Like all good coaches, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator is good at taking the players given to him and turning them into a productive unit. Kubiak doesn't make the roster moves, of course; general manager John Schneider does. But Kubiak knows what his role is and does it well.
Kubiak also understands that his team needed to add a running back. Seattle has Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, and until recently had George Holani. Unfortunately, Holani has not been able to consistently stay healthy since his college years and hurt his hamstring in Week 12. He might be out for the rest of the regular season.
To replace him, the Seahawks signed veteran Cam Akers. The move does a couple of things. One gives Seattle RB depth, of course, but the other is to get even more of a feel for the Vikings' offense. Akers was part of the Minnesota organization in the past two seasons.
Klint Kubiak not prepared to answer how Cam Akers will help the Seattle Seahawks
Kubiak, though, seemed underwhelmed by Seattle acquiring the 2020 second-round draft pick. Akers has never played up to his relatively high draft status.
Just days ahead of the Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings' Week 13 matchup, the offensive coordinator was asked about adding Akers to his offense, and he gave the most coach-speak answer. He was certainly nonplussed.
Kubiak told reporters, "We're happy to have him. I just met him. Saw him on the practice field. I have a lot of respect for what he's done throughout his career. With us having an injury, I think it's a great pickup, and excited to see what he can do for us. To be determined."
It is those last three words that speak louder than others. Almost literally. Kubiak was so deadpan when answering the question that no real excitement was detected. Perhaps the OC was simply not prepared to answer the question because he wasn't ready for Cam Akers to be part of his offense all of a sudden.
Still, Kubiak's energy level might tick up quite a bit should Akers prove to be more productive in terms of yards per carry. His career average is 4.0, but he's never been better than 4.3 in any season. That doesn't imply he will be the rotational sparkplug that the Seahawks could use.
While the Seattle Seahawks' yard per carry has been 4.4 over the last three games (compared to 3.7 on the season, third-worst in the NFL), that number still ranks 12th in the league. For a team that wants a run-pass balance, the run aspect must be better. Can Cam Akers help with that? To be determined.