Cornerback remains one of the few battles in Seahawks camp

RENTON, Washington — As a longtime defensive backs coach at heart, Pete Carroll always keeps a watchful eye on what’s happening in his secondary.

Especially this year, with some uncertainty about who the Seattle Seahawks’ starting cornerbacks will be when the regular season begins.

“The competition is really good. A variety of styles, sizes and shapes, and we’ll tailor our stuff to them. We’re not going to try to make them be something that they’re not,” Carroll said. “Right now, it’s gathering information on the guys, that’s all. I have got my own study going, that I’ll keep on going throughout camp so I can stay abreast with how they’re developing, it’s really one of the things I have the most fun with.”

In a training camp lacking many true position battles, who starts at cornerback for Seattle is one worth watching heading into the second preseason game today against Denver.

There’s Ahkello Witherspoon, the free agent signing from San Francisco who looks the part of what Carroll wants at the position.

There’s Tre Flowers, now in his fourth season with the Seahawks, who at times has looked like a viable starter and at others has been woefully overwhelmed.

There’s D.J. Reed, who despite being undersized thrived last season when injuries to others gave him the chance to be a starter on the outside.

And there’s rookie Tre Brown, who is also undersized but craves the opportunity to prove he can play against bigger opponents.

Throw in veterans like Damarious Randall and Pierre Desir and it’s a deep group with the versatility for Seattle to play a variety of ways.

Witherspoon seems likely to be the starter on one side considering his experience and Seattle’s investment. Witherspoon signed a one-year, $4-million US deal with Seattle after spending the past four seasons with San Francisco. He played in a system similar to what the Seahawks run during his time playing for the 49ers, and at 6-foot-2 has the size and athleticism Carroll craves at the position.

“The combination of size and foot quickness doesn’t really happen that often. I think just that also with …. my being able to see the game, I think those are my special attributes,” Witherspoon said.