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Brady HendersonESPN
RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks expect to have linebackers Bobby Wagner and Mychal Kendricks available for Sunday’s home opener against the Dallas Cowboys, coach Pete Carroll said.
Wagner, Seattle’s All-Pro middle linebacker, is practicing Wednesday after missing the team’s Monday night loss to the Chicago Bears with a groin injury. K.J. Wright, who has missed the first two games following arthroscopic knee surgery, is not practicing.
Kendricks is appealing an NFL suspension that was handed down for his involvement in insider trading. He pleaded guilty to charges two weeks ago and was signed by Seattle (0-2) last Friday as a reinforcement with Wagner and Wright injured.
The NFL typically informs teams early in the week if a player is going to be suspended.
“He’s playing this week,” Carroll said of Kendricks. “That’s what I know.”
Asked if he expects Kendricks to be suspended soon, Carroll said: “I don’t know. I don’t know what to tell you on that one. Really, we haven’t been in a back-and-forth conversation about that yet.”
Center Justin Britt‘s status is uncertain due to what Carroll called a sore shoulder that he suffered late in the Bears game while diving for a loose ball. Carroll was hopeful that right guard D.J. Fluker (hamstring) and cornerback Tre Flowers (hamstring) will be available against Dallas (1-1).
He had no update on when receiver Doug Baldwin might be back from the MCL injury that kept him out Monday night and the second half of the opener in Denver.
“Doug had a good weekend,” Carroll said. “He’s real positive about it, but there’s nothing to say about when he’s returning at this point.”
Kendricks started at weakside linebacker for Wright on Monday night and finished with three tackles, a sack and a pass breakup in Seattle’s 24-17 loss. He played 54 of 66 defensive snaps as the Seahawks spelled him on occasion with a three-safety look given that he had so little time — only practicing twice with the team last week — to learn their defense.
“He did a really nice job,” Carroll said. “He missed one huge opportunity on the sideline when he went for an interception on the flat route, but other than that he did a good job. He blitzed well, he covered well, he ran to the football well. Coming brand new into our game [last week], he did a great job. I was really pleased.”
Asked if the Seahawks feel a sense of urgency heading into Sunday’s game at CenturyLink Field, Carroll said “heck yeah,” but added that they feel that way every week.
“It’s obvious that we need to get kick-started,” Carroll said, “and this is the best place to do that.”