Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles rumors: Who’s a better fit?

The Seattle Seahawks want a veteran running back, and two of the best over the last decade are on the market. Which one is the better fit?

With the NFL’s Free Agency period beginning Thursday it’s time for the annual swirl of rumors to begin. A couple of big name veteran running backs have been generating the biggest buzz amongst Seahawk fans. Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles certainly have body’s of work that speak for themselves. Both have impressive resumes and are accompanied by a laundry list of achievements. But both backs have battled injuries in recent years and may be past their prime. So who’s a better fit in Seattle?

Full disclosure; I’m not sure that the Seahawks will end up signing either back. Pete Carroll and John Schneider have tended to go with youth over aging stars during their run together. It’s a young man’s game and age has a way of catching up with productive players fast. Perhaps no position group in the league knows that fact better than running backs.

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First there’s Peterson, who might be the best back of his generation. A career rushing total nearing 12,000 yards and 100 touchdown’s is nothing to bat an eye at. AD (As in “All Day”. Not AP as he’s often mistakenly called) has established himself as a workhorse, every down back over the course of his ten year career. He has single handedly kept the Vikings competitive for the past decade.

Even when opponents knew what was coming, Peterson racked up gaudy numbers. In each season that he has played at least fourteen games Peterson has rushed for over 1,000 yards. Let’s not forget the 2012 season when the bell cow back just missed the NFL’s single season rushing record by a matter of yards. Needless to say that’s a Hall of Fame worthy career.

Then there’s Charles. The Texas alumni doesn’t quite have Peterson’s numbers, but he’s still had a highly productive, stat packed NFL career. In nine seasons Charles has rushed for over 7,000 yards and 43 touchdowns. Thats a productive stat line in itself, but when coupled with the fact that Charles has racked up over 2,000 yards receiving while hauling in 20 touchdowns, it’s easy to conclude that he’s something special.

As intriguing as seeing Adrian Peterson in a Seahawks uniform would be, I think Charles might be the better fit. Let’s keep in mind that at this stage in their respective careers, neither Peterson or Charles would be coming to Seattle to be the featured back. They would both be sharing the load with Thomas Rawls, CJ Prosise and others who might be brought in. That said I think Charles could be a nice fit possibly playing a  2015 Fred Jackson-esque role.

Unlike Peterson, Charles doesn’t favor lining up seven yards deep in a traditional I formation. The Seahawks like to run out of the shotgun and pistol formations making Charles a more natural fit. As I alluded to earlier, Charles’ receiving skills are exceptional and the ability to move around and be a multi dimensional threat is something Seattle likes. Russell Wilson loves having backs that can split out and cause matchup nightmares in the passing game.

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For those reason’s it seems like Charles would be a more likely fit in Seattle. He’s versatile and isn’t going to be getting twenty touches a game. If Charles could be signed to a  team friendly deal at the right price, I think he could find a role in Seattle. Until that happens it will be interesting to see if any of these rumors materialize.