There’s a method to the Seahawks madness on offense

The way the Seattle Seahawks approached this year’s draft surprised many, but it provides clues as to which direction they’re going to be taking this year on offense.

Marshawn Lynch was an anomaly, an outlier, a talent so rare and unusual that he forced the Seattle Seahawks (and specifically head coach Pete Carroll) to dramatically alter one of their core philosophies; be varied on offense, with a committee of running backs sharing the load. 

With Lynch riding camels off into the sunset of retirement, last week’s draft was our first chance to see what kind of plan Carroll and GM John Schneider have in mind for replacing a running back once thought to be irreplaceable.

And that plan appears to be…… be varied on offense, with a committee of running backs sharing the load. 

With rookie sensation Thomas Rawls already in the fold, the Seahawks tripled-down on their running back group by adding C.J. Prosise, Alex Collins and Zac Brooks to the mix in the draft, and even added USC’s Tre Madden as an undrafted free agent. The days of one RB getting 25 touches in a game are gone. Long gone.

More from 12th Man Rising

• 4 prospects Seahawks could reach for at No. 20 in 2023 NFL Draft
• Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft: Post-first wave of free agency 
• Seahawks podcast: A review of the first week of free agency
• 4 experiments the Seattle Seahawks could cut short in 2023
• 3 pros and cons of Seattle Seahawks drafting Anthony Richardson

If you take a look at each of the backs individually, you can begin to see the appeal of going all-in on that position group. Prosise and Brooks are both former WR’s, capable of catching the ball out of the backfield. while Collins has the look of a guy who, along with Rawls, can be a dangerous weapon while handling a high volume of rushing carries.

And Madden is big and physical enough that Carroll says he could play some fullback.

Ah, the fullback. This is where we might see the biggest change in the makeup of Seattle’s offensive roster this year. At the moment there is no true fullback listed. Not one.

Darrell Bevell has a chance to direct one of the most diverse, unpredictable and potentially dominant offenses we’ve ever seen in Seattle.

It’s quite possible that the Seahawks, one of the last teams in the league to use a true fullback, are about to fall in line with the rest of the NFL in that regard. There are indications everywhere that the team is as committed as ever to building around a physical running game; namely the import of big, nasty offensive linemen both in free agency and the draft. But there is just as much evidence that this offense also aims to be more dynamic. Collins, Rawls and even Prosise have the ability to turn simple runs into breakaways, and despite already being labeled as a “blocking tight end,” new draftee Nick Vannett is also an outstanding receiver. Throw all of that into a big pot along with Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett, and Jimmy Graham, and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell has a chance to direct one of the most diverse, unpredictable and potentially dominant offenses we’ve ever seen in Seattle.

Worried about pass protection and blitz pickups out of those guys on obvious passing downs? Don’t fret; Vannett could be employed as more of an H-back, lining up in the backfield as he did many times at Ohio State. (Another former Buckeye, 2nd year player Brandon Cottom, is apparently also being groomed for a similar potential role.)

Next: Jake Heaps returns to Seattle, bringing career full circle

So, while you heard a lot of “why the hell are we drafting THREE running backs!” a week ago (including from me), upon further inspection, this all appears part of a much grander plan.

A plan that very well may include all three of the rookie RB draftees making the final roster, with UDFA Madden having an outside shot as well.