RENTON, Wash. -- Early on during Friday's rookie camp practice, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Trevone Boykin kept the ball on a read-option play and sprinted upfield toward the left sideline as defenders gave chase.
"You can't run fast enough!" shouted defensive coordinator Kris Richard, who appeared to be in midseason form.
Boykin went undrafted last week, but, according to a league source, the Seahawks gave him a $15,000 signing bonus to join them as a rookie free agent. Boykin, a TCU product, had another offer from the Dallas Cowboys, but he found Seattle more attractive.
"It was pretty much a no-brainer," Boykin said. "If there was any coach I’d love to play for, it was coach [Pete] Carroll. He loves to compete, and he talks about competing all the time, and that’s what I’m all about."
Carroll did not shy away from comparing Boykin's style to that of Russell Wilson.
"His versatility and his style of play is so similar to Russell’s," Carroll said. "He’s got a big arm. He’s a very creative athlete. He’s got great instincts and great vision. His ability to run and make people miss and get out of trouble is very similar to what Russell does. I thought that the opportunity to have both those guys in the same offense, it gives us a chance -- if it works out, and we’ve got a long way to go -- if it works out, to maintain continuity with one of the backups."
Tarvaris Jackson, who remains unsigned, has been Wilson's backup the past three seasons. There's still a possibility he returns to the Seahawks in the coming months, but for now the job is open.
Along with Boykin, the Seahawks also signed former Kansas quarterback Jake Heaps. And Vernon Adams, the former Oregon and Eastern Washington signal-caller, is at rookie camp on a tryout basis.
When Boykin got to the team facility Thursday, he happened to run into Wilson.
"He was coming out of the locker room, and I was coming in," Boykin said. "I just shook his hand. He knew who I was, I knew who he was. He told me he watched a couple of my games. I told him, ‘I’ve watched more than enough of your games.’ So I told him I was going to stay in his hip pocket and just try to soak up everything that he has to give me."
Asked if he sees similarities between his game and Wilson's, Boykin added, "I see a lot of similarities. He makes good decisions and makes smart plays. He does a lot with his feet. That's a guy that is smart and you can learn from."
Given that Wilson has never missed a game or even a practice, it seems unlikely that the Seahawks will consider keeping three quarterbacks on their roster come September.
But for now, Boykin will try to make the most of his opportunity and keep his NFL dream alive.