Rashaad Penny, Seattle Seahawks.
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.
This isn’t a lesson about the de-evolution of running backs. The Seattle Seahawks could be in a running back crisis. Seattle’s lead back for the last three seasons, Chris Carson, and his backup, Carlos Hyde, are pending unrestricted free agents. The Seahawks have next to nothing in available cap space. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess whether Carson or Hyde will changing zip codes or re-signing, but it doesn’t look good for a return.
Some 12’s think the team should transition or franchise tag Carson. For a team with little cap space, $8.9M (transition) to $11.11M (franchise) is more money than they can spare. Even if the Seahawks could afford it, they would likely tag cornerback Shaquill Griffin before Carson. It’s more likely that Hyde, who played for $2.75M last year, takes a nice discount (due to injuries) for a chance to be Seattle’s lead back. Even that’s a longshot. Russ wants to cook and expects the management to spend what money they have protecting him in the pocket.
There is good news if Carson and Hyde don’t return. The Seahawks still have some talent at the position. They have their own former first-round pick Rashaad Penny (27th overall in 2018) still on the roster. Joining him are Travis Homer (2019 6th round) and Deejay Dallas (2020 4th round pick). So, the team doesn’t have an urgent need to spend money on a running back, especially when Penny and Homer are under contract until 2023.
The big question is can the trio replace Carson and Hyde’s production.
All three of these running backs have proven they can play on any down with varying degrees of success. Penny and Dallas probably make for better third-down options, but Homer can fill in when necessary. The group’s flexibility allows their offense to conceal play-calls even more. Defenses can’t cheat toward run or pass with any of them.
Penny’s prospects might be a little cloudy due to injuries. When he has played, Penny is undoubtedly an NFL quality back. Next season, he will be 20 months removed from his 2019 devastating knee injury. Penny worked his way back in 2020 but only appeared in three games at the end of the year. If he is healthy, the others will have to beat him out for more snaps.
Dallas and Homer both got playing time in 2020. Neither one instilled a lot of confidence. Although, Dallas showed more NFL promise than Homer in limited action. Dallas is more elusive and operates well in open space. He could eventually become a lead back but needs to work on picking up yards after contact.
Meanwhile, Homer, who never had more than six carries in a game, is better at running inside the tackles. He profiles more as a change of pace back. As much as head coach Pete Carroll loves to run the ball, don’t be surprised to see him rotate all three of them or even just ride the hot hand.
The Seattle Seahawks have more important and pressing needs for the team than spending big money or maybe even draft capital on a running back. Just ask Russell Wilson his thoughts on the subject. In the end, it’s about production and winning games. While the Seahawks’ current running back group may not be of Carson or Hyde’s quality, they can be just as productive and effective.
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