Bob Condotta
The Seattle Times
While Earl Thomas made his holdout official when he skipped the first practice in the team’s mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, cornerback Byron Maxwell and defensive end Frank Clark were indeed back on the field.
Neither was made available to the media to explain why they had skipped OTAs (Organized Team Activities) but contract situations likely played a role, especially in the case of Clark, who is hoping for an extension and a significant raise as he enters the final season of his initial four-year rookie deal, which will pay him $943,938 this season.
Clark, though, didn’t do much between the lines Tuesday dealing with a nagging hamstring injury.
“Frank’s still got little problem — he’s got a little hamstring that’s been bothering him throughout the offseason,” Carroll said. “He hasn’t quite got it right so we’re holding him out. He got a little bit of work today.”
Carroll said the injury would have meant Clark “would not have been able to work full-go” during any of OTAs. But he said that was not entirely why Clark sat out. “That was part of it,” Carroll said, making clear there were other considerations.
Maxwell had no health issues, working fully throughout the practice and with the first team at right cornerback when the first team defense took the field for the first time, with Shaquill Griffin on the left side, a cornernback alignment that will likely be the team’s starting cornerback pairing in 2018.
Maxwell re-signed with Seattle in late April to a one-year, $2 million deal, finally inking a contract that had apparently been on the table for a while.
As Maxwell took the field Tuesday, he did so with a jersey on which was written the word “Boost” over his name. Since Maxwell was not made available to the media, though, the meaning was left a mystery.
CORNERBACK JOHNSON HAS FOOT SURGERY
Dontae Johnson, signed as a free agent to add depth at cornerback, was not present having suffered a broken foot 10 days ago, Carroll said, and having had surgery.
“He’s in a boot and recovering,” Carroll said. “Had a little surgery to get that fixed up.”
Johnson originally a fourth-round pick out of North Carolina State in 2014, started all 16 games right cornerback last season for the 49ers.
REYNOLDS A STANDOUT AS BALDWIN GETS SOME REST
Carroll said receiver Doug Baldwin will be rested during minicamp after having taken part in all of OTAs and having what he called “a fantastic offseason.”
That means more snaps for some of the team’s younger receivers, particularly those who can play Baldwin’s usual slot position. And on Tuesday taking the most advantage was recent free agent signee Keenan Reynolds, a former quarterback at Navy who was a sixth-round pick by the Ravens in 2016 but has yet to play in an NFL game.
Reynolds made a handful of highlight-reel plays including a one-handed grab down the sidelines.
“Keenan had a really good day,” Carroll said, adding he had talked to Reynolds beforehand about understanding he would get more snaps with Baldwin being rested.
“Talked to him that this is a pretty good opportunity for the next couple of days here,” Carroll said. “. …. He lit it up today. I was really excited for him. He’s a great kid. You can see why he was a leader and a big-time player (scoring an NCAA record 78 touchdowns at Navy) and all of that. He’s going to make a bid to see where he fits in.”
Another veteran receiver also out is Brandon Marshall, who was signed in late May. The team appears to be letting Marshall rest through the offseason and get ready for training camp after having had ankle and toe surgeries last fall.
NOTES
• Kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who did not attempt any field goals during the OTAs that were open to the media while resting a hip issue, was back on the field Tuesday and at one point hit a 53-yarder that easily cleared the crossbar. Intriguingly, Janikowski made his kicks out of the hold of veteran punter Jon Ryan while Jason Myers — who is also battling for the vacant kicking spot — made his attempts out of the hold of rookie punter Michael Dickson. Dickson, a fifth-round pick out of Texas, has been widely expected likely to unseat Ryan for the punting job. But holding is also a prime responsibility for the punter and the team using Ryan to hold for Janikowski — generally considered the leader for the kicking spot due in part to a $600,000 guarantee — gives credence to Carroll’s assertion last week that it will take a while to sort out the punting situation.
• D.J. Fluker, limited for much of OTAs with a knee issue, got some significant work with the first-team line at right guard. The rest of the starting OL was as it has been throughout OTAs — left tackle Duane Brown, left guard Ethan Pocic, center Justin Britt and right tackle Germain Ifedi. Intriguingly, when Fluker did get some rest, his replacement at right guard with the first team was typically Willie Beavers and not Jordan Roos, who had filled that role during most of OTAs. Beavers signed as a free agent last year and spent time on the practice squad but was a fourth-round pick of the Vikings in 2016 and appeared in two games that year for Minnesota.
