The Seahawks currently have 7 running backs on the roster and most likely only 4 will make the roster. Who are they? Who starts? And who’s cut?
After the retirement of Marshawn Lynch in 2016, the Seahawks running back group has been a revolving door. In the four seasons following the Lynch era, the Seahawks have had eleven running backs rush for at least ten attempts, and one of those eleven is Lynch himself, go figure. However, there has been some stability in the last two years as Chris Carson has become Beast Mode 2.0, becoming one of the best power runners in the NFL.
The Seahawks also signed former 49er and Texan starter Carlos Hyde this offseason to add to the likes of Carson and former first-round pick Rashaad Penny. Seattle will go into 2020 with a crowded running back room with seven backs, so who starts? Who’s cut? And what can we expect from the most talented room the Seahawks have seen in years? But first, it’s breakdown time, starting with the likely starter.
Chris Carson
Carson is heading into the final year of his incredibly team-friendly seventh-round pick contract. He had a terrific 2019 before his season was cut short by a hip injury, which is expected to not keep him sidelined during the 2020 regular season.
Fellow FanSider Geoff Shull broke down some incredible stats that show just how underrated Carson really is. For example, Carson led the league in broken tackles in 2018 and 2019. We’ll have to wait and see if Carson can stay healthy and do enough to earn an extension to stay in Seattle.
Likely Seahawks backups
Carlos Hyde
Hyde joins the Seahawks on a one year deal that will count as 2.75 million against the salary cap and can be worth up to 4 million. For a breakdown of Hyde look no further than Lee Vowell’s blog from right after the signing was announced. It will be interesting to see what Hyde’s role ends up being, especially if Rashaad Penny is not healthy at the beginning of the year (I break this down in the next paragraph).
If Penny has to miss games than Hyde will certainly be a guy that a lot of people go after on their Fantasy waiver-wire, as he could see some full possessions worth of carries and occasional action to complement Carson’s drives.
Rashaad Penny
Penny has been disappointing in his two years in blue and green and is coming off of a season-ending ACL tear. He was the Seahawks 2018 first-round pick but has fallen in the pecking order in favor of the aforementioned seventh-round pick Chris Carson both of his NFL seasons. Now going into year three, Penny will most likely start the season on the P.U.P. list (The cutest name in sports that sadly stands for “Physically Unable to Perform”).
This is likely as Pete Carroll said that the team won’t rush Rashaad back onto the field. If he is placed on the P.U.P. list for week 1 it will mean that Penny will not be able to be active until week 7. This means that Carlos Hyde will be the backup, and then Penny will have work to do to regain his backup role once he is healthy.
Seahawks on the roster bubble
Travis Homer
While he did not get much of a chance in the running game last season, Travis Homer had some sparks on special teams. 3 Tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, and one absolutely beautifully executed fake punt against the Minnesota Vikings were the main contributions of his rookie year last season.
That was until Carson and Penny both were sidelined for the remainder of the season, and until Marshawn Lynch got into his 33-year-old groove. Travis got opportunities starting week 15, all the way through the playoffs. He did not produce much, but he did help me produce this tweet that was inspired by his early 2000’s-esque fighting for extra yards style of play (to put it lightly).
Homer when he sees the first down line 7 yards away pic.twitter.com/uIrEJVeokZ
— Willie Keeler (@wtkeeler24) December 30, 2019
While his style of play was certainly exciting, his lack of production will keep him on the sidelines for offensive possessions. However, he certainly has the chance to fight for special teams snaps again this year.
DeeJay Dallas
DeeJay joins Travis Homer as another representative of “The U” in the Seahawks backfield. Dallas was Seattle’s only fourth-round pick of the 2020 draft, and he offers a variety of different skills for the Seahawks. He has experience returning kicks and punts, including one that he took to the house against my alma mater Pitt in 2018.
Because of his speed, he could be used as a gunner on special teams as well. As the lead back for Miami his final year, he did not see any action on special teams except for one return, but he made his presence known on offense with some impressive stats rushing and receiving. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah also called him “The best pass protecting back in the draft class” which was certainly something that would be on a list of reasons for why Pete Carroll would love Dallas.
Anthony Jones
Jones has an incredible story, as he was shot in the back midseason in 2018 during a drive-by shooting in a Miami suburb. This kept him out for most of 2018, and he had minimal production For Florida International after he returned that year but I am certainly not holding it against him.
In 2019 he had a great bounceback year for the F.I.U. Panthers and got on the map because of his big game against Miami at Marlins Park on national TV. Jones’s running style is similar to Le’Veon Bell, with a great hesitation side step move. He doesn’t break many tackles but at the same time, he always seems to gain extra yards as he’s being taken down.
His tough yet clinical run style definitely is the reason that Pete Carroll and the front office wanted to sign him, and we will see if it translates to the NFL and into a spot on the Seahawks roster or practice squad.
Patrick Carr
The former Houston Cougars half back had some exciting moments during his junior season where he rushed for 868 yards and 5 touchdowns. However, injuries kept him out for half of his senior year. That, plus his age (turning 25 this September) gave him little hope to be drafted, but he was able to earn a contract with the Seahawks to fight for a roster or practice squad spot.
Carr is a little guy at 5′ 8″, but he runs like any big and fast running back would. He has impressive explosiveness and a mean stiff arm. He has the tools to become an NFL running back, it just comes down to if he can produce enough before week one for the Seahawks to give him a chance.
In honor of fellow 12 Pilot Pete let me phrase the predictions this way: Seven enter but only four will leave with a rose. And Pete (Carroll) will give one lucky man the almighty starter rose.
Who Starts?
Just like my QB preview last week, this is an easy and anticlimactic one: Chris Carson. For the downs and possessions when Carson takes a rest there will be a heated competition between Hyde and Penny to take that role, which I see Hyde winning even if Penny is fully healthy.
Who’s Cut?
The players who will certainly make the roster are Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde, and Rashaad Penny. That leaves the rest of the group competing for the last spot, considering the fact that the Seahawks have almost always carried four running backs on the roster during Carroll’s tenure.
Rashaad Penny is also likely going to start his season week six as I mentioned earlier, so that leaves another open spot for the initial 55 man roster. The final two spots will be filled by DeeJay Dallas and Anthony Jones, and once Penny is healthy, Jones will be moved to the practice squad.
This means the Patrick Carr and Travis Homer are cut. Jones’s talent as a running back will be what keeps him on the roster, but even before Penny gets back I don’t see him being active on gamedays without injuries to the men in front of him on the depth chart.
Dallas will make the roster and be active on game days because of his impact on special teams. His speed and ability to return kicks and punts will help him get on the field in those situations, whether as a returner or as a gunner, and he will certainly get some chances in the pre-season to win the kick returner and punt returner jobs.
As for Carr and Homer, Carr being cut will be no surprise, and he will hope the Seahawks like him enough after camp and the pre-season to sign him onto the practice squad while Homer will see his Seahawks career end after only one season.