RENTON, Wash. _ Bobby Wagner was already making one definitive statement with his decision to show up for training camp and not practice on Thursday, standing off to the side throughout as the Seahawks held their first workout of a new season.
He may also have been making another even more subtle comment about the state of his contract negotiations _ he wants an extension making him the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL but doesn't have one yet _ by wearing a blue hoodie turned inside out, with no Seahawks identification.
Wagner also attended, but did not take part in any on-field drills, during the team's offseason program. But then, he wore a jersey on the sidelines.
Wagner wasn't made available to the media following Thursday's workout, so it's unclear if his choice of wardrobe was also making a choice statement.
But his absence on the field is noticeable enough.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he had expected that Wagner wouldn't practice Thursday. As for Friday, Carroll said they are "taking it one day at a time."
Carroll said the team and Wagner have been talking "for some time. There has been a lot of conversations. A lot of stuff going on."
Otherwise, he declined to get into the specifics of the negotiations saying "I'm not going to tell you anything."
Indications have been that the two sides are close to a deal. One of those indications came in the form of a statement from linebacker K.J. Wright, who said "yes" when asked if he was under the impression a deal would come soon for Wagner.
"I believe that something will happen," Wright said. "I'm pretty positive. The organization knows what he means to us. Like I said in OTAs, it's a no-brainer to get it done."
But until a deal is, in fact, done _ Wagner has said he wants a deal equaling or exceeding the Jets' C.J. Mosley's $17 million a year _ Wagner may not take the field, a situation that would grow more uncomfortable with each passing day.
Carroll, though, seemed to indicate that if talks did drag on, that might change.
"There's a little issue about getting down at the practice field," Carroll said. "At this time, I did not talk to him about today and we will visit on that. We'll work with him hopefully to make a really good decision; both ends of it. We love him, he's been a really great player, great guy in the program, and we respect the heck out of him."
Interestingly, Carroll seemed to disagree with a question stating that he was OK with it when Wagner also sat out during OTAs and minicamp _ he at one point in the spring called the situation with Wagner "amicable."
"There were conversations way back," Carroll said "It's been going on for a long time. We are trying to, hopefully, come to a resolution. There's a lot going on, and I respect where Bobby's brain is right now. He's trying to figure it out and take it one day at a time."
The Seahawks won't do any contact work until Sunday, after practicing in light gear again on Friday and then having Saturday off. So Wagner missing another day may not be considered all that big of a deal.
Carroll demurred when asked when it would start to matter if Wagner were to continue to sit out and no contract is completed, repeating his "one day at a time" line.
Wright said he didn't think Wagner was frustrated adding "I'm really optimistic that everything will handle itself and he'll be out there."
