Russell Wilson had success in college with 'empty' sets and the Seattle Seahawks used the formation to great success last season.

According to ESPN Stats & Information data, Wilson averaged 10.3 passing yards per attempt when the Seahawks were in empty last year. 

"I think we've done a great job of that, really for a while now of being in empty," Wilson said. "Kind of reviewing at the halfway point last year, especially. We were like, 'That's something that we do really well and we want to be in that, it's a good thing for us.' Then obviously when Marshawn [Lynch] and [Thomas] Rawls went down, OK, let's capitalize on that even more and got the playmakers out in the flanks that can make those plays.

"We have so many guys that can do so many different things, and when you have that option, it makes it tough on the defense to try to figure out what we're doing. I've been in empty since I was a young kid myself, so I've played in it a lot -- NC State, even Wisconsin, we kind of changed it up there and went a little empty there. I like spreading it out."

Marshawn Lynch is working with Cal as their scout-team running back.

"He came out to practice (Tuesday), watched practice, actually suited out and took a couple reps as the scout-team running back," Cal coach Sonny Dykes told ESPN.

Lynch retired from the NFL this offseason.

Russell Wilson and singer Ciara initially planned to get married in North Carolina but changed locations because of the state's transgender bathroom law, according to the couple's wedding planner.

"I did the whole thing -- three times," wedding planner Mindy Weiss told The Knot. "They were first getting married in North Carolina, but they called it off due to the transgender bathroom laws. But it was really done."

Wilson and Ciara were then going to move the wedding to Paris, but it was Fashion Week. They ended up getting married in London.

Russell Wilson is expecting the Seattle Seahawks to be pretty good this season.

"We've had great teams before, and I can honestly say that this is the most competitive and most talented team I think across the board," Wilson said when asked about the depth at wide receiver.

Pete Carroll and others have compared this offseason to the one in 2013 when Seattle lost in the divisional round and came back to win the Super Bowl.

"It's hard for me to compare it to the 2013 group, other than to know there were so many good players in that roster makeup," Carroll said. "It feels like that again. It feels like there's a lot of guys that can play. We can be comfortable with different guys moving in and out of the lineup, which means that we have a very competitive roster.

"So I don't disagree with him. We feel like there's a lot of guys at the receiver spot, there's a lot of running backs, a lot of corners. We're going to have a rotation at the D-line that we like. Those are all really good signs. The tight end position I think is going to be better than it's been. So those are all positives."

Jimmy Graham might not be ready for the start of the season, the Seattle Seahawks have admitted.

The tight end is still working back from a ruptured patellar tendon.

"We've had no issues at all in the work he's doing on the field," Pete Carroll said. "That will continue to increase throughout the next few weeks. Really we're shooting for: Where is he at the start of the season? And we'll evaluate then on how much longer it may take, or he may be ready. We don't know that yet. But he feels good."

The coach added: "There's some evaluation to be done going into next week, but I don't have any expectations for that right now. We'll just wait and see. We don't have a timetable for this; that he has to meet any schedule at all. We're just working him back, and he's gaining confidence, and it's really important not to have any setbacks. So we're being careful.

"With three really big weeks coming up here, we'll see how he goes. We'll be continuing to progress him more with the action around him and stuff. He's doing fine running routes and catching balls, and he looks good doing all that stuff."

Pete Carroll is excited for the Seattle Seahawks' combination at running back of Thomas Rawls and Christine Michael.

Michael rushed seven times for 44 yards in the Seahawks' first preseason game.

"He’s an NFL football player," Carroll told reporters. "He really has made it clear to us that he’s serious about the work. He’s serious about the consistency. He’s taken great pride in the way he’s brought it day in and day out all throughout the offseason and into camp and all of that. And he’s an explosive, dynamic athlete. So we’re just going to keep going with him."

Rawls has returned to practice coming off ankle surgery.

"When Thomas gets back out there, those two guys give you a little one-two punch that we’re excited about," Carroll said. "And then we’ll see. C.J. [Prosise] is going to come back this week. We’ll see where he fits into it also. I thought Christine did really well. I really liked what he did."

Seattle is entering their first season without Marshawn Lynch.

The Seattle Seahawks have signed Jahri Evans, a six-time Pro Bowler, to compete for playing time at guard.

"I still feel like I'm a top guard in this league, if not the best," Evans said.

Evans spent his first 10 seasons with the New Orleans Saints.

"He's not been told he's the starter or anything like that," Pete Carroll said. "He's brought in to compete, and hopefully he'll add to the level of our play."

Pete Carroll kicked Michael Bennett out of practice on Thursday.

Bennett and Cliff Avril got into it with left guard Mark Glowinski during a heated team drill. Bennett reportedly had to be restrained by fellow tackle Jordan Hill.

"(The team's passion is) translating into sometimes we lose a little bit of the poise that we need," Carroll said after practice. "We can't play like that. You get in a skirmish, you get thrown out. That's what happens. So that happened today. And that's just the way you do it, the way we do it."

Michael Bennett compared the culture of the Seattle Seahawks to Google.

Carroll is the oldest head coach in the NFL but is player-friendly.

“A lot of white coaches want to be fathers to black players,” Bennett said. “Pete Carroll’s not like—‘You gotta tuck in your shirt.’” He shakes his head. “Do you know how much easier it is to work for somebody when you can be yourself? Why do you think Google, Apple and Facebook are so successful? When people can be who they really are, they do so much better.” The Seahawks, he says, are the Google of the NFL. “They let you be you.”