Anthony McCoy left Monday’s workout early with what at the time was called an “ankle injury.” Unfortunately for the Seahawks’ tight end, it was much worse than that.
McCoy, Seattle’s No. 2 tight end last season, has a torn Achilles’ tendon and already has undergone surgery performed by Dr. Ed Khalfayan at the Seattle Surgery Center. Typical recovery time for a torn Achilles is 6-9 months, which obviously puts McCoy in danger of missing all or most of the 2013 season.
McCoy, who played for Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll at USC and was a sixth-round pick in 2010, enjoyed his most productive season last year, catching 18 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns. In a Week 14 win over Arizona, he caught three passes for 105 yards, making him the first Seahawk to top 100 receiving yards in a game in 2012.
With McCoy sidelined, the addition of fifth-round pick Luke Willson becomes even more significant. Willson, who stood out in Seattle’s rookie minicamp earlier this month, already looked like a player who would have a role in Seattle’s offense, but with McCoy out, Willson is now the front-runner to be the No. 2 tight end.
The Seahawks, like most teams, are looking for more than just a backup in their second tight end. Instead they want a player who can be on the field with starter Zach Miller and complement what Miller does. McCoy looked to be that player at times last year, but was not productive enough to keep the team from addressing the position in the draft.
With McCoy out, the Seahawks suddenly are very inexperienced at tight end beyond Miller. In addition to Willson, Seattle’s other healthy tight ends are Sean McGrath, who Seattle signed as an undrafted rookie last year and who played in just two games without a catch; Victor Marshall, who went to Juanita High School in Kirkland and played collegiately at Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia; and Darren Fells, a former professional basketball player who last played football in high school.
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com
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