Seaahawks working toward on-time arrival for Okung & Thomas

SEATTLE (AP) - Good news for new coach Pete Carroll on the eve

of his first season running the Seahawks: It sounds like Seattle

may not have to endure late reporting by another first-round draft

choice

The agent for sixth-overall pick Russell Okung says he is

working to ensure his client is on the field when Seahawks training

camp begins Saturday.

"We've had discussions every day for the last two weeks,"

agent Peter Schaffer told The Associated Press in a telephone

interview Wednesday. "If he won't be on the field, it won't be for

a lack of effort on our part."

The Seahawks want their replacement for the retired Walter Jones

in camp from Day One. They named the rookie from Oklahoma State

their starting left tackle the day they drafted Okung in April.

Seattle was without last year's top pick, linebacker Aaron

Curry, for the first eight days of 2009's training camp because of

an impasse in contract negotiations. The fourth-overall selection

eventually signed for $34 million guaranteed. Curry's deal has a

maximum total value of $60 million.

The word on progress with Seattle's other first-round pick,

safety Earl Thomas from Texas, is similarly positive for the team.

Thomas' agent, Andrew Kessler, is hopeful the 14th overall pick

- who has been on Seattle's starting defense throughout spring

minicamps and organized team activities - will be in camp well

before Saturday's opening practice.

"Hopefully he will be signed before they report (Thursday),"

Kessler wrote in an e-mail to the AP.

Okung and Thomas are the only two of Seattle's nine draft picks

still unsigned. Second-round pick Golden Tate, a former standout

wide receiver at Notre Dame, agreed to terms earlier Wednesday.

Only two of the NFL's 32 first-round picks had signed as of

Wednesday afternoon - Dallas' Dez Bryant, the 24th overall pick,

and New England's Devin McCourty, selected 27th.

Deals often get finished quickly just before teams begin camps,

as other picks sign and establish a going rate at each level of the

first round.

Some have cited uncertainty with the future of the collective

bargaining agreement as a factor gumming up negotiations. The

current CBA expires after this season. Negotiations on deals for

top picks are taking place with the possibility of a lockout in

2011 if management and the players' union can't agree on a new

labor agreement.

Yet the agents for Seattle's first-round picks say potential

labor issues haven't affected their talks.

"I don't think the CBA situation should have a major impact on

negotiations, it is not on the ones I have worked on and am working

on," Kessler wrote.

By GREGG BELL-AP Sports Writer

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)