RENTON Seahawks Customized Color Rush Jerseys , Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks returned from their bye week with two key players back on the field after missing the first six games due to injuries.The Seahawks welcomed back linebacker K.J. Wright and tight end Ed Dickson to practice Monday as they began preparations for Sunday’s game against Detroit.Wright’s return has been a long time coming after he underwent what was deemed minor arthroscopic knee surgery following Seattle’s third preseason game in August. The team initially believed Wright would be back within a few weeks, but a setback in his recovery extended the rehab and ultimately led to the starting linebacker missing nearly two months.“We’re not too bad right now,” coach Pete Carroll said. “We’re fortunate we’re coming out the last few games we’ve made it through for the most part. Guys felt good coming out of last week and going into the break. It helped us and to get a few guys back, too, it’s a nice little boost.”Dickson was placed on the non-football injury list before the start of training camp due to groin and quadriceps injuries and never made it into camp, meaning he had to be a spectator for the first six games of the season. Dickson was likely ready to return a couple of weeks ago, but being on the NFL list required him to miss six games.Dickson’s return will be a big boost to a position that suffered a setback when rookie Will Dissly injured a patellar tendon in the Week 4 victory over Arizona. Carroll said Dickson ramped up the intensity of his workouts in the past couple weeks in the hopes of being able to play this Sunday.“They’ve been working really hard so this isn’t a big jump for them. That’s part of the rehab, particularly for Ed who has had a long time to work at this,” Carroll said. “He’s been running really hard so he should not feel like it’s a big step for him to get back on the practice field and should be able to play extensively on the weekend should he make it through the week.”Also back at practice for Seattle was rookie defensive lineman Rasheem Green, who had missed three games with an ankle injury, and tight end Nick Vannett after he missed the game in London due to a back injury.NOTES: Carroll said LB Mychal Kendricks, indefinitely suspended by the NFL for his conviction on insider trading charges, had a scheduled hearing with the league Monday. Carroll said he was hoping to hear something from the league Tuesday. … Carroll said he reassured the team that nothing is expected to change in the wake of owner Paul Allen’s death last week. “We’re fine. Everything is going to be like we’ve been doing it We’ll carry on with the same intensity and expectations and support and all of that, and that it was our job to carry on in the fashion that Paul wanted us to.” … Seattle claimed LB Emmanuel Ellerbee off waivers from the Los Angeles Chargers after safety T.J. Green left the team. Carroll said Green indicated he didn’t want to continue playing. Spending a draft pick on a punter isn’t unusual in the NFL because field position matters in the league. When that rookie comes in and shows off a booming leg, people take notice.Michael Dickson bypassed his final year of eligibility at Texas to enter the draft early, and the Seattle Seahawks traded up in the fifth round to take the Australian native and 2017 Ray Guy Award winner. Dickson has made both decisions pay off very nicely in his debut season.Dickson edged out Johnny Hekker of the Los Angeles Rams as the NFL’s top punter in 2018 in voting released Friday by a panel of 10 football writers for The Associated Press. Dickson received four first-place votes and was the only punter listed on every ballot.“When’s the last time a rookie topped any of the position rankings? Who knows?” Dallas-based Schuyler Dixon said. “When’s the last time a punter skipped his final season of eligibility for the draft? This former Texas Longhorn is a generational talent.”Dickson Seattle Seahawks T-Shirts , who has had a long punt of 69 yards this season, is second in gross punting averaging at 48.7 yards. But the rookie easily leads the NFL with a net average of 44.2 yards. He’s also placed 20 punts inside an opponent’s 20. Dickson was voted the NFC’s special teams player for November thanks to his leg.“Spending a fifth-round draft pick on the Aussie from the Texas Longhorns has turned into a key move in Seattle’s unexpectedly solid season,” New York-based lead NFL writer Barry Wilner said.Hekker, who finished fourth in these rankings in 2017, received two first-place votes. His biggest challenge comes from playing for a team with a high-powered offense that just doesn’t need him much. Luckily, Hekker keeps finding ways to make himself valuable.“He’s a four-tool punter,” said Philadelphia-based Rob Maaddi. “Hekker can run or throw for a first down on fake punts, and he has also made an extra point and field goal this season. His net average being fifth is just an added bonus.”In all, 17 punters received at least one vote, with only five receiving at least one first-place vote.Brett Kern of the Tennessee Titans, who earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2017 when he also the top punter in these rankings , joined Hekker receiving two first-place votes and finished third. Kern is fourth with a gross average of 40.5 yards with his net taking a hit from a struggling punt coverage unit. But the 11-year veteran still has a strong leg, with a long of 62 yards this season.“Forget drafting Tim Tebow or trading Jay Cutler, Josh McDaniels’ head coaching legacy in Denver was inexplicably waiving Kern, who landed on Tennessee’s roster and has been nothing but sensational for the last decade,” said Denver-based Arnie Stapleton.No punter has had as many chances this season as Andy Lee of Arizona https://www.theseahawksfanshop.com/hats , not that usage is limiting his effectiveness. Lee finished fourth with a leg that has a long punt of 64 yards this season.“Lee is a three-time Pro Bowl pick and could be in for another trip with another solid season,” New York-based Dennis Waszak Jr. said. “With Arizona’s offense struggling as the worst-ranked unit in the league, Lee has been plenty busy while punting an NFL-leading 71 times, and his 48.5 gross average and 41.7 net both rank near the top.”Cameron Johnston of Philadelphia finished fifth as the other punter to receive a first-place vote. New York-based Simmi Buttar noted the Australia native is tied for the league lead in gross average with Dickson and has a long punt of 68 yards.Washington’s Tress Way and Dustin Colquitt of the Chiefs tied for sixth. San Francisco-based Josh Dubow noted no punter has been better than Way at pinning teams deep, with nearly 60 percent of his punts downed inside the 20.“No one has even approached that mark in nearly three decades,” Dubow said.Colquitt, like Hekker, simply doesn’t get many chances to punt. Wilner says, yes, Colquitt could get rusty with how well the Chiefs move the ball, but the punter remains one of the NFL’s best.Sam Koch is a 13-year veteran for Baltimore yet remains a factor for the Ravens and came in eighth. He finished just ahead of a second-year punter in Matt Haack of Miami. The Dolphins keep Haack pretty busy, but he has put 31 kicks inside the 20 to finish ninth.Rigoberto Sanchez of the Colts came in 10th, and he has the second-best net average at 42.8 yards that cannot be ignored.“Don’t usually look at indoor kickers, but Sanchez has given up a total of 63 return yards,” Wilner said.