3 players Seahawks could cut in 2022 to create cap room
By Lee Vowell
Chris Carson
Potential cap savings: $3.425 million
Chris Carson statistically is one of the better running backs in Seattle history. I can sense some people arguing with this as Carson gets injured a lot. I will just let you know the facts. In Seahawks franchise history, Carson is seventh among running back in rushing yards (3,502), sixth in rushing touchdowns (24) and fifth in rushing yards per game (71.5). Is he a Hall of Famer? Of course not. But he is one of the better Seattle backs ever. Period.
But, Carson does get hurt too much. Between 2018 and 2019 he missed a total of three regular season games. But in his rookie year of 2017, he missed 12. He missed four last year and by the end of the 2021 season, he will have missed 13. That’s too many to expect Carson to come back from neck surgery and be the key back in 2022.
Seattle doesn’t really have an answer for who would be the new lead back. Rashaad Penny will probably be a free agent and gets even more injured than Carson. Alex Collins doesn’t seem to have the full trust of the coaching staff. Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas are backups and not starters.
But running backs aren’t as expensive as they used to be and Seattle could find one in the 2022 NFL draft. Even if they don’t draft a back, finding one in free agency would be easy as well. For instance, Leonard Fournette is still just 26 years old and is a good running back and is making just $3.2 million this year. Carson is easily replaceable as far as money goes and finding a healthier replacement.