Seattle and the carousel that is the RB position, but where will the team land?
Since Beast mode left the Emerald City, there has been a constant turnstile in the backfield for the Seahawks. With no clear direction and what seems to only be quick fix options at this point, behind an average at best offensive line and an offense that is very reliant on Russell Wilson to be the go-to option, where do we go from here?
The carousel that is the RB position:
Below is a list of Seattle’s running backs since 2015:
- Marshawn Lynch
- Fred Jackson
- Thomas Rawls
- Eddie Lacy
- Robert Turbin
- Christine Michael
- Derrick Coleman
- Nick Bellore
- Bryce Brown
- Alex Collins
- Mike Davis
- CJ Procise
- Chris Carson
- J.D. Mckissic
- Rashaad Penny
- Travis Homer
- Carlos Hyde
*17 RBs in 5 seasons*
Don’t get me wrong I like Chris Carson and I did like Thomas Rawls but it always felt that the difference between Lynch and these guys that have followed him has been such a drop off that we have lost a lot of our unpredictability on offense.
Rashaad Penny has been a letdown and with a young 2nd year player in Travis Homer who at the end of last season showed flashes of what he could potentially be, the future is unclear. Injuries have also impacted the position as well and this, I think, has superseded talent.
Drafting DeeJay Dallas out of Miami looks to be another selection down the same path and I hope I’m wrong but it’s hard to be positive with a selection at a position that has been lacking for so long. The signing of Carlos Hyde will add some veteran depth and adds some pressure to Carson and Penny to perform this season.
Did our Offensive line just get better?
This season will be an interesting one with long time starting Centre, Justin Britt being cut in the offseason and some new faces having to step up in big time roles. Duane Brown returns with Iupati also coming back but Phil Haynes pressing him for the starting spot.
The signing of BJ Finney will be a much needed upgrade over Joey Hunt who hasn’t got the ability to be a full-time starting C. At RG Chance Warmack is an option though I would rather see Jordan Simmons get his opportunity here and Brandon Shell who has spent the last 4 seasons with the Jets at RT because who else is going to start there? It is a decent line and should yield a more protective base for Russell Wilson and his escape artist abilities, the problem will be creating enough space for our backfield to do its thing.
Is the future looking bright?
2020 will it be a turning point or much of the same unsatisfactory production we have become accustomed too. D.K. Metcalf is poised to have a season where he builds upon a great rookie campaign and hopefully adds some much needed ability to a somewhat average receiving unit alongside Tyler Lockett.
I also want to briefly touch on the 2020 draft key points and my outlook and prediction for the upcoming season. with our first pick in this years draft the Seahawks took LB Jordyn Brooks out of Texas tech, an athletic player that has some similar attributes to our very own Bobby Wagner. I’ll be honest the pick surprised me and I was focused on A.J Epenesa out of Iowa or Yetur Gross-Matos out of Penn State. I felt they fit our system a little better especially in the way of defending the rush.
Round 2 we take DE Darrell Taylor out of Tennessee who I can see playing at a level that Cliff Avril did for us, he is strong, powerful, good at stopping the run and long in the arms he could be a nice piece to our defensive line.
The last standout of the draft and the player who I believe will have the most impact for us going forward is Guard Damien Lewis out of LSU. He is a versatile combo guard with big hands and strong stance I can see him making the move outside later in his career.
TE Colby Parkinson, RB DeeJay Dallas, DE Alton Robinson, WR Freddie Swain and WR Stephen Sullivan are nice options for depth chart and practice squad roles, but I don’t think will challenge for big time or even back up minutes.
Where do they land?
10–6
This is a cautious pick as due to Covid-19 it’s hard to tell how this will impact offseason practices and OTAs. Past history has shown that as long as Russell Wilson is standing upright then the Seahawks have as much chance as any team to win the game.
Secondary needs to step up this year big time Quandre Diggs I see as the leader of the secondary this year and needs to be the tone setter. Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright are going to ankle the D Line and continue to bring the pressure over the middle.
Offensively there needs to be consistency and overall health to the key positions has to be steady otherwise that record could drop to a 500. season quickly.
In a division with the team coming off of a Super bowl loss in the 49ers, a Rams team that is always tough to beat, whether in Seattle or LA and an Arizona Cardinals team that has upgraded at WR and with a young talented second year QB with new weapons to play with, the NFC West has never been stronger.
