Seahawks Press Conference: Thomas Rawls, Pete Carroll on the mic

The Seahawks were back at practice on Tuesday after a day off on Monday. The biggest news of the day was the return of Thomas Rawls off the PUP and here's what he had to say about getting back on the field.

Thomas Rawls:

• On how it feels to be back: Yeah, it feels good to be back out here with the fellas and feelin the crowd and also the boys out there to get some high fives and slaps on the behind. I'm very excited to be out here.
• If this is when he had hoped or thought he'd be back: I think it fit real good in the timeline. I'm just taking it day by day and getting better and visualizing and getting my feet wet out there. I'm so excited and glad to be out there with the fellas.
• On what the plan was for today and what it is for the next week or two: It's just another day to get out here and catch some balls and get my feet going and running a little bit. You know, just going back to the basics of the running back position and just mentally getting out there prepared. And that was basically it for the first day.
• On if he hopes to play any of the preseason games: Right now I am day to day. I'm doing real good and that is it.
• On if he feels he needs to play in those preseason games to be ready for week one: Actually the way I prepare I'd be prepared the same way our practice is, the same way if I had a game.
• On if there is question in his mind he will be ready for game one of the regular season: I am taking it day by day. I'm a hard worker and I'm very tenacious and I don't want to let these guys down. I am doing everything in my power to get back out here and I'm excited to be out here.
• On how close to one hundred percent he is: I am taking it day by day. We'll see. I know you guys are going to get mad but that's just what it is.
• On what he sees from the other running backs he has watched throughout camp: I see a lot of potential out there and all of the guys are willing to learn and ask questions and things of that nature. All of the running backs are very versatile and very different in their own ways. We just gotta get some guys out there a little bit more and I think the running back position greatly will be fine.
• On the process of needing surgery on his ankle when it was reported he wouldn't need it: Not too long after I broke my ankle. After I walked off that field it was all work again. I didn't feel sorry for myself. I came in the next day after surgery and start working. I put my head down and just kept working. It let me to this point and I'm feeling good, I'm feeling awesome, I'm feeling great, I'm feeling phenomenal. Just taking it day by day and looking forward to getting back out there with my Seahawks.
• On what the difference is between last year when he was trying to get attention and this year when he has it already: Well last year wasn't necessarily about getting people's attention. I was just trying to soak in as much as I could from the veteran guys and learn as much as I could while also displaying my skill set into this offense. I don't think it is anything different. I am a hard worker and I'm still learning. I don't have everything. I'm always trying to improve and also leading the other guys. That's my role on this team and it's not going to change. I'm going to continue to work and display it on Sundays.
• On what he tells himself so he doesn't rush back but instead gradually comes back: It's not necessarily me telling myself anything. When I go out there I go out there to work hard. I think just like every other man out on the field or in the locker-room when we touch the field or a weight we are at risk and that risk I am not scared to take. So when I'm out here I am out here cutting hard, running hard and working hard for the fellas out there because I have done a lot to earn their trust and I'm just trying to keep it.
• On what the rehab process was like: It was tough. I've never had surgery on my ankle. One of the hardest things I've had to deal with. It's all a part of the journey. Was it tough? Yes. Were there a lot of tears? Yes. But am I here right now standing, walking and running? Yes. Did it take a lot of work? Yes. I have a great, great cast of men in the training room, these guys have been pushing me and I've been pushing myself. This whole organization is so good with protecting not just me but other guys who've had injuries also. So I'm very excited to be a part of this organization and my rehab has been going good.
• On if he did all his injury here: Yes. Did all of my rehab here. Didn't go on a break. I didn't go back home. Had to stay here and handle business. Priorities first and that is how I was raised. And that's how I'm gonna continue to be.
• On if due to the mental strain from rehabbing it will make him a better football player in the end: Most definitely because you gotta think; the last time I touched a ball or been out there with my teammates was the Baltimore game and when I walked off that field with the broken ankle I knew I'd get back out here. Not sure when but having a mindset of one day. Just one day at a time.
• On what the hardest part was: Just putting weight on it as I begin to run so much back. It was tough. A little bit of doubt creep in my mind? Yes. But I kept going and I'm right here today and I'm better.
• On his relationship with his offensive line who were happy to see him today, giving him hugs: If you guys are out here a lot you always see me with my offensive linemen because I try to build a personal relationship with these guys because these are the guys up front. These are my big boys. These guys work so hard and do an amazing job to lead that anchor and whenever I'm in that backfield I feel so comfortable with them and I think at the running back position you have to have that relationship with your linemen. You have to know what they are good at, what the challenging parts of their game just to make me a better player also. And I think we feed off each other because of that. I give them hugs but all last year I got them messages. You know I was undrafted, a free agent so I didn't have a lot of money so you know $100 massages, fine for those big boys.
• On what went through his mind and what the team told him when he watched the team draft three running backs: Just that we are going to compete. You know, I don't feel established. I'm always going to be a hard worker and be a leader and I'm always going to go out and congratulate guys when they do some of the amazing things that they do. But after they drafted the guys I was excited. We got some young, good talent coming in. The expectation is for the position so it doesn't matter if Thomas Rawls is back there, it doesn't matter if Christine Michael is back there or these other guys are back there. When you are in that backfield you gotta be a Seattle Seahawk. You get what I'm saying? So whenever you're back there you're relentless, you're tough, you play with a passion. It's something so deep inside you that you gotta feel like you are the catalyst for this team when you are in the backfield to uphold that tradition and that's one thing that we're going to do.
• On if he has kept in touch with Marshawn Lynch throughout the whole process: Most definitely. Marshawn reached out to me and we talked a little bit. I can't tell you about the conversations, you know Marshawn he's a silly guy but just a lot of encouragement. He's been having my back for a long time now and making sure I am in real good spirit. His mom came out to practice the other day so a little piece of him was here. I got a chance to hug her.
• On what he took from the relationship he had with Marshawn: Good guy man. I took a lot from him. Just how he approached the game from the mental part. Just lead me off the field as far as being in the NFL, making business decisions, of talking to people and getting a regiment to take care of my body as a rookie. That's one thing as a rookie you have to do. Find and establish a plan to get you from Sunday to Sunday.
• On if the ankle injury was the first major injury he suffered in his football career: Yes.

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Pete Carroll then got on the mic:

• On Rawls being back: Well we're getting closer to getting some good action. He's thrilled to be back out with his teammates so we're glad to get him, obviously.
• On if he is happy with what he saw from Rawls today: Yeah. In the last couple of days we have seen him really take off and burst and he's worked so hard. He is ready to be out there. We have to still kinda work our way into it and wean him. But it's really exciting to have him back.
• On if it would be a detriment to not see him in a preseason game: I don't think that is a consideration like we have to play him for him to play and all that. We'll see. Give us a couple of weeks. There's plenty of time here and we'll figure it out. I'm sure he is going to be chomping at the bit by the last preseason game at least, if not sooner. I don't think it is going to matter one way or the other.
• On if something happened between when he said Rawls wouldn't need surgery and then did end up needing it: No he just didn't have enough information is all.
• On if Alex Collins was resting today: He has an ankle that is a little bit sore that's been bothering him a little bit so we just rested him.
• On what stood out after watching the mock game footage: I really liked the activity. It was really a good tempo. It felt different on the field as it does sometimes. It felt sloppy because of my orchestration of it. I messed up a couple of times out there. But we worked really hard. The line of scrimmage was great. It was a really good test day for the young guys against our first defense. We flipped it so the ones did not go against the ones on this one. I wanted everybody else to show and it worked out really well in particularly for the offensive line in working against those guys. So it was just a really good day for evaluating . We're trying to zero in on what each guy needs to do to get better and to progress and we think we are getting there with, we're gathering a lot of information now.
• On how incredible it is to see a player like Rawls overcome what he did to get back: He was so vicious about the workouts. The stuff he was doing to prove to the trainers that he was ready, the hops, the jumps, the bursts and the continued work over a long period of time was unreal. I don't think there is anybody in better shape than Thomas. I think he has put himself in great, great condition. It will be hard for us to help him maintain that level, he's worked that hard.
• On what he needs to see from everybody before they are ready for the first preseason game: I think we're ready to go. We need to put together this week. We're making corrections right now from what we saw in the first week of camp. I'd like to see guys getting better at their individual stuff. We hope to play clean on game day. It's the first chance to really tackle, run and hit like we want to so that's the stuff that we'll see. I'm not concerned that we won't at all. Our guys are ready to go. But every day is about continuing to get better. Just trying to improve on all the little things.
• On Brock Coyle's recovery: He's going a little bit. Yeah, he's going to get back. If he makes it through and recovers okay from each day he has a chance to play this weekend.
• On the status of Kam Chancellor: Same situation as Coyle.
• On the status of Pete Robertson: He has a sprained foot. It has slowed him down a little bit. He's been back and forth, really close to coming back. We were gonna try him a little bit today. I didn't get the word on what we did. But in the next couple of days he has a chance to return. We have a number of guys coming back. The hamstring guys are taking seven to ten days on those at least so those guys are going to start popping back probably next week. There's like four of them that should come back to us at receiver and all. We'll just have to wait those out.
• On getting Josh Shirley back: Yeah, it is good to get Josh back. Josh has been a guy that has been an outside guy that rushes the passer and play SAM linebacker. We're going to work him at the LEO spot right now, we need some rush depth as we're going into the preseason. We'll see how he does. He has always been on the edge of being with us. He's a guy we really like so it's good to get him out.
• On how much Prosise has been missing and how urgent it is to get him back: He's missed a ton. There's no other way to put it. Because he missed a lot at the end of OTA's also. He finished OTA's with three days of good work that showed us what we are looking for and so it is just frustrating for everybody because we know he's got a lot to learn, he's got a big role that he has a chance to fill if he does well with it. It has just been unfortunate and frustrating. I would think that he has a chance for the next game, not this game. We'll dump it on him. He's studying really hard, he's working at it. He's doing good in his rehab but there's nothing like getting in the huddle and breaking the huddle with everybody and doing all the stuff.
• On if the plan for Prosise changes now that he has missed so long: No.
• On playing George Farmer at running back: We put George over there. I'm anxious to see how he fits. George is a fantastic athlete and he's done a lot. He's been a receiver and running back in college all through his days and played DB and all that in the past so he's done everything. He's such a versatile player we thought we could give him a shot. We're looking at him in a similar role to what we might play C.J.
• On Jimmy Graham's status: He is so frustrated to not be back out. He's right at the edge of getting back. He's really close.
• On Quinton Jefferson's status: He has a sore knee from this week work so we're just resting him to see how he responds. We think he will be back for the game.
• On what Pete's outlook has been on Jefferson so far: I like him. He's been real active. He's looked good pass-rush wise. His effort is really good and he has a good intensity about him like we had hoped when we drafted him. He looks like he fits in so we need to get him on the field with everybody. But he has played against the good guys a lot and so we feel pretty confident that we are getting a good evaluation. We think he can help us and be in the rotation.
• On the status of Sealver Siliga: He's really close. All these guys are on the verge. I think we talked about getting him some work later this week. So it might be a couple of days.
• On Steve Longa: He's doing a good job, Steve's done a really nice job. He's handled the huddle and the calls. He's been really solid. He's had the benefit of being very consistently out there so he can learn and all. He's done a nice job for us. I like both those guys, he and Kyle Coleman too. Special teams is their whole world right now.
• On how Ryan Robinson looks: He's been really solid. He's been very consistent. He came off a big injury, he had the achilles thing last year. He was making a lot of progress before he got hurt, we were really excited about him. He's picked up where he left off. He has not shown any signs at all of wear and tear on that thing so we're very fortunate. He's competing and he'll play a lot in the preseason. He'll give us a great look and we'll see where he fits in. He looks to be fitting in. He's got a chance.
• On Kelcie McCray: Solid as a rock. Yeah, he's really a good football player. We have no problem with him coming in as the third safety at either spot. Very accountable guy. He does everything right. He is a fantastic special teams player. One of our leading special teams players. Kelcie is a really nice player. We're very lucky to have him. He's a leader, he's tough, he's smart and he's very versatile so he has a big role for us.
• If McCray's ability to play both safety positions gives the team more flexibility: It does. Where that fits in I don't know yet but we are definitely in good shape with him. He was out taking all the reps was Kam was out and we didn't skip a bit in terms of the calls and all that which is great. He does help us, yeah.
• On if the continuity between Russell and his veteran receivers has showed up: It has been really obvious. It has been obvious throughout the whole off-season. They really picked up where they left off in their confidence level and their ability to be on such a high level of communication really makes a different, particularly in the style of stuff we're doing now. They really have to be on the same page and see things the same and they are really communicating at the highest level. We expect those guys to really be sharp. Tyler has been great. It has been good fortune for Tyler to be able to play the Zebra spot for us while Doug was out so he just gets more versatile and fitted into the offense, that just makes him better. We're thrilled about the way they are working. Paul's addition too. Paul's back in there regular, with all the speed and play-making that he brings. It's been great to see him get back with that group.
• On Pete's evaluation of the offensive line after watching the mock game: We're making progress. We're making really good progress. I think we're ahead of where our groups have been in the past when we've had to fit them together, a new group of guys. I think we've picked up where we left off in terms of schematically what we're doing upfront and that's a big deal for us. It was a big issue to see if we would be able to do that schematically and technically, if our guys could hold the pocket like we were and respond to the speed of our quickening of the passing game. They've done that and so we're very positive about it, we're making real progress. I like the competitiveness of the guys. Bradley Sowell has done a really nice job. He's playing both sides and he's competing for playing time to start. He's giving Garry [Gilliam] a run there which is great and he gives us flexibility. This has been the first chance I get to see Evans and see where he can fit into the competition of it all as well. All the young guys have improved. We're really happy about it but we have to keep pushing and getting better.

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