Shurmur: whole Seattle secondary good, makes it hard to avoid Sherman

Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur was asked Tuesday about avoiding Seattle corner Richard Sherman this week. Shurmur said Deion Sanders is the only corner he's ever gameplanned completely away from. Shurmur said Seattle's overall secondary talent makes it hard to consider doing that with Sherman.

"We're going to run our offense. We have a healthy respect for who he is as a player," Shurmur said before an indoor practice, in a cold South Philly rain . "That whole secondary is outstanding. If you think of it that way, then you're not going to throw the ball anywhere.

"We just have to run our offense. If we call a progression that happens to be over to the right, then we have to read it out properly and get it to the open guy. Same can be said if we call one to the left or one in the middle of the field ... We've got some good receivers that can match up."

Shurmur said the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks, who have allowed a total of six points their past two games, have "marquee players on every level of the defense."

Shurmur was asked if Sherman is as good as Sanders was. He didn't quite answer.

"He's an outstanding player. He's certainly one of the best corners in the league," Shurmur said. "The effect he has on the offenses he plays is pretty obvious."

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Reserve tight end/special teamer Trey Burton and running back Chris Polk did not seem to be practicing in the first workout since the Dallas game on Thanksgiving. Burton left that game with a hamstring injury. There was no immediate word on Polk, who got a season-high 11 carries against the Cowboys.

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Shurmur said right guard Andrew Gardner, part of the run game success the past two weeks "has an ability, where he can stick on blocks. He doesn't splash off blocks, so when he gets to the second level, he can latch onto blocks pretty well ... I think he's got pretty decent instincts as far as pass protection and passing off twists ... I think he'll only get better as he continues to work with Lane (Johnson) and (Jason) Kelce."

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Defensive coordinator Bill Davis said of Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch: "Nobody runs the ball harder. He comes downhill every play. He runs angry ... He looks for contact ... He gets exactly what's there every time."

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