The Seattle Seahawks cleared quite a bit of cap space last week after releasing Justin Britt and D.J. Fluker. Most felt the moves were made to clear room for a big signing on the defensive line, likely either Jadeveon Clowney or Everson Griffen.
While that could still be the case, the Seahawks could also use that extra cash to pursue upgrades elsewhere, including on the interior defensive line or in the secondary.
The other, even more off-the-wall option, would be to pursue a veteran running back on the open market, where options include Lamar Miller, Devonta Freeman, LeSean McCoy and perhaps most notably, Carlos Hyde.
While adding a running back may seem like more of a luxury than a necessity, the team did make it clear that Rashaad Penny is likely to begin training camp on the PUP list, and while Chris Carson is recovering well from his hip injury this team certainly wants to avoid a situation like they had last year, where they were forced to sign two players, Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin, off the street for their final few games.
Hyde would definitely be the spendiest of the remaining free agent running backs after coming off a career year with Houston in 2019 where he ran for 1,070 yards and six touchdowns.
Hyde originally came up with the 49ers, spending four years in San Francisco before splitting the 2018 season between Cleveland and Jacksonville, and breaking out last year with Houston.
Adding Hyde to a mix that features Carson and Penny, as well as youngsters Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas, might seem like overkill, but the coaching staff loves their physical, aggressive running game and Hyde would give them added insurance and another punishing runner to play with.
Whether the financials make sense is a whole other issue, but the fit is definitely there if Seattle is willing to commit money to add depth to their running back room.
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