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SB XLIX notebook: Teams close to full strength
The Seattle Seahawks completed their Super Bowl XLIX preparations on Saturday afternoon with a light walk-through inside the Arizona State football practice bubble.
“Everything is done,” said coach Pete Carroll. “The hay isn’t in the barn ever around here, but everything is done.”
Confined indoors for the third-straight day because of uncharacteristic rain in the Phoenix area, the 47-minute session consisted of the Seahawks walking through various plays, none at game speed. Most players wore sweats, with some sporting baseball hats and a few, including running back Marshawn Lynch, in slippers.
All 63 active Seahawks — 53 on the active roster, plus 10 practice squad players — participated.
—Seahawks strong safety Kam Chancellor, who appeared on the final injury report, reportedly only suffered a bruised left knee when he took a tumble late in practice Friday.
The knee injury does not appear to be anything of concern for Sunday’s game, even though Chancellor was officially listed as probable.
Chancellor participated in Saturday’s walk-through practice and did not appear to be favoring his leg.
“He looked pretty good today,” Carroll told the pool reporter. “We will make sure we test him in pregame, but he remarkably looked great today and so that’s all we have to go on.”
The fall on Friday was reported in the Seahawks’ media pool story from Sports Illustrated’s Peter King. According to the report, Chancellor fell near the goal line, was helped up, then missed the final play of practice. He left the field after practice without a limp but with his left knee wrapped.
According to Bleacher Report, Chancellor’s knee injury is a bruise.
—The New England Patriots’ offense should be at full strength for the Super Bowl.
Starting center Bryan Stork was upgraded to probable with a knee injury that kept him out of the AFC Championship Game, when New England shifted right guard Ryan Wendell to center.
Stork practiced this week and the Patriots upgraded him officially Saturday. Probable estimates a 75 percent chance or better of playing.
Inside linebacker Dont’a Hightower is the most significant injury with any lingering doubt of his status. Hightower is probable, but said Thursday he does think he will play but would have to wait until game day.
—Seattle cornerback Byron Maxwell, who will become a free agent during the offseason, admits the Super Bowl could be his last game with the Seahawks.
“I’m the prettiest girl at the dance right now,” Maxwell said. “But yeah, it’s one of those things I’m excited about it. I would love to be here, but I’m ready to see what’s out there and see how things work out.”
Seahawks general manager John Schneider has acknowledged he expects there to be a strong market for Maxwell in free agency, and the team is facing an offseason in which it must address extensions for Russell Wilson and middle linebacker Bobby Wagner. Schneider said Maxwell is a “priority for us.”
Maxwell, 26, has a base salary of $673,000 this season. He is in his fourth year and already looking ahead to next season.
“Yeah, of course it would be hard not to think about your future,” he said. “Especially what’s in my future and how it could help my family? It would be hard not to be like, ‘What could be next?’ But right now, this week, I’m focusing on this game.”
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