To say that Rashid Shaheed's start to the season had been disappointing would've been a huge understatement. The Seattle Seahawks spent big bucks to keep him in town, yet he hadn't been much of a factor in the passing game.
Perhaps that's because he should be used differently. While he's primarily a wide receiver and his breakaway speed makes him a perennial vertical threat, his twitchiness and acceleration in short areas also make him a tailor-made gadget player.
That's why offensive coordinator Brian Fleury may have taken a page out of his old San Francisco 49ers playbook. He gave Shaheed a couple of backfield touches in the Deebo Samuel role in the win over the Chargers, and it worked like a charm.
The Seattle Seahawks must deploy Rashid Shaheed in the Deebo Samuel role
The Seahawks needed to get Shaheed going, and since it wasn't working with some scripted touches in the passing game, Fleury put the ball in his hands with a pitch play that ended in a 28-yard rushing touchdown.
He finished the game with two carries for 33 rushing yards and just one reception for 20 yards. The sample size is tiny, of course, but it could be a sign of things to come, especially with Jadarian Price set to miss some time with a chest injury.
Shaheed isn't as sturdy and physical as Samuel. He's not a bruiser who will carry defenders with him after contact. However, he can give the team the same type of quick-twitch and explosiveness the 49ers got with prime Samuel.
Samuel got at least 40 carries in four consecutive seasons with the 49ers. His rushing yards per game went as high as 22.8 in his first season in that role, all the way down to 9.1 once injuries and weight issues took a toll on his explosiveness. Again, he's got a different build, but Fleury can certainly use Shaheed in similar spots and situations and yield even better results.
Through four games, Shaheed is up to just seven receptions for 73 yards and no touchdowns. He's drawn 15 targets, and while the first two games of the season were atypical because of Sam Darnold's injury, he hasn't been as involved as the fans hoped after he got such a big contract.
That said, opposing defenses will still have to account for his speed as a vertical threat, and that should open up plenty of lanes in the short and intermediate game for everyone else around him. At worst, he's been an overpriced decoy.
Brian Fleury has looked more comfortable calling plays as the season progresses, and that's only great news for the team's most dynamic playmaker. The team just needs to put the ball in his hands, and something will happen, regardless of whether those touches come out of the backfield or in a go route.
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