The Seahawks are set to open the season with three running backs on the 53-man roster, and the shape of the backfield looks pretty clear heading into Week 1 against the New England Patriots.
Jadarian Price is the name at the top of the list. The rookie first-round pick did not play in the preseason, but Seattle is still expected to lean on him heavily right away.
Price has been working through injuries during training camp, yet the team appears confident he’ll be ready as the regular season gets going. When he makes his NFL debut, the expectation is that he’ll handle the bulk of the carries as he continues to get healthier.
Sam Darnold laid out exactly why the Seahawks are so intrigued by Price earlier in camp. "He's a really special player.
He brings a different facet to the offense that only a guy like him can bring. Whether it's catching passes out of the backfield, catching screens, running in between the tackles, outside the tackles.
He can really do it all, and I know he's just going to continue to get better and learn," Darnold said via ESPN insider Brady Henderson.
Seattle does want to work from a committee, but that plan has already been altered by Zach Charbonnet’s absence. Charbonnet is coming back from a torn ACL and will begin the year on the physically unable to perform list, which opens the door for George Holani to take on a bigger role.
Holani is the one back in the room who was on the roster when the team won the Super Bowl against the Patriots back in February, and he’s expected to handle a good amount of third-down work. The Seahawks view him as arguably their best pass protector right now, which should help take some of the load off Price as the rookie settles in.
Emanuel Wilson rounds out the group, though his status for the opener is less certain. He has been out of practice and did not suit up in the preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs. There is hope he can recover in time for the September 9th game, but his level of progress is still unclear.
If Wilson is healthy, he could see a few carries simply to shake off the rust. Even so, he sits behind both Price and Holani on the depth chart, and there’s a real chance he ends up inactive for Week 1.
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