Seahawks Move To Patch Up Line -- Sign Sean Farrell, Ex-Bronco Guard

KIRKLAND - The need was simple.

"We need a guy who knows how to play the game," said Hudson Houck, Seahawks offensive line coach.

The beleaguered Seahawks looked for an interim answer yesterday by signing former Denver Bronco guard Sean Farrell, 32, a 1982 first-round pick by Tampa Bay.

Farrell has 106 starts in his 11-year career, which was interrupted when Denver waived him in the final cutdown this year.

The Broncos are going with youth; the Seahawks need experience.

Seattle's starting offensive line, which will be without starting left guard Andy Heck (ankle) and starting right tackle Ronnie Lee (knee) for Sunday's road game against the Giants, has only 41 career starts.

Heck was placed on injured reserve yesterday with a badly sprained right ankle. Coach Tom Flores said Heck, generally considered the team's best offensive lineman, might be out the rest of the season. He said three ligaments were stretched when Heck was injured Sunday against the Raiders.

Heck said this will be the first football game he ever has missed, including high school.

Heck is the fifth offensive starter to go on injured-reserve this year. (He is the sixth if quarterback Dan McGwire is included.) The Seahawks have placed 14 players on IR this season.

Farrell, an All-American at Penn State, worked out for the Washington Redskins Tuesday, then flew to Seattle. Negotiations concluded just before the team went on the field for its afternoon practice.

"Timing has so much to do with these things in this league," said Farrell. "I tried to tell my wife that somewhere around the middle of the season, there would be a lot of injuries and a lot of need."

He was right.

Flores said Farrell, 6 feet 3, 260 pounds, will "help us out for this year." Farrell will be a backup this week but it will be no surprise if he soon challenges John Hunter for the starting left guard job.

Notes

-- Flores said the Seahawks probably will activate offensive lineman Theo Adams from the practice roster. He said safety Rafael Robinson probably will move off the roster back to the practice squad.

-- Starting receiver Tommy Kane, out four games with an injured left knee, practiced yesterday and is listed as probable against the Giants. He has missed four consecutive games but never was placed on IR.

-- Are Jacob Green's Seahawk days numbered? It sure looks that way.

"I've talked to Jacob on a number of occasions," Flores said yesterday. "It's pretty obvious that we're going with young guys on our defense and the decision that I have to make, obviously, would be whether he will give us a lift defensively. Our defense has been playing pretty good, so I don't know. . . . We'll discuss it again."

Green has been on IR all season even though he said his knee healed a few weeks after he suffered a sprain in an exhibition game.

The Seahawks' financial obligation to Green ends Sunday. Green, 35, the oldest defensive lineman in the NFL, is among the highest-paid Seahawks with a $1 million salary.

-----------------------------------------------------------. REDUCTIONS IN FORCE. . Seahawk offensive starters lost to injury # . . -- Before first game - G Bryan Millard (back, IR). . -- Week 1, vs. Cincinnati - WR Brian Blades (collarbone, IR). . -- Week 3, vs. New England - WR Tommy Kane (knee, not IR, missed 4 weeks). . -- Midweek before Game 5 - TE Paul Green (shoulderblade, IR). . -- Week 5, vs. San Diego - QB Kelly Stouffer (shoulder, IR). . -- Week 6, Dallas - QB Dan McGwire (hip, IR, out for year). . -- Early Week 7 - T Ronnie Lee (knee, not IR). . -- Week 7, vs. L.A. Raiders - G Andy Heck (ankle, IR); WR Doug Thomas (foot, not IR). .

# Does not include defensive players..