Couple of stories circulating yesterday with Seattle talking to veteran running backs. Chris Carson is coming off hip surgery, and Rashaad Penny blew out his knee late last season. Carson is expected to be ready for Week 1, Penny isn't.
Seattle drafted DeeJay Dallas in the fourth round, but he's green at the position; was originally recruited as a wide receiver before switching to running back in college. They might now want him as their No. 2 at the start of the season, especially given what figures to be a limited training camp and preseason.
A couple of weeks back they were reportedly open to Marshawn Lynch returning. Now they're talking to Carlos Hyde (sounds like everyone is) and Devonta Freeman, who Atlanta released. Freeman sounds like he's holding out for a better offer, but that might be a mistake.
Yards per carry might be an overrated stat, dependent somewhat on the offense and the line in front of him. But still, in the case of Freeman you've got a 28-year-old running back who's missed 18 of a possible 48 games since back-t0-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2015-2016. And his 3.6 yards per carry last season was one of the worst figures in the league.
| RUNNING BACK YARDS PER ATTEMPT, 2019 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Att | Yds | Avg | TD |
| Raheem Mostert, S.F. | 137 | 772 | 5.6 | 8 |
| Gus Edwards, Balt. | 133 | 711 | 5.4 | 2 |
| Devin Singletary, Buff. | 151 | 775 | 5.1 | 2 |
| Derrick Henry, Ten. | 303 | 1540 | 5.1 | 16 |
| Matt Breida, S.F. | 123 | 623 | 5.1 | 1 |
| Mark Ingram, Balt. | 202 | 1018 | 5.0 | 10 |
| Nick Chubb, Cle. | 298 | 1494 | 5.0 | 8 |
| Christian McCaffrey, Car. | 287 | 1387 | 4.8 | 15 |
| Kenyan Drake, 2TM | 170 | 817 | 4.8 | 8 |
| Josh Jacobs, Oak. | 242 | 1150 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Alvin Kamara, N.O. | 171 | 797 | 4.7 | 5 |
| Saquon Barkley, NYG | 217 | 1003 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Alexander Mattison, Min. | 100 | 462 | 4.6 | 1 |
| LeSean McCoy, K.C. | 101 | 465 | 4.6 | 4 |
| Aaron Jones, G.B. | 236 | 1084 | 4.6 | 16 |
| Miles Sanders, Phil. | 179 | 818 | 4.6 | 3 |
| Dalvin Cook, Min. | 250 | 1135 | 4.5 | 13 |
| Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 301 | 1357 | 4.5 | 12 |
| Phillip Lindsay, Den. | 224 | 1011 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Damien Williams, K.C. | 111 | 498 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Chris Carson, Sea. | 278 | 1230 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Marlon Mack, Ind. | 247 | 1091 | 4.4 | 8 |
| Jordan Howard, Phil. | 119 | 525 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Carlos Hyde, Hou. | 245 | 1070 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Latavius Murray, N.O. | 146 | 637 | 4.4 | 5 |
| Leonard Fournette, Jac. | 265 | 1152 | 4.4 | 3 |
| Jamaal Williams, G.B. | 107 | 460 | 4.3 | 1 |
| Adrian Peterson, Was. | 211 | 898 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Austin Ekeler, LAC | 132 | 557 | 4.2 | 3 |
| Ronald Jones, T.B. | 172 | 724 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Joe Mixon, Cin. | 278 | 1137 | 4.1 | 5 |
| James Conner, Pitt. | 116 | 464 | 4.0 | 4 |
| Tevin Coleman, S.F. | 137 | 544 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Benny Snell, Pitt. | 108 | 426 | 3.9 | 2 |
| Todd Gurley, LAR | 223 | 857 | 3.8 | 12 |
| Melvin Gordon, LAC | 162 | 612 | 3.8 | 8 |
| Royce Freeman, Den. | 132 | 496 | 3.8 | 3 |
| Sony Michel, N.E. | 247 | 912 | 3.7 | 7 |
| David Montgomery, Chi. | 242 | 889 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Frank Gore, Buff. | 166 | 599 | 3.6 | 2 |
| DeAndre Washington, Oak. | 108 | 387 | 3.6 | 3 |
| Devonta Freeman, Atl. | 184 | 656 | 3.6 | 2 |
| Kerryon Johnson, Det. | 113 | 403 | 3.6 | 3 |
| LeVeon Bell, NYJ | 245 | 789 | 3.2 | 3 |
| Peyton Barber, T.B. | 154 | 470 | 3.1 | 6 |
Carlos Hyde, by this metric, looks like a better choice. The Eagles have apparently talked to him, and maybe they'll also kick the tires on Freeman. His receiving ability might be a nice fit for their offense.
Regardless, if Seattle were to sign Freeman, I'd take it as a positive for Carson. He'd probably be primarily a guy who plays in some passing situations -- not an actual threat to Carson's workload as a runner.
--Andy Richardson