Seahawks’ needy pass rush takes a hit: Dion Jordan hurt yet again, Frank Clark wrist surgery

The Seahawks’ neediest area just got needier.

Dion Jordan is hurt yet again. The former first-round draft choice by Miami whom Seattle re-signed this spring to aid their pass ruh has a new, unspecified injury in the wake of his third knee surgery in 13 months this offseason.

Jordan is on the active/physically-unable-to-perform list to begin camp and will likely miss its first few weeks.

Frank Clark, the team’s most accomplished returning pass rusher, had wrist surgery last month—though he did participate in position drills on a limited basis in the first practice of training camp on Thursday. And he was using both hands. Still, Clark is likely to be limited for full-go scrimmaging for a bit.

Coach Pete Carroll delivered that news about Seattle’s expected starting defensive ends to replace departed Pro Bowl pass rushers Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril.

So the Seahawks’ biggest area of concern is more so, one day into training camp with Bennett traded to Philadelphia and Avril a Seattle sports-talk radio host following a career-ending neck injury.

Yet the always-sunny Carroll said of Thursday’s start of camp: “What a blast coming back. ... We are all fired up.”

But about pressuring quarterbacks...

Clark said on Twitter he is and will be fine:

Jordan has played five games in the last three years, all last season in his debut year with Seattle. He began 2017 where he is starting 2018’s preseason: on the PUP list.

Carroll said Jordan’s injury is new and came in training and rehabilitation following offseason knee surgery. One of the key players in this training camp is likely to be out until after the preseason games begin Aug. 9.

With Clark limited and Jordan out, Marcus Smith, Branden Jackson and rookie second-round pick Rasheem Green got turns at end Thursday.

Expect the Seahawks to already be shopping for veteran help at edge rusher, and to perhaps sign one before the season opener Sept. 9 at Denver.

Seattle on Thursday also placed new tight end Ed Dickson on the PUP list, with a non-football-injury designation. Carroll said this spring’s free-agent signing from Carolina to replace Jimmy Graham injured his groin in personal workouts between the end of last month’s minicamp and reporting day for camp on Wednesday.

Players on the active/PUP list still count against a team’s 90-man preseason roster. The PUP designation gives teams the ability to place players on the PUP list to begin camp on that list to begin the regular season, too—and not have them count against the roster then.

Players on the PUP list cannot participate in practice. They can come off PUP during the preseason, with the option of returning on it to begin the regular season only because they were on it to start camp.

With Dickson hurting, Seattle signed three tight ends. One was Kyle Carter from Penn State, claimed off waivers from the New York Giants.

The Seahawks made four other roster moves earlier Thursday. They put non-playing Kam Chancellor on the PUP list to keep paying him his guaranteed money, waived Malik McDowell and DeAndre Elliott and signed tight ends Kayaune Ross and Je’Ron Hamm.

Later Thursday, 27-year-old cornerback Trovon Reed a former Charger and 49er, posted on Twitter he had signed with Seattle.

This story was originally published July 26, 2018 at 2:50 PM.