Can the Seahawks really target Chris Carson 50 times?

If Carson gets 50 targets, what happens to the third-down specialist?

That may seem like far too many, but the backfield was targeted 85 times last season. Mike Davis took half of those targets with him to Chicago so there are plenty to go around. Even allowing for Travis Homer as the third-down specialist (or J.D. McKissic, or the perennial hopeful C.J. Prosise), Carson could certainly get 50 targets. The Hawks threw to Marshawn Lynch more than 40 times in three seasons, and he was nowhere near the receiver that Carson is. He did have other talents, of course.

That leaves no more than 30 targets to split between Rashaad Penny and the rest of the backfield, though. Penny has looked good coming out of the backfield, too, and the other three are all noted for their receiving skills. McKissic and Prosise are both converted wide receivers, as I’m sure you know. So could Carson get 50 targets?

I think the only way this will happen is if the Hawks don’t use a third-down specialist nearly as much as they have the past two seasons. Carson has proven he can catch the ball as well as any running back on the roster, so why take the ball out of his hands? I’m not suggesting they put him on a Shaun Alexander death march, don’t worry. Seattle needs both Carson and Penny. I believe they will be an awesome force in Seattle’s backfield, the best in the league.

But for Carson to get 50 targets, they have to use him on third down. He only got 12 percent of his touches on third or fourth down last year. Penny got a whopping two percent of his touches on third or fourth. Schotty may have some new ideas about the third-down specialist. Or miracle of miracles, maybe the Seahawks will actually throw to their backs more on first and second!