Big Hopes for 2017: Paul Richardson Could Be Great for Seahawks
By Lee Vowell
A healthy Paul Richardson could make the Seahawks super again
Imagine, if you will, a healthy Tyler Lockett, Paul Richardson and Doug Baldwin all on the field for Seattle in 2017. Baldwin seems to maintain consistency and health every season. Lockett was inconsistent early in 2016, but was beginning to become a trusted weapon again at the end of the season. In weeks 14 through 16 last year, Lockett caught a combined 16 passes in 20 targets for 234 yards. He also rushed three times for 90 yards, including one for 75 yards and a touchdown. Lockett broke his leg in week 17, though, and missed the playoffs.
In his place the Seahawks hoped a healthier Richardson could take some of Lockett’s targets. Richardson has been limited by different injuries his entire three year career in Seattle. In fact, Richardson caught just one pass in 2015. Richardson returned from injury to catch a 40 yard pass against the Arizona Cardinals. On the play, though, Richardson injured his hamstring and missed the rest of the year.
When Richardson came into the league after being picked in the second round of the 2014 draft from the University of Colorado, he was expected to add a level of speed that the receiving corps lacked. Baldwin was quick and has great hands, but not elite straight-line speed. Jermaine Kearse could catch fairly well most games, but was not fast. Richardson could have been the receiver who opened holes for Baldwin and Kearse.
Richardson’s injury issues
That scenario never really materialized, however, in Richardson’s rookie year. Much of the reason it did not was because Seattle chose to use Richardson more in crossing patterns instead of post routes. Richardson was steady but not great. He was never really able to showcase his best attribute: blazing velocity. Richardson tore his ACL in the playoff game against the Carolina Panthers.
Then Richardson suffered his lost second-year. The one pass he did catch was incredibly teasing. The play showed what Richardson was capable of, but also ended in injury. The pass was a microcosm of Richardson’s career.
During Lockett’s healthy part of 2016, Richardson saw his number of snaps fall. Possibly the Seahawks did not trust that he would stay healthy. In college, Richardson had also torn his ACL. With that injury and then all the minor and major hurts suffered with the Seahawks, Seattle may have thought they had a player who would never play consistent time.
Prior to the Lockett broken leg, Richardson’s best game came against the New England Patriots. Still, Richardson had just two receptions for 52 yards. The most targets Richardson had by far before Lockett left for the season was six in week two. Mostly, those six receptions were not productive. He caught three passes for only 35 yards.
Richardson gets his chance
Lockett’s injury may have been bad for Seattle, but it was good to Richardson. Once his snap count increased and he got more targets, Richardson became the weapon Seattle had hoped he would be when they drafted him. In the final two weeks of the regular season, Richardson caught eight passes in 12 targets for 82 yards and a touchdown.
Richardson was truly special in the playoffs, though, including possibly having the best reception of the season in the NFL.
He made another one handed catch later in the game against the Lions. In the next game against the Atlanta Falcons, Richardson was great again. He made one tightly-covered catch after another. In the last four games of the 2016 season, regular and postseason, Richardson combined for 15 catches in 21 targets for 213 yards and two touchdowns.
Prorate those numbers over 16 games of a regular season and Richardson would have 60 receptions in 84 targets for eight touchdowns and 852 yards. The eight touchdowns would have ranked first on Seattle’s team in 2016. The receptions and yards would have ranked third. Moreover, a healthy Richardson and healthy Lockett would mean fewer targets for Kearse. No offense to Kearse, but Lockett and Richardson are potentially much better and should get more targets.
A healthy Richardson in 2017, coupled with the return of Lockett, could help make the Seahawks have their best offense they have had since before Pete Carroll became head coach. The defense should be close to elite again. An offense that can rank in the top ten in the league would mean Seattle would be a Super Bowl favorite. Richardson helps make them that.