AP

Seattle Seahawks' Bobby Engram, left, holds up the ball as teammates Shaun Alexander (37) and Deion Branch join him in celebrating Engram's first quarter touchdown reception against the Arizona Cardinals in an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 42-21.

KIRKLAND, Wash. - Unhappy veteran receiver Bobby Engram dropped a letter on his coach's desk saying he'll be skipping Seahawks practices.

Guard Rob Sims had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Tuesday and will miss up to six weeks. Three other Seattle starters have had surgery in the last few weeks. Four others were are already out, watching and rehabbing.

Is this a minicamp or a boot camp?

Almost three months from putting on pads and hitting at training camp, the four-time NFC West champions are going through a peculiar spring of attrition.

The latest absences include the 35-year-old Engram, one of quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's most dependable targets for the last seven years. He is missing this week's four-day voluntary minicamp for veterans because he's unhappy about having only this season left on his contract.

Engram caught a career-high 94 passes last season, filling a void created when Deion Branch spent much of the season injured. He also led the team with 67 catches in 2005 during the run to the Super Bowl.

Branch is coming off reconstructive surgery on his knee in January and may not be back when training camp begins in late July.

"This isn't the first time something like this has happened. There are business decisions to be made," coach Mike Holmgren said of Engram's stance. "I hope they work it out."

The Seahawks did before the 2007 season, when Engram was coming back from a thyroid condition in '06 that weakened him so much he missed 10 games and couldn't get off his living room couch for a time.

After New Orleans heavily courted Engram, Holmgren lobbied his slot receiver to stay, and Engram signed a $3.4 million, two-year contract that paid him the veteran minimum last season but is scheduled to more than double his base salary to $1.7 million this year.

Engram wants security beyond his 36th birthday in January. This is one of his few ways to make a stand.

Under the NFL's collective bargaining agreement, players can be fined for missing summer training camp or the one mandatory minicamp that each team can hold in the spring. That's why Holmgren said he expects Engram, who participated in the mandatory minicamp last weekend, to be back for training camp.

Since this week's practices are voluntary, though strongly encouraged, the Seahawks can't fine Engram for blowing them off.

The way he informed Holmgren was curious, though. He placed a letter on the coach's desk Tuesday.

"I am sure there will be some details in there," Holmgren said before he read it. "I am just coaching the football team now and we'll let other people worry about the other stuff."

When asked if he was OK with a player issuing a quasi-manifesto instead of detailing his gripes in person, Holmgren chuckled.

"I kind of enjoy that. It means he graduated from college and he can type, all that stuff," the coach said. "We need Bobby. He is one of our best offensive players.

"I had kind of an inkling through the locker room, and then I talked to him after the camp this weekend and he said there was a chance he wouldn't participate."

When asked if he was surprised Engram would take a Darrell Jackson-like stand after seven years of steady, relatively quiet production, Holmgren paused.

"Yes and no," he said. "He has been so good for us and he is an emotional player, and the business side of this gets emotional at times. I have had other players do that before on the non-mandatory days. In that respect, that is the one thing they can do -- or perceive they can do.

"I just know we need him here and we are kind of counting on him to have a great year."

Seattle is also counting on Sims to take the job of 37-year-old Chris Gray at right guard. Holmgren said Sims will likely miss four to six weeks after surgery to repair a knee that kept getting more sore during a minicamp with veterans and rookies last week.

Sims is the third Seattle starter to have surgery in the last few weeks, following defensive tackles Rocky Bernard (foot) and Marcus Tubbs (knee). He is also the third starting offensive linemen on recovery from surgery. All-Pro left tackle Walter Jones and center Chris Spencer had offseason shoulder operations.

All-Pro defensive end Patrick Kerney is also watching practices following shoulder surgery.

Holmgren expects all but Tubbs and Branch to be back for the start of training camp. Branch, who has been in the team complex for treatment this week, may not be back until late August, if then.

"We are counting on having Deion back for the beginning of the regular season," receivers coach Keith Gilbertson said this week.