. ‘I know the plays enough but I’m trying to learn the ins and outs and whys of football. That’s something that I have to do every day I wake up and in the meeting rooms — just try to learn as much as I can.’ “

Art Thiel at sportspress northwest takes a look at first-round draft choice Bruce Irvin: “Searching for meaning on the first the first day of rookies’ padless football practice against air is barely more productive than looking for life on the moon from one’s porch. But one thing was plain Friday at Seahawks headquarters, even without a telescope — the scouts weren’t lying: Bruce Irvin is meteor-fast. It will be an object of much entertainment for Seahawks fans, and help quiet the debate over the most talked-about pick in the NFL draft’s first round last month. More impressive to coach Pete Carroll, who knew about the speed, was Irvin’s quick take on the more cerebral parts of the enterprise. ‘Bruce worked really hard,’ Carroll said. ‘His command of what we were doing was really good. He’s not going to have any trouble learning what’s happening. He’s been a pleasant surprise in that it comes easy to him – that’s a really good deal for us to be able to push him forward.’ ”

Danny O’Neil at the Seattle Times says it’s going to be more difficult for this rookie class to make an immediate impact: “ ‘Our depth is so much better than a couple years ago,’ coach Pete Carroll said. ‘These guys are going to have to fight for their playing time.’ That reality stands in sharp contrast to the plug-and-play program Seattle followed in Carroll’s first two years in town when first-round picks were starters the first day on the job. That was true for left tackle Russell Okung and free safety Earl Thomas in 2010. It was true for offensive lineman James Carpenter a year ago when he was one of three rookies to start Week 1, along with guard John Moffitt and linebacker K.J. Wright. The path to playing time is not nearly so clear this year. Maybe first-round pick Bruce Irvin will force his way into the lineup, and perhaps linebacker Bobby Wagner is ready to step in immediately at middle linebacker, but neither of those is a foregone conclusion in Seattle. The Seahawks had a top-10 defense a year ago and lost only one starter in the offseason, middle linebacker David Hawthorne.”

PI.com has a photo blog from the practice.

Here at Seahawks.com, we also look at Wilson’s impressive first day: “It was only a rookie minicamp, and the first day at that. But make no mistake: It wasRussell Wilson’s minicamp. The Seahawks’ third-round draft choice took every rep in every team drill during Friday’s two-hour practice – the first of three in this weekend that is all about the rookies. And no rookie got a longer and more intensified looked than Russell. ‘Just knowing who he is and how he was going to approach this, I expected that he’d be really good and he was,’ coach Pete Carroll said after the up-tempo practice on a picture postcard of an afternoon at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. ‘He’s really smart. He’s very experienced. He’s as savvy as a guy could be. And he has a great work ethic. So you put all that together – and good communications with (QB coach) Carl Smith and Darrell (Bevell, the offensive coordinator – and he was ready to go.’ And go Wilson did. From start to finish. Carroll estimated that Wilson got in 70 throws, took ‘twice as many reps as everybody else’ and, he added, ‘I don’t think he had a missed assignment.’ ”

We’ve also got the return of Hawkville, with notes and news from Day One: “Not surprisingly, the speed and tempo of the two-hour practice caught some of the players by surprise. ‘They kind of warned us yesterday,’ first-round draft choice Bruce Irvin said. ‘But I still didn’t know what to expect. It still kind of caught me off guard. I probably lost like about seven, eight pounds today.’ ”

There’s also Tony Venterlla’s video recap, as well as the post-practice Q&As with Wilson, Irvin and Carroll.

A recap of the day’s activities at the Seahawks’ rookie camp for May 11:

FOCUS ON

Tempo. The first day of the team’s three-day rookie minicamp wasn’t just an initiation for the new players, it was an indoctrination into how things are done on a Pete Carroll-coached team – fast, precise and with a purpose.

Not surprisingly, the speed and tempo of the two-hour practice caught some of the players by surprise.

“They kind of warned us yesterday,” first-round draft choice Bruce Irvin said. “But I still didn’t know what to expect. It still kind of caught me off guard.

“I probably lost like about seven, eight pounds today.”

Also count Phil Bates among those who weren’t quite sure what to expect.

“It was up-tempo. It was fast. It was something that you’d never really done before,” said Bates, a rookie wide receiver from Ohio University who was signed as a free agent after the draft. “It’s something you’ve got to get used it, but at the same time it was fun.”

Fun, with a focus.

“We really pounded these guys with a bunch of stuff to get on the field for the first time,” Carroll said of the mental side of what today was all about. “It’s hard for you to imagine just how much you have to learn to get on the field and run plays, but the coaches did a really good job and the players have studied hard coming in and we were able to go out there and put together a nice practice.

“There were a lot of exciting things.”

VETERAN PRESENCE

The 55-player roster for this minicamp includes three who were on the Seahawks’ practice squad last season: running back Vai Taua, offensive lineman Brent Osborne and defensive end Pierre Allen.

TRYING (OUT) TIMES

The rookie-camp also includes 30 players who are in on a tryout basis:

WR Pat Carter, Louisville

QB Chris Hart, Webber International (Fla.)

QB Josh McGregor, Jacksonville

CB Dionte Dinkins, Fort Valley State

CB Donny Lisowksi, Montana

CB Josh Gatlin, North Dakota State

FB Bryson Kelly, Central Washington

FB James Stampley, LSU

S Craig Ray, Indianapolis

SS Austin Cassidy, Nebraska

FS Kareem Moore, Nicholls State

LB E.J. Savannah, Washington

LS Braedyn Eagle, Portland State

LB Mychal Sisson, Colorado State

TE Shawn Nelson, Southern Mississippi

TE Cooper Helfet, Duke

LB Najel Byrd, Arkansas State

C Jayson Palmgren, Missouri

LB Kyle Knox, Fresno State

LB Shane Horton, USC

DT Renard Williams, Eastern Washington

OG Julian Gray, North Carolina Central

OG Joel Figueroa, Miami

OT Andrew Mitchell, Oklahoma State

OT Alex Barron, Florida State

OT Chima Okoli, Penn State

OT Mark Huyge, Michigan

WR Cam Kenney, Oklahoma

WR Josh Smith, UCLA

DT Zach Masch, Hawaii

Barron, of course, is hardly a rookie. He was a first-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. After starting 74 games in five seasons with the Rams, the 6-foot-7, 320-pound Barron played for the Cowboys in 2010. He began last season on the Saints’ injured reserve list, after damaging a knee during training camp, before being released in October.

“We want to see what he’s got,” Carroll said. “He was a highly regarded player a few years back and he’s been smacked around with injuries and situations and all of that, so we’re going to find out. He handled his own pretty well today and he acted a bit like a veteran. He knew what was going on and was a little bit more comfortable than some of the other guys. So we’ll see in the next couple days and see where that puts at the end of this minicamp.”

THE BATTLE OF FIRST-ROUND PICKS

Barron was the 19^th pick in the first round of his draft, while Irvin was the 15^th pick overall in this year’s draft. These two found themselves matched against each other often, with Irvin at the “Leo” end spot and Barron working at left tackle.

“Oh man, it’s just going to help me get better,” Irvin said. “He’s a great competitor. He’s a great player. He’s a big dude. So going against him is going to do nothing but make me better. I’m going to come in and I’m going to compete, and he’s going to compete. We’re just going to make each other better, everyday.”

JUST WATCHING

Safety Winston Guy, a sixth-round draft choice, will not participate in this minicamp because he is recovering after having a surgical procedure on his shoulder.

“It’s going to take few more weeks before we can see him physically, and it’s killing him,” Carroll said. “He probably could get through it, but we won’t let him until he’s well.”

The veterans had the day off from their offseason conditioning program that will resume on Monday, but Pro Bowl free safety Earl Thomas, leading receiver Doug Baldwin and fellow wide receiver Ricardo Lockette watched practice from the sideline.

YOU DON’T SAY

“It feels great. A lot of kids want to be in this situation. I’m fortunate to one of the few that made it. Getting a chance to live my dream, so that’s a great feeling and I’m looking forward to being a success.” – Irvin, on starting the next chapter of his life

The Seahawks opened their three-day rookie minicamp on Friday, and quarterback Russell Wilson stole the show by running the show – from start to finish.