Seattle Seahawks fans got a pair of encouraging running back updates this week, and both are the kind of news that makes July feel a little longer.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Zach Charbonnet is moving in the right direction as he works back from the season-ending injury he suffered in the playoffs. Fowler posted Monday that “Also on Seattle’s offense, RB Zach Charbonnet has a late July check-up on his knee. By all indications he’s progressing well,”
Charbonnet’s recovery has already drawn optimism from head coach Mike Macdonald, who has even left open the possibility of a Week 1 return.
There was more buzz on the rookie side, too. Fowler said Seattle has been impressed with Jadarian Price before camp even opens. “The Seahawks have been impressed with rookie RB Jadarian Price’s open-field vision so far,” Fowler added.
That gives Seattle a chance at some early-season steadiness in the backfield, which is exactly the kind of thing teams want to sort out before the games start counting.
Fowler also offered a broader look at Seattle’s offense on Sunday during NFL Live, pointing to more motion, more shifting, and a scheme that should fit Sam Darnold. He said, “More motions and shifts in the offense, they will have that with Brian Fleury,” and added, “I'm told that Sam Darnold's really comfortable with that.
Rasheed Shaheed, we know he's fast. He had a major spring.
I was told he and Sam Darnold hitting it off. They're going to give him more, some of those routes you saw Jaxon Smith-Njigba was running so well last year.
He'll still do those, but they're going to give more short to intermediate stuff to Rashid Shaheed.”
The wait for camp is still on, but not for much longer. Seattle opens training camp on July 25 and wraps it up on August 13. Rookies report on July 17, and veterans arrive on the 24th.
In Other News...
Former Seahawks Quarterback Nears A Brutal NFL Reality
Sam Howells NFL journey keeps moving in a direction no quarterback wants, with the former Seahawks passer now trying to settle in with the Cowboys after bouncing through several teams in a short span. Dallas currently has him working as the No. 3 quarterback behind Dak Prescott and Joe Milton, which is a familiar kind of pressure point for a player who has already seen how quickly a depth chart can change.
Howell does have starting experience from his time with Washington in 2023, but the bigger picture is getting harder to ignore. He has been traded multiple times, and after landing on his fifth team in five years, his path now looks less like a reset and more like a test of whether he can hold onto any stable role at all. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Familiar Tight End Dilemma Brewing
With Brian Fleury taking over as offensive coordinator, Seattle is preparing for a scheme that should lean heavily on the tight end position, and that has already made the depth chart worth watching. The Seahawks are not short on bodies there, either, with AJ Barner, Elijah Arroyo and Eric Saubert among the names in the room as the team sorts out how it wants to use the position this season.
Colby Parkinsons name only adds to the intrigue because he still fits what Seattle wants to do and has shown he can be a useful red-zone piece. He is now with the Rams, but as roster decisions near, the possibility of a familiar face coming back into the conversation gives the Seahawks another layer of complexity at a spot that already feels crowded and important. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks May Soon Regret Giving Up On Riq Woolen
Riq Woolens fall from starter to ex-Seahawks cornerback happened quickly enough that Seattle moved on, but his next stop has kept the conversation alive. After becoming a free agent, Woolen landed with the Philadelphia Eagles, where the early spring reports have been encouraging and the new staff already sounds intrigued by what he can bring to the secondary.
For Seattle, the broader question is whether the cornerback room can absorb the loss without a problem. The Seahawks added three corners in the draft and have other options in the mix, but the depth chart still looks vulnerable enough that one injury could make Woolens exit feel much bigger than it seemed when he was no longer in the starting lineup. [Read more 🡒]