Happy to be here

It was the equivalent of a triple team.

Bobby Taylor makes his off-season home in Houston near Seahawks safety Ken Hamlin. Taylor played for several years in Philadelphia under current Seattle defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes. And after having a sit-down with Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, Taylor’s mind was made up.

“I definitely had other options, but this was the right fit for me,” said Taylor, who signed with Seattle in March. “My relationship with Ray has always been on the up and up and Ken was pulling at me, too. It was important for me to stay in the NFC, so it was a no-brainer as far as me coming here.”

The clincher was his chat with Holmgren.

“It wasn’t all about football. It was about family and other things,” said Taylor, whose presence gives Seattle a tall (6-feet-3), talented (2002 Pro Bowler) and experienced (10th year) cornerback. “That was really important to me.”

So was finding the right situation. In Seattle, Taylor joins a team that appears to be on the rise and is being mentioned as an NFC contender along with his previous employer, Philadelphia. Taylor is expected to challenge Ken Lucas for a starting job, but he’s been slowed by a sore knee.

Taylor sprinkled in a few practices last week before making his Seahawks debut in a 21-3 preseason victory over Green Bay on Monday night.

“It went smooth,” said Taylor, who made one tackle in limited duty. “I’m a guy that definitely likes to practice every day, but my knee has been a little sore. Everything was smooth Monday, I was running around and I didn’t have any problems with my cuts.”

Taylor is a proven NFL cornerback, which makes preserving his health a priority during training camp at Eastern Washington University.

“We’re going to ease off and get him ready to play New Orleans (in the season opener),” Holmgren said.

Not that Taylor isn’t in shape. He worked out this summer with Hamlin, Seattle safety Damien Robinson and numerous other NFL players in Houston.

“All that stuff is just trying to get you ready for the long haul,” Taylor said. “You can’t go out and do football drills every day. My trainer comes up with things – you might lift one day, be on the field doing drills the next – and a lot of guys around the league that play defensive back come down there. I think there were 10, 11 guys that went in the first round in the gym so there’s a lot of competition and that keeps everyone on their toes.”

Seattle’s secondary is similar to what Taylor was part of in Philly. In the mid 1990s, the Eagles relied on young corners Taylor and Troy Vincent and safety Brian Dawkins. Seattle has Marcus Trufant, projected to start at left corner, and Lucas, who has been stellar in camp, along with second-year pro Hamlin at free safety.

“It’s sort of how things were when Troy, Brian and I first got to Philly in 1995 and 1996,” Taylor said. “The sky is the limit for us here, but the most important thing is putting it out there on the practice field and carrying it into the games.”

At this point, Taylor isn’t sure what his role will be in games, but he doesn’t plan on being a spectator.

“I just bring some veteran leadership and maybe I can share some of my experiences to help out some of the younger guys on the team,” Taylor said. “We have some great young guys that are going to be great players. I’m definitely going to try to take off and play at my Pro Bowl level. If I can do that, it makes our team and our defense that much better.”

Injury update

Quarterback Trent Dilfer (back), tight end Ryan Hannam (knee), receiver Taco Wallace (abdominal) and running back Clarence Farmer (knee) were back on the practice field Wednesday after injury bouts.

Ken Hamlin sat out with a puncture wound near his elbow, apparently from colliding with teammate Michael Boulware during Monday’s game. The injury isn’t considered serious.

D.D. Lewis (shoulder) remains sidelined and Holmgren is concerned about his No. 3 outside linebacker. “We’re holding him out of contact and getting him used to a new harness that he is going to have to wear,” Holmgren said. “He had off-season surgery. We’ll see if he can get his strength back up and see how it goes. I wish I felt better about it.”

Defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, who left Monday’s game with a shoulder injury, practiced, while offensive lineman Jerry Wunsch (ankle) was held out.

“I was a little afraid it was a high-ankle thing, but it’s not,” Holmgren said. “He’s going to be OK.”

Notes

Guard Steve Hutchinson and wife Landyn welcomed the arrival of their first child, Lily Reese, who was born Tuesday afternoon. Hutchinson is expected to rejoin the Seahawks when they travel to Seattle on Friday for Saturday’s preseason game against Denver… . The Pendleton (Ore.) High School varsity and junior varsity teams made the 3½-hour drive to watch Seattle practice. Trent Dilfer and quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn spent several minutes speaking with Pendleton players after the morning session… . Floyd “Pork Chop” Womack is playing his third different position on the offensive line during camp. He’s filling in for Hutchinson at left guard. Womack previously played left tackle and right tackle… . Using his considerable reach, 6-7 tight end Jerramy Stevens stretched back across his body to pull in a touchdown pass from Dilfer during a red-zone drill… . Holmgren was generally pleased with the performance of backup quarterback Seneca Wallace, receiver Jason Willis and running back Maurice Morris in Monday’s game. Willis might start at split end against Denver. “He catches the ball and he makes things happen,” Holmgren said. “I have to see now, when given the chance to play with the first group, what happens.”