Seattle’s Baldwin has knee issues
For most of the past month, Doug Baldwin has been a spectator as he dealt with a sore left knee that kept him from participating in Seattle Seahawks practices.
It may be how Baldwin and the Seahawks end up managing most of the upcoming season for Seattle’s No. 1 wide receiver.
“I’m probably about 80-85% right now and the truth of the matter is it won’t be 100%,” Baldwin said. “It’s something I’ve got to deal with for the rest of the season.”
At least Baldwin is back on the field and showing signs of progress. He won’t play in the preseason finale Thursday against Oakland, but the expectation is that he will be ready for the regular-season opener Sept. 9 at Denver. The month of waiting to get back into practice has been difficult for Baldwin to handle.
“To be out this long … it was hard. It was hard emotionally. It was good to be back out there,” he said.
The team has offered few specifics about Baldwin’s knee. Coach Pete Carroll simply called it a sore knee. Baldwin was coy when asked if he’s undergone surgery, saying, “It depends on your definition of surgery.”
Whatever the full extent, it’s clear the issue is something Seattle will have to manage with rest if it expects to have Baldwin for the entire season.
Done deals: The Cincinnati Bengals agreed to contract extensions with defensive tackle Geno Atkins and end Carlos Dunlap, their top pass rushers who were entering the final years on their deals.
Dunlap tweeted about the “Back to Back” deals, which weren’t immediately confirmed by the Bengals. Atkins’ agents confirmed on Twitter he got a four-year deal , while Dunlap was extended for three years. The deals reportedly could be worth a combined $110 million if all terms are fulfilled.
The Bengals made extensions for their top two defensive players a priority. Dunlap didn’t participate in some off-season team activities, forcing the issue before the sides got immersed in extension talks.
Change of plans: Robert Ayers’ stint with the Detroit Lions was a short one.
The Lions released the veteran defensive end, and their announcement Tuesday of Ayers’ departure came about 28 hours after the team said it had signed him.
Earlier on Tuesday, coach Matt Patricia described Ayers as “another guy that obviously has some good experience that we could bring in.”