Football
Len Pasquarelli 17y

Spencer to rehab shoulder, won't need surgery

Seattle Seahawks starting center Chris Spencer, troubled by persistent shoulder problems during a recent minicamp, will not need a second surgery at this time, and will rehabilitate for the rest of this week in Birmingham, Ala., in an attempt to reduce his discomfort.

Chris Spencer Spencer

After experiencing soreness last week during the minicamp, in which he did only limited work, Spencer visited earlier this week with noted orthopedic specialist Dr. James Andrews for follow-up opinion. Andrews repaired both of Spencer's shoulders in the offseason, but determined that further surgery was not indicated.

Had surgery been required, Spencer likely would not have been recovered in time for the start of training camp in late July, and there were fears he might miss the entire season. Spencer's representatives said Andrews was confident that non-surgical rehabilitation will improve the condition of the two-year veteran.

There is no definitive timetable for Spencer's return to the field, and he could miss most of the remaining offseason workouts, but should be ready to camp. Andrews will continue to re-evaluate Spencer's progress.

The health of Spencer, the Seahawks' first-round choice in the 2005 draft, is critical to a Seattle offensive line unit that is coming off an uneven performance in 2006, and which might undergo some changes this year. Losing the young center would be a major setback.

After appearing in just seven games as a rookie, Spencer started 13 games in 2006, five at left guard and then the final eight games of the campaign at center. The former Ole Miss star, regarded coming out of college as one of the best center prospects of the last decade, is seen as a player who could emerge in time as a Pro Bowl-caliber blocker.

With Spencer unable to participate in the minicamp, 14-year veteran Chris Gray moved to center, where he started 34 games from 1998-2000, with the No. 1 unit. But the Seahawks would prefer Gray stay at his normal right guard spot. The team's longtime starting center, Robbie Tobeck, retired after the 2006 season.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.

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