RENTON -- The Seahawks are expecting to be without starting cornerback Tre Flowers and right tackle Brandon Shell for Sunday's game against the New York Giants.
Whether they'll be able to have defensive end Carlos Dunlap available to play will take until game day to find out.
Flowers, Shell and backup running back Travis Homer were all listed as doubtful to play against the Giants this week. Flowers had his hamstring tighten up on him after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles last week. He had an MRI this week and the issue will keep him from playing this weekend, though it's not considered significant.
"It's not a serious hamstring injury but it's enough to really bother him this week and then to expect for him to turn around and bounce back around on this week is a lot to expect," head coach Pete Carroll said on Friday.
D.J. Reed will get the start at right cornerback in place of Flowers. Quinton Dunbar remains on injured reserve due to a knee injury but could return to practice next week.
Shell is expected to miss a second straight game due to a high-ankle sprain. However, Carroll said that Shell has improved this week and it should give him a chance to return to the lineup next weekend against his former team, the New York Jets.
"He's kind of made a turn where he's really starting to move now," Carroll said. "It would be a surprise if he could play on this weekend but he's getting real close. I'd think he really has turned the corner to get well here."
Cedric Ogbuehi started in place of Shell last week at right tackle and will start on Sunday if he's able to. At practice on Friday, Ogbuehi had his calf wrapped with an ice pack and he did not take part in most of the final workout of the week. He was listed as limited by the team.
"That showed up in pre-practice, in the early part of practice today. So we didn't know about that until today," Carroll said.
"He got through the first game. He's going to be much better his next time out. He played better as the game went on. If we can get him out there, we'll count on him to do a good job."
If Ogbuehi can't play, Jamarco Jones would likely be the next in line at right tackle with a call-up from the practice squad potentially necessary as well. Chad Wheeler or Tommy Champion would be the options to come up as insurance at the position. Ogbuehi wasn't given an injury designation so it would seem the expectation is he'll be ready to go.
As for Dunlap, he did not practice this week due to the foot injury he sustained last week against the Eagles. However, an MRI showed it wasn't a particularly serious issue and Carroll didn't rule out his chances of playing Sunday.
"He was pretty bright eyed about it today. We'll see what happens," Carroll said.
Right guard Damien Lewis is questionable with a groin strain but he managed to be limited in practice all week. Backup center Kyle Fuller is questionable with a high-ankle sprain but he was able to get two days of work in before being held out of team work on Friday.
Running backs Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde are both expected to play after being limited in practice during the week. Hyde is officially questionable but Carroll said he's expected to be ready to go.
"We took care of those guys this week, make sure that both be ready to play. We're counting on both," Carroll said.
"It's likely that Chris will get the ball more than (his 10 touches last week). We ran the ball 30 times and Russ had a few of those so that's a good number for us to shoot for for these guys and we'll split it up with Carlos and see what happens. I don't really care who gets the most but I would like to see Chris get the ball a bit more than that."
Homer will miss a third straight game due to wrist, thumb and knee injuries. Meanwhile, Rashaad Penny will return to practice next week from the physically unable to perform list after a torn ACL last December.
"Rashaad is practicing next week. We're finally on it. We've made the commitment and we're doing it and so that one is for sure," Carroll said.
Second-round defensive end Darrell Taylor may not have nearly as rosy an outlook. Carroll said that Taylor was away from the team this week getting his surgically-repaired knee and leg looked at by specialists to see where he is in his recovery. Carroll had not yet heard the results of those visits and what it would mean for Taylor's outlook the rest of the year. Carroll had previously said Taylor was getting close to returning to practice but this circumstance appears to be a possible roadblock to him getting on the field with the team this season.
Taylor had stress fractures in his leg that he played through during his final year at the University of Tennessee. Surgery after the season addressed the situation but Taylor has had issues in his recovery that have kept him from getting on the field with the Seahawks.
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Photo Credit: SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 19: Kenyan Drake #41 of the Arizona Cardinals is chased down by Tre Flowers #21 of the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on November 19, 2020 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)