The Seattle Seahawks have one major question to answer in their title-defending season. Is Jadarian Price ready -- and good enough -- to take the reins of the running game? It surely seems so, but they may not want to take any risks.
With Kenneth Walker III no longer in the building, Mike Macdonald and new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury will have to rely on a rookie. Price wasn't even the lead back on his own college team, so he might need some time to get a hold of the NFL speed and physicality.
While there's no objective reason to believe Price won't be the real deal, the Seahawks may want some insurance. With that in mind, they should consider signing Najee Harris, who's inexplicably still a free agent.
The Seattle Seahawks should reach out to Najee Harris
Price had 47, 120, and 113 carries in his three years in college. Now, he'll take over a running back who averaged 241 carries per 17-game season, and that's a massive adjustment to make for anyone, as talented and athletic as that player might be.
Adding another three-down back who can take some pressure off his shoulders can be crucial to keeping him fresh and healthy for when it matters most. Harris wouldn't be a long-term solution or even someone who could push to take his job, but he'd alleviate the load early on in his career.
Harris might not be the most efficient ball-carrier in the game, but context matters. He's had some tough luck with his two former teams, either playing behind offensive lines that failed to create running lanes or in outdated and predictable offenses.
That shouldn't be an issue in Seattle. The Seahawks have a solid line for the most part, and Fleury will bring in some concepts from Kyle Shanahan's efficient running game while also keeping what worked from the Klint Kubiak era.
The Seahawks have $25.4 million in available cap space, according to OverTheCap, so they can certainly afford to give him a one-year, 'prove it' deal. He'd get just enough touches to prove that he's still got it and drive his trade value up, all while Price acclimates his body and game to the pros.
Harris would certainly be an upgrade over the recently signed Emanuel Wilson, and he's more experienced than George Holani, who's probably better suited for a pass-catching role like Zach Charbonnet anyway.
This team is in a privileged position. They don't need to make many moves, and every addition they make is probably overkill. Still, with everybody aiming for their crown, they can't rest on their laurels or leave anything to chance.
Add us as a preferred source on Google