RENTON, Wash. (AP) - The Seattle Seahawks finally have some good
injury news.

Lofa Tatupu has a bone bruise in his right knee, and coach Mike
Holmgren said Wednesday the Pro Bowl linebacker will be fine for
the season opener Sept. 7 at Buffalo.

Tatupu, a Pro Bowler for each of his first three seasons,
reportedly had crutches near his locker in San Diego on Monday
night after injuring his knee in the second quarter of a preseason
game against the Chargers.

That raised fears of a more serious injury for the leader of a
defense that is returning all 11 starters.

When asked if he was relieved Tatupu isn't hurt more seriously,
coach Mike Holmgren said, "Yeah. How about you?"

Tatupu waved off reporters in the locker room after practice.

"He's very important to this football team," Holmgren said.
"In preseason, they have to play and get ready to go, but you just
kind of hold your breath all the time. Last week, there were some
really good players that got hurt (around the NFL) and you just
hope it doesn't happen to you."

Except it's already been happening for months to Seattle.

Tatupu didn't practice Wednesday. He joined Pro Bowl quarterback
Matt Hasselbeck (tight back), top wide receivers Bobby Engram
(broken shoulder) and Deion Branch (reconstructive knee surgery),
starting right tackle Sean Locklear (sprained knee) and No. 3
quarterback Charlie Frye (bruised knee) in the training room.

All except Frye will miss Friday's preseason finale against
Oakland. Frye may be available, but backup quarterback Seneca
Wallace will start and No. 4 quarterback Dalton Bell will also
play. The Seahawks didn't want to play Wallace in San Diego because
he was coming off a groin injury, but had to put him in once Frye
got hurt late.

"Oh, I was surprised. I didn't know what was going on," said
Wallace, who threw an interception while trying to rally Seattle
from an eventual 18-17 loss to the Chargers.

The Seahawks don't want to risk Wallace to injury in the final
preseason game. They are trying to get him to play receiver more
this season, provided Frye is fully healthy next month.

Seattle may need Wallace at receiver. Engram, who set a team
record with 94 catches last season, may not be back until October
and Branch will not test his knee in a practice until just before
the opener. Branch could begin the season on an inactive list. When
the Seahawks fly to Buffalo late next week, the former Super Bowl
MVP will be seven months into a rehabilitation that often takes a
year or more.

Wallace caught two passes during the 2007 regular season and one
each in the playoffs at the end of the '05 and '06 seasons. He
believes his receiving and maybe even kick returning roles will be
increasing because Frye has proven capable of running the offense
while playing almost all of the past two exhibition games.

"I'm excited about it," said Wallace, Hasselbeck's understudy
for four seasons.

Also Wednesday, Seattle brought back 15-year veteran free agent
long snapper Jeff Robinson, the last of three snappers the team
used for kicks last season. Just like he was last December, the
38-year-old Robinson was home in Seattle with his wife, caring for
16-month-old daughter May Louise and working at the couple's
health-and-wellness business when the Seahawks called Tuesday.

No training camp. No living in college dorms with teammates.
Just sign, play one preseason game and snap in the regular season
for the four-time defending NFC West champions.

"What a gig he's got," Holmgren said, chuckling.

Robinson replaces Tim Lindsey on the roster and has the job
thought to be rookie sixth-round draft pick Tyler Schmitt's.
Schmitt, the first player listed as a snapper ever drafted by
Seattle, is on injured reserve with a back injury Holmgren termed
severe - and one that wasn't detected in pre-draft medical
evaluations.

"We wouldn't have done it had we known," the 60-year-old
Holmgren said of drafting Schmitt. "I mean, it's pretty bad. He's
a young man, and he's got a back like mine."