On Marshawn Lynch: 'Disappointed he’s not here -- by his choice, you know?'

RENTON, Wash. -- The Seahawks kicked off their 2014 season training camp Friday morning with a sold-out, enthusiastic crowd of spectators on hand, but without star running back Marshawn Lynch.

"Beast Mode" reportedly is holding out for a better deal than the $5 million he is due to be paid this year.

“Disappointed he’s not here -- by his choice, you know?” head coach Pete Carroll said at training camp Friday. “I’m really focused on the guys who are here.”



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Carroll said with or without Lynch, the team will continue to rely on its running game and added that he's impressed with second-year running back Christine Michael.

That appeared to be the organizational line, as Seahawks general manager John Schneider was asked about Lynch’s absence Friday morning on the "Brock and Salk" show on radio station 710 ESPN Seattle.

"We all love Marshawn," Schneider sdaid. "He's made a decision not to be here. We're excited about the guys that are here. Everybody's had a great offseason. Everybody's working their tail off...

"I think, obviously, Marshawn Lynch is a heck of a running back, you know what I mean? But it's just like we had players at different positions, like Brandon Browner (no longer with Hawks), and Maxwell steps up and is ready to go.

"I think that the players and teammates think that they are comfortable in the next player," Schneider told the radio show. "That's no disrespect to Marshawn. I mean, everybody knows what he can do -- he caused an earthquake, didn't he?"

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Seahawks placed outside linebackers Bruce Irvin and Korey Toomer on the physical unable to perform (PUP) list.  Irvin had hip surgery in the offseason and Toomer is having nagging hamstring issues.

Rookie defensive back Eric Pinkins suffered a Lisfranc fracture on his left foot and was placed on the non-football injury list.

Three other players who had offseason surgery didn’t practice -- OT Russell Okung (toe), safety Kam Chancellor (hip) and LB Malcolm Smith (ankle). But Carroll said he believes all three will be ready to practice in a few days.

Training camp goes for 12 days.