The Seattle Seahawks kicked the tires on their offseason by letting reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III leave. That was expected to a degree, given the big-money deal he was going to fetch.
However, not finding him a suitable replacement in free agency was a somewhat surprising turn of events. They have reaffirmed their faith in their current RB room, only adding former Packers backup Emanuel Wilson to the mix.
While they've met with some mid-tier prospects, chances are that they're putting all their hope in Zach Charbonnet and his return from injury. He's been quite productive for them, but that might be a dangerous game to play.
The Seattle Seahawks can't blindly trust Zach Charbonnet
Thus far, the Seahawks have been tight-lipped about Charbonnet's injury status. Getting hurt so late in the season put his status for Week 1 in doubt, and it wouldn't be shocking to see him miss the first month of the season.
Even if that's not the case, we've seen how major knee injuries have derailed countless careers in the past. Either because they lost their explosiveness or quick twitch, or out of fear of getting hurt again, some guys just never return to their usual level.
The Seahawks didn't bring in anyone with a profile similar to Walker's. They lack a speedy workhorse who uses his patience and vision to find gaps in all three levels of the defense and get off to the races. Even if Charbonnet is fully healthy, that's just not the type of player he is.
Charbonnet has been a perennial menace in the end zone. He's an elite pass-blocker and pass-catching running back who can excel downhill, but he may not be a three-down kind of guy. That's just not what he's done.
The current RB room consists of the injured Charbonnet, Wilson, who has never been a workhorse, and backups George Holani and Kenny McIntosh. They need someone who can do some damage between the tackles and tote the ball 15+ times at the very least to make sure Charbonnet is fresh and efficient as a change-of-pace, third-down, passing-play type of guy.
The Seahawks had enough money and options to get a proven veteran to handle those duties, at least for a season. They're not putting Charbonnet in a position to succeed with this current RB corps, and with no guarantees about his injury return, this team might regret this approach sooner rather than later.
Sam Darnold just silenced the critics with some strong performances in the playoffs, but establishing the run will be the best way to hide his flaws and prevent him from regressing to his old ways. As greatly talented as he is, other teams will probably gladly let him be the focal point of the offense, and that's something the Seahawks simply cannot allow.
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