Seahawks most on the spot versus roaring Rams Sunday: Tedric Thompson, Austin Calitro

No Earl Thomas. No K.J. Wright.

No doubt whom the rampaging Rams are going to be targeting to attack on Sunday at CenturyLink Field.

Tedric Thompson at free safety and Austin Calitro at weakside linebacker sounds like they will be the Seahawks most on the spot when unbeaten Los Angeles comes to Seattle (2-2) to try and open a three-game bulge in division before all the leaves turn colors.

“There coaches do a good job of finding someone that they want to try to pick on,” Seahawks All-Pro middle linebacker Bobby Wagner said of the Rams’ top-ranked offense, which is averaging 35 points per game. “And if you’re the guy and you’re not disciplined then they accomplish it.”

Listening to Wagner, Pete Carroll and the Seahawks on Wednesday made it sound as if Thompson, their 2017 draft choice, will make his first career start at free safety with Thomas’ leg broken. And that backup middle linebacker Austin Calitro will be starting for Wright at weakside linebacker on Sunday.

Carroll declared Wright out for the fifth consecutive game. The Pro Bowl outside linebacker had arthroscopic knee surgery in late August.

“No,” the coach said before Wednesday’s practice, “he’s not going to make it.”

That and Wednesday’s re-signing of Maurice Alexander, a former Rams starter, leaves the Seahawks with choices to make for Sunday.

The first option seems to be starting Calitro outside, where he played the final three quarters on run downs against Denver in the opener Sept. 9. When Wagner missed the Sept. 17 game at Chicago with a groin injury, Calitro started at middle linebacker. Then Sept. 23, with Wright still out, Calitro started at outside linebacker.

They could play Alexander at the weakside “Will” linebacker spot in their 4-3 defense, like they did for the first time in the final game of this past preseason, Aug. 30 against Oakland. Seattle cut Alexander two days later while it set its first 53-man roster of the season. Alexander’s multiple injuries through the offseason and much of August left the Seahawks unsure of whether they could trust him at strong safety or, if need be, weakside linebacker.

“Yeah, (I was surprised), because I feel like I had a little more left in me,” the 27-year-old said Wednesday of getting cut Sept. 1. “I was feeling better, so yeah, it was a bit of a surprise.”

Alexander said he feels ready to play either weakside linebacker or strong safety. As in, right now.

“I’m very comfortable, man,” he said. “It’s the same philosophy, man. You’ve got to know what the linebackers are doing as a safety, anyway. It came clear to me. Easy.”

Mychal Kendricks started two of the last three games for Wright outside, but he’s no longer an option. The NFL suspended him this week “indefinitely” for insider trading. He’s awaiting a sentencing hearing and possible prison time in January.

Carroll on Wednesday sounded frustrated the Seahawks couldn’t get anything more definitive from the NFL than “indefinitely” on Kendricks. The Super Bowl starter for Philadelphia in February played well last month in his first Seahawks games.

“How do you define ‘indefinitely,’ you know? I don’t know,” Carroll said. “We pressed that; ‘what does that mean?’ And that means indefinitely. So we don’t have a sense for what’s going to happen, right now. They couldn’t give us any, so we know nothing moving forward.

“A month ago, when we signed him up, we thought that there would be a time that there would be somewhat of a length of a suspension. It was indefinite. I don’t know what that means. We thought it was going to be two or three weeks, something like that.

“So I don’t know what’s coming out of that.”

One option the Seahawks are downplaying if not seemingly eliminating right now as a starter at weakside linebacker is the rookie who began this season there, Shaquem Griffin. He played the first quarter against Denver in week one but was too anxious and undisciplined in trying to make every play. Calitro began replacing him on running downs in the second quarter of that Broncos game. Griffin has played only on special teams in the three games since.

Wagner explained Wednesday the key Sunday against the speedy running back Todd Gurley and the Rams for the Seahawks’ defense that has only him left from its Super Bowl unit three years ago is discipline. Doing your job and only your job, while Gurley and the Rams run horizontally all over the field with fly sweeps and misdirection. This would seem to be exactly the wrong week to re-introduce Griffin to weakside linebacker run-gap responsibilities.

Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. had a simple, telling description of Gurley Wednesday: “He is special.”

Thomas going on injured reserve Tuesday leaves the door open again for Thompson at free safety. Carroll said while talking about Thompson Wednesday “now that he’s the starter.”

Thompson couldn’t hold onto that the job during the preseason while Thomas was holding out until days before the opener Sept. 9. Seattle was trying Alexander and Delano Hill at strong safety and moving current starting strong safety Braldey McDougald at free safety by mid-August.

Thompson has been a third safety with Thomas and McDougald in six defensive-back, “dime” defenses early in the regular season. He’s averaged 16 snaps per game the last three games in that role.

“I feel real comfortable,” Thompson said about three times in two minutes while talking Wednesday about replacing Thomas.

“I feel pretty comfortable with the fact that I know I have the trust coming from my teammates.“

Oh, yes, he knows the Rams are coming at him Sunday.

“Yeah, I expect that. I expect everything,” the fourth-round pick from Colorado last year said.

“But, like I said, I feel comfortable.”

Thompson relied on Thomas with the All-Pro was away on his holdout in August, sending him practice film and getting advice from Thomas regularly.

That’s not changing with Thomas now on IR and perhaps having played his last game as a Seahawk. As you may have heard, Thomas’ contract ends after this season.

“That’s the best safety in the game, like, hands down,” Thompson said.

“I can’t really describe (what I’m going to miss with Thomas gone). He brings a different type of energy to not just the defense but the whole team. So I’ll miss his energy. I’m going to miss a lot about E.T., no question.

“It’s bigger than football, you know what I’m saying? We met because of football, but it’s definitely bigger than football. I talked to him (Tuesday. So I’m pretty sure we are going to keep the same relationship.”

What did Thomas tell Thompson now that the 23-year-old is taking his job for the final three months of this season?

“Really, it was was short and sweet,” Thompson said. “Just have fun. And play with confidence.”

This story was originally published October 3, 2018 at 3:31 PM.