Examining Free Agent Running Back Options for Seahawks

As of now, Rashaad Penny is a free agent and the Seahawks will need to fill that void. Most hope that Penny can return, but in the event he doesn't, there are several viable options to pair with Chris Carson in Seattle's backfield.

Late in the season, former San Diego State star Rashaad Penny burst onto the scene after being dormant for the better part of four seasons. He looked every bit like the first round selection the Seahawks made him to be in 2018, leading the NFL in with 671 rushing yards in the final five games, including four games of over 130 yards.

However, Penny's rookie contract expired and he is set to be a free agent along with veteran Alex Collins. This leaves Seattle with a healing Chris Carson, who didn't play after Week 4 due to neck surgery, and young reserves Travis Homer, DeeJay Dallas, and Josh Johnson in the running back room. 

With how much Pete Carroll and company love to run the ball, it's apparent that they will want to replenish the running back group. One would assume they prefer to bring back Penny after a strong finish to the year but there are no guarantees. 

Putting each player in one of three different categories - last resort, capable veterans, and best fits - let's breakdown some options on the free agent market at running back.

Last Resort

Le'Veon Bell

Bell is the classic example of the fact that most running backs have a short shelf life. In his first five seasons, he earned three Pro Bowl selections and was two-time First-Team All-Pro. Following a contract holdout with the Steelers in 2017, it has all been downhill for Bell and he has not looked nearly like the All-World back he was before. Plus, he has been a headache for multiple teams, burning several bridges with front offices around the league and not playing up to large paydays. His days of big bucks are over and unfortunately, so are the days of him being productive enough to bring aboard, as he averaged 2.6 yards per carry in limited action with Tampa Bay and Baltimore this season.

Giovani Bernard

The North Carolina product was always a fantasy football darling in the earlier years of his career but unfortunately, he rarely delivered on the hype. As it is with most running backs, now that he is on the wrong side of 30, the tread has worn all the way down to the nubs for Bernard. After starting his career with three straight seasons with 1,000-plus all-purpose yards from 2013-2015, his production has been lackluster, having not topped 460 yards since 2015. There are far better, younger options to replace Penny if need be.

J.D. McKissic

McKissic certainly has more juice left in the tank than the other two options in this category at just 28 years old. Plus, he has already done one tour in Seattle from 2016-2018. He's a last resort not because of his ability or value, but due to fit. By now, we all know what the Arkansas State alum is and is not. He is a viable threat as a third down back, especially in the passing game. The 5-foot-10 back had a whopping 80 catches for 589 yards and 954 total yards from scrimmage in 2019 for Washington. He has almost as many receptions as he does carries over his NFL career. He is not any sort of bell-cow, every-down back. Seattle may opt for a back that projects more as the type that can carry the main load if Carson goes down with another injury. 

Capable Veterans

Devonta Freeman

Freeman describes the phrase "capable veteran" perfectly. Gone are his days of back-to-back Pro Bowl, 1,000-yard seasons with the Falcons in 2015 and 2016. He caught on with the Ravens in 2021 and served them well with 576 rushing yards and five touchdowns, leading the team in that category. He will be 30 years old before the 2022 season kicks off but clearly, he still has some juice left. Coupled with Chris Carson, Freeman offers a quality option for a different look. Plus, he would be cheaper than several other names on this list.

Melvin Gordon

When Gordon jumped from one AFC West team, the Chargers, to another in the Broncos, he didn't skip a beat. In two seasons in Denver, he put together back-to-back 900-plus yard efforts, combining for 1,904 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. He is flirting with being in the "best fit" category because he is still at the tail end of his peak. If Seattle were to pay up to bring him in, it's possible there would be some direct competition for the No. 1 running back in town. 

Cordarrelle Patterson

A former first-round pick who spent most of his career at receiver, Patterson is coming off of a career year in multiple respects. The Falcons finally used him like several other teams failed to do over his nine-year career as he set career highs in rushing yards (618), receiving yards (548), scrimmage yards (1,166), and scrimmage touchdowns (11). As he will be 31 years old, it's tough to tell how long he could sustain that production or even whether or not a team can help him reproduce those numbers. When used properly, he is the perfect complementary weapon to an offense, with elite athleticism and willingness to do just about everything. However, it's tough to envision Seattle getting the most out of him given how their offense operates. 

Best Fits

Leonard Fournette

At one point, the LSU product was one of the most coveted running backs in all of football. After the Jaguars took him fourth overall in the 2017 draft, he backed it up with 1,040 rushing yards and nine touchdowns for an upstart Jacksonville team that somehow made it all the way to the AFC title game. At six feet and nearly 230 pounds, Fournette is an absolute load to bring down. He has entire highlight videos dedicated to various stiff arms and other brutal broken tackles. Pairing him with Carson would be nearly unfair with how physically dominant those two backs can be. He already has a Super Bowl ring as he spearheaded Tampa's running attack through the 2020 playoffs. He may be the most expensive option listed here, with his track record and the fact that he is barely 27 years old. However, the potential for sheer brutality in the run game with him and Carson is exhilarating to daydream about. 

Sony Michel

Like Fournette, Michel is just 27 years old with seemingly at least a few years of solid football still in front of him. He is fresh off of helping the Rams win their second ever Super Bowl title against the Bengals, although he took a back seat down the stretch to Cam Akers. Between his time with the Patriots and Rams, he is already a two-time Super Bowl winner and only has turned in one season under 845 rushing yards through the first four campaigns of his career. He is a reliable, physical back that could be a luxury along with Carson or even a hedge if he were to go down again. 

Rashaad Penny

Let's be real here - the most optimal result would be to have Penny return to Seattle. With how things ended, he could ride a tsunami of momentum going into 2022 where he would be a featured part of the offense. The Seahawks stuck with the former Aztec despite an array of injuries that plagued him throughout the duration of his rookie contract. However, what he accomplished in the final five weeks of the 2021 season was nothing short of historic.

Only two running backs in the NFL since 1950 have rushed for over 700 yards, six touchdowns, and 6.9 yards per carry in the final six games of the regular season.

Barry Sanders (1997) and Rashaad Penny (2021). That was the year Sanders ran for a career-best 2,053 yards.

— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) February 17, 2022

The front office must spare no effort to bring Penny back, so long as the cost remains reasonable of course.