Seattle Seahawks running back position will evolve again in 2021
Chris Phillips
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Changing times and a lack of cap space means the Seattle Seahawks running back position will evolve again in 2021.
Shaun Alexander, Ricky Watters, and Marshawn Lynch represented various eras when the Seattle Seahawks featured a dominating ground game. The league has changed since those Seahawks played. That’s why the team will likely move on from their most recent star back, Chris Carson.
The days of needing a dominant, bruising between the tackles running back to handle 300+ carries per season are long gone. Back in the day, if teams wanted to win, they needed a strong running game, complemented by an adequate passing game. Organizations built their offense with big, strong offensive linemen that could physically move other adult humans out of the way.
To counter, teams built their defenses to have big, strong defensive lineman that could physically move other adult humans out of the way. They had help from some of the nastiest linebackers and hard-hitting defensive backs ever to play the game. Running backs had to be tough with a dash of crazy. But the game has evolved since then. It started with Terry Bradshaw, developed more with Peyton Manning, and the next step was with Patrick Mahomes.
The running back’s usage and need have diminished with each evolution of quarterbacks. Don’t get it twisted; running backs are still an important part of the offense. It’s just not as vital as in years past. Look at recent drafts.
Running backs are becoming a luxury pick in the draft. Teams no longer spend high draft capital on this position as they did in years past. Of course, there are outliers, such as Saquon Barkley, Leonard Fournette, and Ezekiel Elliott. But moreover, teams are finding that backs take so much punishment that they rotate two or three each game. In short, they are interchangeable parts. So, instead of teams competing to spend big on a bell-cow back, teams are competing to put together low-cost tandems and trios.
Exactly a decade ago today, Marshawn Lynch caused a Beast Quake.
One of the most memorable runs in NFL history. pic.twitter.com/VBb8Lc0yGW
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 8, 2021