The Seattle Seahawks can only run the ball so many times. Pete Carroll may beg to differ, of course. But with Russell Wilson at the helm of the offense, the Seahawks, who had the NFL’s third most attempts (481) in 2019, probably won’t exceed their carry total from last year.
With Chris Carson recovering from a hip injury and Rashaad Penny returning from a torn ACL, the arrival of Carlos Hyde isn’t a good sign for either back. Most folks have brushed off the arrival of Hyde, who finished 2019 with over 1,000 rushing yards. But I’m not so sure Carson will go unaffected.
The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta wrote on how Seattle envisions Hyde filling in:
“Despite the signing of Hyde, the Seahawks still intend on Carson to be one of their primary offensive weapons in 2020, one reason why they didn’t want to pay too much for (Devonta) Freeman — they are looking more for someone to complement Carson and give another option than take Carson’s job.”
This addition primarily influences Penny. He seemed to finally be on the rise after a 2019 season when he was averaging 5.7 yards per carry, even if he had just 65 carries for 370 yards and three touchdowns. Penny will have an even harder time getting touches amid ACL recovery and with Hyde in the same backfield. Penny, a 2017 first-round pick, is trending toward bust territory,
But it’s easy to imagine Hyde’s presence detracting from Carson’s production, too. Maybe we’re not looking at a full-on timeshare, with two or three backs splitting the carries. But the Seahawks must’ve seen their lead back couldn’t carry a full load for a full season, with him suffering a hip injury in Week 16. Hyde has come to help ease the burden. As Condotta notes, Hyde isn’t taking Carson’s job — not after a season when Carson rushed for 1,230 yards and seven touchdowns. But perhaps Hyde is a sign that Carson’s job will be diminished slightly in the coming season.
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