An early look at the Seahawks 2019 running backs
Seahawks got good production from Rashaad Penny and Mike Davis
So the starting role is likely settled, or at least in good hands. If someone outplays him in camp or the preseason, so be it. Pete Carroll is all about competition at all times. By far the most likely candidate to supplant Carson, for now, is Rashaad Penny. Penny came to the team as a first-round pick but missed much of the preseason with a broken finger.
Once he got his chance Penny performed pretty well. Of course, “pretty well” is open to interpretation. I’d say a 4.93-yard average and two touchdowns translates to pretty well. However, for a first-round pick that might not be enough. One thing to watch: of his 85 carries, just two were on third or fourth down. That tells me Seattle didn’t exactly have full confidence in him.
Carson wasn’t the third-down specialist either, as 30 of his 247 carries came on third or fourth. More than anyone, the Seahawks depended on Mike Davis to convert on third down. Davis was the true back-up to Carson. He had five games with ten or more carries compared to Penny’s two. He also got the starting nod in the two games Carson missed.
Like Penny, Davis racked up a 100-yard game of his own. He averaged 4.59 yards per carry and was an excellent target out of the backfield. Davis had 34 catches for 214 yards and a score. Added to his four touchdowns on the ground, and Davis was a great counterpart for Carson. He really shone on third down, though. Of his 112 carries, 17 were on third or fourth down. That may not sound like much, but it’s 15 percent of his attempts. That’s more than Carson’s 12 percent, and miles beyond Penny’s two percent.
Add in that 13 of Davis’ 42 catches were on third or fourth, and it’s clear he was often the man Seattle used to pick up the first down. Carson had 20 catches, and only one was on third down, while none of Penny’s nine catches were on third or fourth. Unfortunately, Davis is a free agent, and the early buzz is he’s likely to command a bigger contract than the Seahawks would be willing to pay. When you compare his career earnings with his performance – thanks spotrac.com! – you can see Seattle got great value from Davis. He’s certainly going to make more than $1.3 million.