Every year as the offseason progresses players in the latter part of their careers, some not by choice, go ahead and call it a day and, in Jared Allen’s case, literally ride off into the sunset.
For and handful of teams this season the retirement of a player actually does matter. It leaves a hole, and while they may have a guy they like to step into that position, it still leaves a spot in their roster they need to look at either in free agency or the upcoming draft.
Until Peyton Manning finally decides to hang up his spurs, and he will (he’s just waiting for all this crazy butt stuff to wind down), no bigger name is on the NFL retirement list than Beast Mode himself.
Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seattle Seahawks
2015: 111 carries, 417 yards, 3.8 yards per carry, three touchdowns
Lynch was hurt most of his final season and announced his retirement on twitter by showing his green cleats hung up on a power cable.
— Marshawn Lynch (@MoneyLynch) February 8, 2016
Luckily for the Seahawks they already had a pretty good replacement for Lynch on the roster in second-year running back Thomas Rawls out of Central Michigan. Rawls played in 13 games this season and averaged 5.6 yards per carry as he tallied up 830 yards and four touchdowns. Rawls is a little shorter than Lynch but brings a lot of those same skills to the backfield and will obviously come into the 2016 as the presumptive starter. Hell, he’s the only running back they have under contract right now.
And all that is well and good but you’ve got to understand. Rawls is not Marshawn Lynch. No one is scared of him like they were Beast Mode. Rawls is an NFL running back and can do the job, but can he change a game? Can he put a team on his back? Can he single-handedly carry an entire defense with him to the end zone? We’ll see.
The Seahawks pick at No. 26 in the upcoming draft, so if you want to go ahead and do some math that gives them two picks in the top 57 which could easily land a good running back prospect. Seattle doesn’t enter the offseason with a lot of glaring needs on either side of the ball. They also have a pedigree, an almost guaranteed playoff spot and Super Bowl shot that may open them up as a potential destination for free agents willing to sign for less in the chase for a ring.
The Seahawks need to add two more running backs to the mix. One of those guys will come from the draft, but they’ll want to look hard at the free agent list for that other body. Last year they signed Fred Jackson to be that guy and he fits their system. If he doesn’t retire, Jackson could come back again at a reasonable and productive price. But the Seahawks have some capital to spend so they won’t be so quick to settle for Jackson’s services when someone else is out there that could be more productive.
A guy like Alfred Morris or Chris Ivory would fit what the Seahawks do perfectly, but those two guys are young and will cost more than Seattle is willing to spend. They’re looking for value and, frankly, I think the guy they need is fresh off the team that’s become their biggest NFC West rival, Benny Cunningham from the Los Angeles Rams.
Cunningham has been a multi-talented player for the Rams since they signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Middle Tennessee State back in 2012. He’s started games, he plays special teams and he’s been the team’s primary third-down back since his rookie year. He’s a great pass blocker, has good hands, and NFL speed. He’s probably too expensive and too good for the Rams to keep as their No. 3 back, but the Seahawks could plug him in easy.
As for the rookie in the draft, If I’m Seattle I find it very difficult not to draft Derek Henry out of Alabama with my first round pick if he falls to No. 26 and he just might. If they do go another way with that first pick, take a look at Kenneth Dixon’s highlight reel out of Louisiana Tech and see if it reminds you of anybody.
Dixon is projected to go in the second or third round so there’s an excellent chance he’ll be sitting there at 57 when the Seahawks’ second rounder shows up on the clock. He’s 5-foot-10, 215 pounds, started all four seasons, averaged 5.7 yards per carry for his career and scored 72 touchdowns.
For the last two seasons the team has used him more in the passing game and that’s worked out pretty well for Dixon. In those two campaigns he caught 66 passes for 849 yards and 13 touchdowns. So I think that’s a nice little addition to his skillset.
Rawls, paired with Cunningham and Dixon, would give the Seahawks the production, explosive plays, and power especially in the red zone they need to make a run in 2016.
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