Seahawks Travis Homer becoming Seattle’s Swiss Army Knife
By Lee Vowell
Seahawks running back Travis Homer isn’t going to be a starter at tailback barring a couple of injuries. But he is proving his value in Seattle.
Monday night’s Seahawks and Vikings game might have been the perfect Travis Homer game. It might be strange to say it, but at no point this season – or next year – should 12s hope that Homer, a rookie and sixth-round pick out of the University of Miami, should become the starter for Seattle at running back. But Homer’s value to Seattle is improving even if he doesn’t carry the ball.
With receiver Tyler Lockett having an injured leg and the flu, Seattle has asked Homer to return kicks. And he isn’t bad doing that. In the last three games, he has three returns combined and is averaging 26.7 yards a return. If Homer had done this over the entire 2019 season, he would be fifth in the NFL in kickoff returns.
But Homer’s value doesn’t stop there. He has become really good on punt teams too with good coverage. And then on Monday against the Vikings, Homer was asked to take the snap on a fake punt. He did so and ran 29 yards for a huge first down. The play changed the momentum a bit as Minnesota was in the midst of trying to come back from a two touchdown-plus deficit in the fourth quarter.
But Homer wasn’t done. On the Seahawks kickoff after Jason Myers had made is 37-30 Seattle with just seconds left in the game, Myers squib kick bounced off a Vikings player and Homer got the recovery. The play basically ended the game and out the Seahawks in first place in the NFC West.
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The Seahawks are set at running back for the next few years with Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny. Having a third option at the position is ideal but Seattle hasn’t used a third option very much this season and probably won’t next year either.
Next. Seahawks defeat the Vikings to move to 10-2. dark
But Homer is going to be a valuable member of the Seahawks for the foreseeable future for the little things he does. Every successful team needs a few great players but they also need players who do the dirty work and make a special play or two every now and then. Seattle’s Swiss Army Knife of a player might just be Travis Homer.