Seahawks news is moving fast these days, so here’s a rundown of a few stories that happened over the weekend.

– One of the biggest stories is the release of linebacker Lofa Tatupu. The team asked Tatupu to restructure his contract and take a pay cut. He declined and asked the team to be released.

“We had a few days of discussions and really mutually figured out that this was something that was going to work out,” said Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.

Carroll said David Hawthorne will step into the starting middle linebacker role.”I think David Hawthorne is ready,” he said. “He’s been ready. When Lofa got hurt years ago, he (Hawthorne) took over for quite some time.”

Tatupu was one of football’s best middle linebackers his first three seasons before various injuries caused him to miss action throughout the past three years.

– Seattle brought back cornerback Kelly Jennings on a one-year deal. Jennings has played all five of his seasons for the Seahawks. He was a first-round pick in 2006 and started 14 games last year.

– Defensive tackle Brandon Mebane will be return after he and the team agreed to terms. Mebane has started 53 games in four seasons for the Seahawks and was one of the top defensive free agents available.

– Carroll named Tavaris Jackson as the team’s starting quarterback. Jackson is familiar with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, but cannot practice until the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is officially finished (likely Aug. 4).

– Seattle agreed to terms with defensive lineman Ryan Sims, who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season. Sims was the sixth overall pick in 2002 and played in Kansas City for five seasons.