The Seattle Seahawks got very bad news on the injury front this week as fullback Robbie Ouzts is headed to injured reserve. Seattle has an obvious replacement ready, but a bolder move could reap even bigger dividends.
Robbie Ouzts has been the not-so-secret weapon for the Seahawks' running game this season. He may have started the season flying under the radar, but no longer. The 274-pound sledgehammer has made it nearly routine to pancake not one, but two would-be tacklers on the same play.
Except for Charles Cross and one other player, he leads the team in run-blocking, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
But after an ankle injury in the Week 3 laugher over the Saints, Ouzts will miss at least the next four games. Seattle has already announced that Brady Russell will step into the fullback role, to no one's surprise. He's been listed at fullback instead of tight end, and should be ready to go. But I wouldn't be at all surprised to see another player take some snaps there and wreak havoc against the Cardinals.
AJ Barner could ignite the Seattle Seahawks' running game
I imagine that Brady Russell will get the majority of the snaps at fullback when the Seahawks square off against the Cardinals on Thursday Night Football. When Ouszts left the game against the Saints, Russell lined up at fullback for seven plays. Combined with Ouzts' snaps, Seattle has averaged just under 19 snaps per game with a fullback leading the way for the running back.
If you'll recall, I mentioned earlier that Ouzts was ranked third among all Seahawks in run-blocking. Cross is first at 75.6, while the rookie fullback was rated at 67.3. But Brady Russell didn't place second, and neither did any of the other offensive linemen. I'm sure the more astute 12s already know the answer is AJ. Barner.
Russell is rated at 56.1, while Barner's score is 68.7, slightly better than Ouzts. Granted, that's based on just seven snaps for Russell, while Barner is credited with 64 run-blocking snaps this season. Russell's run-blocking grade for 2024 was 67.3, and he looked solid in the fullback role throughout the preseason.
But Barner has already lined up in the backfield twice this season. The result: two carries, four yards, and two first downs. Klint Kubiak likes to throw different looks out there on offense as much as Mike Macdonald does on defense. Mixing it up between Russell and Barner could be just the key Seattle needs to unlock the puzzle of the running game.