Seattle Seahawks sign CJ Spiller: What it means
By Keith Myers
The Seattle Seahawks signed running back CJ Spiller yesterday, which will cause a ripple effect throughout the offense as touches get redistributed.
The Seattle Seahawks filled the empty spot on their roster yesterday, signing veteran running back CJ Spiller. The Seahawks now have five running backs on the 53-man roster.
This move is a sign that the team isn’t confident in CJ Procise right now. The rookie was supposed to be the 3rd down back this year, but injuries have gotten in the way of that happening.
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Procise has his hand in the cast, making it next-to impossible to catch the football. His impact right now is limited to playing special team, which is why he was inactive last Sunday against San Francisco.
Even once he’s healthy, there are concerns about how ready he’ll be to make an impact. Procise missed most of OTAs and training camp with various injuries. The role the team expects him to play is complicated. There is still much for him to learn in terms of protections and routes. All that missed practice time has been costly.
When Thomas Rawls was healthy, it was Christine Michael who got those third-down snaps. Rawls is now out with a cracked bone in his leg, so Michael has become the workhorse on first and second downs.
Last week’s 3rd-down back was rookie Alex Collins. He’s a versatile back who did fine in that role, but he isn’t built to excel there. Having Collins as the 3rd down back also meant that that Michael had no true backup as the starter.
That is how you end up with the Seahawks signing an old running back at this point in the season. Spiller comes in as a more athletic (and more injury prone) version of Fred Jackson from last season.
Spiller is here entirely to help with the passing game. The Seahawks wanted a veteran presence they could count on to help Russell Wilson. That is exactly what Spiller brings to the roster.
What remains to be seen is what the Seahawks will do at the position as guys start to get healthy. When Rawls returns, he’s going to be given carries. Michael will get his touches too. What happens to Spiller at that time is unclear.
It is also unclear what the Seahawks will do with Procise as the season goes on. For now they just want him to get healthy. Once that happens, will he ever see the field on offense? Unless Spiller gets hurt, there’s a good chance that this becomes a red-shirt for him.
Next: Should Wilson sit out on Sunday?
No matter what happens with the other backs, the happiest guy on the roster right now has to be Russell Wilson. For him, getting a reliable back who can catch the ball and pass block offers no downside.