Travis Etienne suddenly makes too much sense for Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks won’t use their franchise tag on Kenneth Walker III. They usually allow their free agents to test the market and give them an opportunity to match any offer they get, and things shouldn’t be different with the reigning Super Bowl MVP. 

Then again, they might not want to give up as much money as another team would be willing to pay him. He’s a solid player, but recency bias also affects negotiations, and he just went off in the biggest game of his career.

Considering that, GM John Schneider and the Seahawks should scour the market for potential replacements. If that’s the case, Jacksonville Jaguars star running back Travis Etienne would be a no-brainer.

The Seattle Seahawks should sign Travis Etienne as Kenneth Walker III's replacement

As things stand now, the Seahawks will have $61.87 million in available cap space, according to Over The Cap. They can certainly afford to keep Walker if they want to, but every penny counts in this league, and pivoting toward a cheaper option also makes sense.

According to Spotrac, Walker is projected to sign a four-year, $36 million contract, which translates to $9 million per season. Etienne, on the other hand, can be had for just two years and $13.6 million, with an average annual value of $6.8 million.

Since missing his rookie season with a foot injury, Etienne has logged at least 1,000 rushing yards in three different seasons, and he’s coming off posting 1,107 rushing yards and seven scores last season.

He’s also a factor in the passing game, logging 168 receptions for 1,338 yards and seven receiving touchdowns in his career, and that includes a career-best six receiving touchdowns last season, the most among running backs. 

Etienne has proven that he can be a true workhorse back and has thrived in different offenses and run-blocking systems. His numbers would be more impressive if it weren’t for the negative game script he’s been on for most of his career, and playing behind a revamped Seahawks offensive line would probably work wonders for him.

The Seahawks will get their primary ballcarrier back at some point in the season, maybe even to start training camp. They might have some reservations with Zach Charbonnet because of the delicate nature of his injury, but knowing that he’ll be back may also motivate this team to pursue a cheaper alternative to the Super Bowl MVP.