Seahawks roster battles: J.D. McKissic versus C.J. Prosise

The Seahawks have several players battling for spots on the 2019 roster. Running backs J.D. McKissic or C.J. Prosise will probably be among the cuts.

The Seahawks have a very good running back in Chris Carson. They have a potentially very good one in second-year Rashaad Penny. What they need now, after losing Mike Davis in free agency, is a third running back who can catch some passes and give Carson and Penny some rest. Possibly even, and this is the important part, play quite a bit should Carson or Penny get injured.

The reason that last part is so important isn’t that Seattle is doomed should Carson or Penny get hurt, but that neither J.D. McKissic or C.J. Prosise have proven they can stay healthy for a long period of time. But by far, Prosise is the more oft-injured and therefore the least reliable between McKissic and Prosise.

Prosise is bigger than McKissic and just as fast. At least, Prosise used to be as fast but with his litany of injuries it is tough to know how much affect they have had on his physical ability. There is also some speculation among media types in Seattle that Prosise simply doesn’t like to play injured. Every NFL player has to learn to play with pain and if a player cannot do this they should not be in the NFL.

I am not saying Prosise is a bad human being. In fact, those around Seattle who have met him say he is a genuinely nice person. Pete Carroll and John Schneider still seem to have hopes he can help the team on the field. Prosise showed enough flash against the Patriots in his rookie season of 2016 that teams still covet his athleticism.

Keeping either Prosise or McKissic, assuming both are healthy enough to play, means Seattle also has an added option at receiver. Both can flank out wide and produce. This is different than a running back simply catching a pass out of the backfield on a screen. Prosise or McKissic could create alignment issues for defenses by stressing the linebackers.

McKissic brings a different kind of versatility than Prosise. He can return kicks. Should Tyler Lockett need a break from these duties due to the heavy load he will have at receiver in 2019, McKissic could step in.

McKissic and Prosise will also be battling rookie Travis Homer for a roster spot, and also Bo Scarbrough. Of the four, Scarbrough is the one most unlikely to be retained. But that still probably leaves three player vying for two spots. Homer is almost certainly going to make the team as Seattle probably wouldn’t give up on him so quickly. This leaves Prosise and McKissic. Prosise has already hurt his hamstring in the offseason. His injury history may simply be too much for him to overcome and stay a member of the Seahawks.