Seahawks training camp notebook: Chris Clemons' retirement comes as no surprise

Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett runs a drill as head coach Pete Carroll watches during the first day of training camp, at Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton on Saturday, July 30, 2016. Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett runs a drill as head coach Pete Carroll watches during the first day of training camp, at Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton on Saturday, July 30, 2016. Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 66 Caption Close Seahawks training camp notebook: Chris Clemons' retirement comes as no surprise 1 / 66 Back to Gallery

RENTON -- Chris Clemons' surprise retirement one day before he was supposed to report to training camp at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton didn't come as a shock to head coach Pete Carroll.

Seattle signed Clemons, 34, to a one-year deal to return to Seattle on April 1, but he did not participate in the voluntary periods of the Seahawks' offseason program.

Following the team's first training camp session Saturday at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton, Carroll told reporters he had some indication the 12-year NFL veteran wouldn't suit up in 2016.

"He just didn't want to play anymore, he was done," Carroll said. "When we went into it I had a little thought that we might be getting near the end for Chris. I wasn't surprised by that, to tell you the truth. He was a terrific player, a great guy on our team, we loved having him and loved the thought of him coming back to us, we were excited about that but it wasn't going to work out for him."

Related: Seahawks DE Chris Clemons to retire

Former teammate Michael Bennett said he understood Clemons' decision.

"Unlike the NBA and baseball, the injury rate is 100 percent, so as guys get older, it takes so much to get ready for a game," Bennett said. "NBA you can miss a game, NFL you can't miss a game because if you do, you don't get paid. It's one of those things where he got older and he just wanted to retire. He had a great career, he got what he needed and he retired a Seahawk."

Roster notes

Undrafted rookies Tanner McEvoy and Tani Tupou switched positions for training camp. After practicing with the secondary at safety for all of the offseason, McEvoy wore a blue offensive jersey on Saturday, while Tupou, who had been at fullback, wore a white defensive jersey.

"We flipped them," Carroll said. "We thought we got good information from them, I just don't want to go too far where we find something out that we need to know."

Carroll called McEvoy a "versatile athlete," and said the team was intrigued by the possibility of putting the 6-foot-6, 230-pounder at receiver.

"I think it is a nice opportunity for us to take a look at him right off the bat," Carroll said. "When he is in camp we get him out there and he is ... the biggest guy we have. We always like to have a guy with that kind of dimension, so we will see how he does."

After playing almost exclusively on the offensive side of the ball during the offseason, Carroll said Tupou has a chance to demonstrate his versatility on the defensive line to start camp. The 6-foot-1, 284-pound former defensive tackle from the University of Washington has a chance to play a similar role to the one filled by Will Tukuafu the last two seasons.

"I want to make sure I know where he fits in in the competition with the defensive line and then he can easily flop back," Carroll said. "I don't see Tani as a guy who is going to be a full-time fullback. I think he's going to be a utility guy, very much like Will was for us last year. That is why we made that switch right now. We will feel free to go back in time whenever we think we need to."

Plays of the day

Second-year wide receiver Deshon Foxx was the offensive standout on Saturday, catching a handful of passes, including a couple of long gains from third-string quarterback Jake Heaps. On a "free play" when a defender lined up in the neutral zone, Heaps unloaded a pretty deep ball down the right sideline. Foxx broke from his defender as the ball approached, caught it and raced down the sideline for a score.

Running back Christine Michael also stood out, breaking several long runs during 11-on-11 drills against Seattle's No. 1 defense, including at least one long touchdown run when it looked like he wasn't touched.

On defense, second-year defensive end Frank Clark impressed with his explosiveness, getting to the quarterback several times. Early in 11-on-11 sessions, Clark blew by left tackle Bradley Sowell and closed in on Russell Wilson in the backfield. That rushed Wilson, whose pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage, then intercepted by safety Kam Chancellor, who ran the ball back for a touchdown.

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