For the first time in a long time, the backfield of the Seattle Seahawks has become a bit of a mess.
The season-ending ankle injuries suffered by Thomas Rawls on Sunday in Baltimore have left the Seahawks without a great option at running back.
Marshawn Lynch is not back practicing yet and is doing his rehabilitation from abdominal surgery away from the team. DuJuan Harris carried 18 times in place of Rawls against the Ravens on Sunday only to be released on Tuesday.
So until Lynch is able to get back on the field, the Seahawks have to patch a running game together in the interim. The most likely starter at this point would appear to be Bryce Brown, who the team re-signed on Tuesday.
Brown spent time with the Seahawks earlier this season when Lynch missed a pair of games due to a hamstring injury. However, he never played for Seattle in a game before being released. With Fred Jackson likely to remain in the third-down/two-minute role for the Seahawks, Brown likely moves into the starting lineup despite being on the street just days ago.
“It’s a good opportunity for us to bring a guy back that we’ve been training,” head coach Pete Carroll said Monday. “We liked the work that he did. Roster issues made it come and go a little bit here, but we’re happy to get him back.”
Another possibility is fullback Derrick Coleman.
Coleman had one carry for 19 yards against the Ravens on Sunday and was a tailback during college at UCLA. He gives them some additional depth in the meantime.
Seattle also has an open roster spot that could theoretically be used on another free agent running back as well.
The Seahawks haven’t had to deal with so many issues in their backfield since the opening days of Carroll’s tenure in Seattle. The Seahawks struggled to find a consistent starter in 2010 between Justin Forsett, Julius Jones and Leon Washington until the team traded for Lynch midseason.
Lynch has been a stalwart for Seattle since then until injuries sidelined him this season. Rawls then stepped in and was terrific before being lost for the season on Sunday.
Until Lynch can return, the Seahawks will have to patchwork a running game together for the next few weeks. Luckily for them, Russell Wilson has never played better. They’ll need him to keep up his hot streak in the meantime.