Seahawks might have a monster in the backfield in 2017
By Andy Larkin
The Seahawks offense could possess a backfield monster in 2017. And no, I’m not actually referring to Eddie Lacy. Actually I guess I am partially referring to Lacy, but he’s only the beginning.
We’re far from seeing this roster take shape and knowing how certain players will be utilized throughout the upcoming season. However with the players Seattle currently has on the roster, we could be looking at something scary. The monster I’m referring to is more of a collective monster.
The Seahawks brought the aforementioned Eddie Lacy in via free agency. Seattle already has Thomas Rawls and CJ Prosise in the fold. While durability has been a question in the young careers of Rawls and Prosise, they both possess unique skill sets and have shown flashes of brilliance. In the case of Rawls it’s been more than a flash of brilliance as he carried most of the load in 2016, but his season was cut short with an ankle injury. The promising ball carrier never quite got on track last year as he continued to fight through nagging injuries.
With Prosise, there is a much smaller sample size. We know he has blazing speed and the ability to pop big runs as well as catch the ball out of the backfield. Yet the rookie only suited up for a handful of games and battled several different injuries from training camp to January.
Though there a lot of question marks, most of which are health related, there is great potential with this group. If this unit can stay healthy they could completely wear opponents down while keeping fresh legs. Lacy is a power runner with a combination of size, strength and underrated speed. Rawls is a fantastic versatile back with the rare combination of strength, agility and speed. And Prosise is a speed back with the skill set of a receiver. We also don’t know what sort of a jump Alex Collins will make from year one to year two.
Regardless of the how the offensive line plays, there isn’t a defense in the league who can account for that three headed monster at full strength. Multiple backs with different skill sets is something Pete Carroll has drooled over since his days at USC. I think Carroll is very pleased with where the team sits at this position and will try to utilize all three backs in the 2017 offensive scheme. The more variety, the better. It’s no secret, that Carroll and the Seahawks want to wear teams out with the ground attack. This platoon will allow them to do it. Again, it will require relative health to become a reality.