There's "a decent chance" that Seattle Seahawks right tackle James Carpenterwill not play in 2012 because of the knee injury he sustained last November, according to Dan Pompei of the National Football Post.
The Seahawks' first-round draft pick in 2011, Carpenter started the first nine games of the season -- one game at left guard, followed by eight at right tackle -- before he tore an anterior cruciate ligament during a one-on-one pass rush drill in practice and was placed on injured reserve.
Wilson in QB mix
Pete Carroll was so impressed by Russell Wilson's minicamp performance that the rookie has been added to the team's QB competition. **More ...**
At the NFL Scouting Combine in February, Seahawks general manager John Schneider acknowledged that Carpenter "had a long road ahead of him" in his recovery and followed that up in April by saying it would be "overly optimistic" to suggest Carpenter would be ready when training camp opened up in late July.
Schneider was aggressive in guarding against a prolonged absence for Carpenter this offseason, re-signing Breno Giacomini, who replaced Carpenter at right tackle at the end of last season, to a two-year, $6 million contract in February and the versatile Paul McQuistan to a two-year, $4 million contract in March. Former Chicago Bears left tackle Frank Omiyale was signed to a one-year, $1.225 million contract, and former St. Louis Rams first-round pick Alex Barron participated in the Seahawks' rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
The improved depth at tackle has an added benefit of giving the Seahawks the option of moving Carpenter to left guard, a possibility Schneider hinted at in February.
