What if the Seahawks had traded Lynch for Forte?

Seahawks needed every one of Lynch’s touchdowns

With Lynch, Seattle had a back who averaged 1,238 yards rushing and 255 yards receiving per season.  With the assumed adjusted usage, Forte would have averaged 1,193 yards rushing and 439 yards receiving. Lynch scored 57 touchdowns on the ground and added 8 more scores through the air in his Seahawks career. Based on his eight years with the Bears, Forte would likely have totaled 47 scores on the ground and added 15 more through the air, with the adjusted carries and catches.

Lynch averaged 16.1 touchdowns per 16 games for the Seahawks. We could assume Forte would average just 7.75 touchdowns per 16 games. He actually scored 64 times in eight seasons with Chicago for an average of 8.5 touchdowns per full season. That is where the difference between the two really shows.

The Seahawks would have gotten a small boost in overall yards, 139 per season, to be exact. But they would have lost over eight touchdowns per season with Forte. Doubtless, Seattle would have often turned to another back at the goal line just as Chicago did. Obviously, Russell Wilson would pick up some of those rushing touchdowns himself, but I don’t think you want your quarterback running that much around the goal line. Not enough to make up eight touchdowns.