Seahawks news: Tariq Woolen, Dre'Mont Jones, Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril

The Seattle Seahawks have a few practices left before 12s get to see the team in action against another team as Seattle plays its first preseason game of 2023 against the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday at Lumen Field. Most of the starters for Seattle probably won't play long, if at all, against the Vikings, however. There's no real need for that.

Plus, the Seahawks coaching staff could rightfully be a bit shy to put key players on the field against Minnesota in what is a meaningless game. The team has already been dealing with injury concerns. Risking important players to bad injuries before Week 1 just seems not that smart.

Seattle also basically knows what they need to know from watching practice and Seattle's mock game last week. The Vikings game will be a good chance for guys trying to make the roster to show what they can do. But here are a few notes from Sunday.

Seahawks had two former greats in camp to help with coaching

One of the great things Pete Carroll has always welcomes is having former Seahawks come to practice and not just watch but actively participate in the coaching of the current group. Richard Sherman has been in camp many times and there is little doubt that he helped Tariq Woolen become the player he was last year. Sherman is a big corner as is Woolen, so Sherman knows better than anyone how to teach Woolen.

On Sunday, former defensive linemen Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril, who remain friends off the field still, were in camp to help lead the defensive linemen in drills. Bennett is once again part of Seattle's preseason broadcasts and, of course, is in the Seattle area because Minnesota plays the Seahawks at Lumen Field on Thursday. Avril lives in the area year-round.

Head coach Pete Carroll said after practice that "it was great to have (Bennett and Avril) in meetings and with the defense....It doesn't feel like a distraction, it feels like they're supposed to be here." Having former Seattle players in camp also just feels like one great group passing their knowledge to a potentially great group and few teams in the NFL do that as well as the Carroll-led Seahawks.