Seahawks try to adapt to loss of LG Joeckel

Oct 19, 2017 - 1:25 AM RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks left guard Luke Joeckel will miss at least a month after having knee surgery last on Oct. 12.

Joeckel started the first five games of the season for Seattle after signing a one-year deal with the team in March. He tore his ACL last year with the Jacksonville Jaguars, which led to a lengthy recovery this offseason.

While Seattle took his rehab process slowly, Joeckel began experiencing pain in his knee recently that made it difficult to recover after games.

"We're going to be optimistic that he can make it back in 4-5 weeks," coach Pete Carroll said on Tuesday. "We'll see what happens. Maybe that's possible, maybe it isn't. We've got to see how he heals and how he comes back around.

"He definitely needed to get some things cleaned up and that was taken care of and everything went beautifully. He's very optimistic as well so we need to see what happens here."

Carroll said it would take three weeks before the team would have a better sense of the exact timetable for Joeckel's return. In the meantime, Seattle will turn to Mark Glowinski and rookie Ethan Pocic to take over at left guard in Joeckel's absence.

Offensive line coach Tom Cable said both players will play this week against the New York Giants.

"I'm going to play them both. Regardless of who goes out first you should plan on seeing both of them in the game," Cable said.

"Neither one of them have played enough reps here lately so conditioning would be an issue. A little bit different styles of play which together, I think, would be really good. Let's tag-team it and as we go through this off time with Luke we'll figure out what's best."

Glowinski started all 16 games at left guard for Seattle last season before being shifted to the right side this offseason. He started the first two games of the year at right guard before being replaced by Oday Aboushi.

Pocic has been active for all five games as a reserve but hasn't played on the offensive line. He's played at right tackle, center and both guard spots since the start of training camp.

"It's a great opportunity," Pocic said. "I'm looking forward to it, looking forward to the challenge and just going to have some fun."

The Seahawks brought in free-agent tackle Branden Albert for a workout last week and he remained in contact with the team through the weekend. However, no agreement was reached regarding him joining the team at this point in time.

"We talked to him and spent a good while with him, but came to no agreement on anything," Carroll said.

According to NFLPA records, Seattle has just under $1.9 million in salary-cap space so they are hamstrung in the level of contract they can offer Albert, who has been unemployed since he was released by Jacksonville in August. Albert wouldn't be a direct fix to the loss of Joeckel because he's primarily a left tackle. However, he would give Seattle a veteran option at left tackle if the team wanted to make a change from Rees Odhiambo, who has started all five games this season at the position.

"We're getting better at left tackle so you just want to continue to clean that up," Cable said.

SERIES HISTORY: 18th regular-season meeting. Giants lead series, 9-8. Seahawks have won last three meetings, including last two games played at MetLife Stadium. Seattle is an undefeated 4-0 at MetLife Stadium against the Giants, Jets and their victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.

--Defensive end Cliff Avril is expected to be placed on injured reserve with a neck injury sustained three weeks ago against the Indianapolis Colts.

While the move has not yet been made, head coach Pete Carroll said that Avril would be placed on injured reserve in an interview with Sirius XM NFL Radio on Wednesday.

"He's seeing a bunch of doctors, seriously looking at a big decision," Carroll said.

A source confirmed the likely move for Avril, which has been lurking as a possibility ever since the injury occurred.

Avril was chasing down Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett from behind as Brissett was scrambling toward the sideline. Brissett's foot kicked Avril under the chin as Avril lunged to tackle him. Avril was seen shaking his arms and flexing his hands in an apparent attempt to restore feeling to his extremities after the impact. He has been sidelined ever since.

Carroll said Tuesday that they were still awaiting more information but that they believed they would know more in the coming days.

"We are continuing to help him look and figure out what comes next," he said Tuesday. "I can't say anything to you today, but maybe the next couple of days we will know more. He's continuing to see specialists to make sure he knows what his situation is and we are encouraging all of that."

The injury could very well lead to Avril's retirement. Avril is in his 10th season in the NFL and made his first Pro Bowl last season after compiling a career-high 11.5 sacks for Seattle with five forced fumbles.

"He's a champion," defensive coordinator Kris Richard said on Wednesday. "He's always handled himself with class. He's always had tremendous poise and he's been a champion throughout this whole entire ordeal.

"We hope (he can come back). We certainly hope. Right now, we're unsure. There really isn't anything in concrete or in stone that has been settled. If we get him, man, that would certainly be awesome. He's a huge piece to our puzzle. If not, we have to make sure we really carry on what he and others have started."

--Top draft pick Malik McDowell has been cleared to resume working out after an ATV accident in mid-July sidelined him for the last two months.

McDowell sustained facial injuries and a "really bad concussion" in the accident, which led Seattle to place him on the non-football injury list for the start of the season. McDowell has been a spectator at practice the last several days after not being present at practices for most of the season.

Head coach Pete Carroll said McDowell was finally cleared to resume physical activity two weeks ago.

"It is a slow process to get him back out here," Carroll said. "He hasn't done anything for months. We are being very careful of course. But it is a good sign for him."

Carroll said the team hasn't closed the door on McDowell playing this season, though it remains somewhat unlikely. McDowell isn't close to being in football shape and is now in a race against the clock. The Seahawks have until the day after Week 11 to have him begin practicing. It essentially gives Seattle five weeks to see if McDowell can get anywhere close to playing shape and to a point where they believe he can assimilate into the roster at a late stage of the season.

"Malik is now back to working some and that process begins," Carroll said. "I don't have any indication of what that means but it's great for the young guy to just have a chance to get back and be involved and get active again. So we will see how that goes.

"He is working out with the trainers. They are just kind of re-entering the conditioning phase, just trying to get him back in some shape and all of that. Just to get him moving. So it is a positive sign for him and I'm glad he can finally get going again. He really wants to be playing football."

If McDowell is unable to play this season, he wouldn't accrue a season of service time toward free agency. He would essentially return to Seattle in 2018 in the first year of his rookie contract.

NOTES: CB Jeremy Lane did not practice on Wednesday as he continues to be sidelined due to a groin injury sustained against the Indianapolis Colts three weeks ago. . .. RB C.J. Prosise is expected to return this week after missing the last two games with an ankle sprain. He was limited in practice on Wednesday. ... DE Michael Bennett did not practice on Wednesday due to a plantar fascia injury sustained against the Los Angeles Rams two weeks ago. Bennett said he would play against the New York Giants this week. ... DE Marcus Smith did not practice on Wednesday due to an ankle injury. ... DT Nazair Jones did not practice on Wednesday due to a knee injury. ... DE Quinton Jefferson was a full participant in practice on Wednesday after having surgery to repair a broken hand suffered in practice two weeks ago. Carroll had said Jefferson would miss four weeks with the injury before he could play again. ... S Kam Chancellor was limited in practice with an ankle injury. ... CB Richard Sherman was limited in practice with an Achilles injury.