The Seattle Seahawks will attempt to utilize their running backs as receivers more often in 2019, particularly third-year back, Chris Carson.
Seattle has a fairly large void to fill at the wide receiver position with the loss of franchise cornerstone Doug Baldwin this offseason. Rookie D.K. Metcalf may be able to fill his shoes eventually, but he is not guaranteed to be an immediate contributor.
Tyler Lockett is now the No. 1 option at wideout and is expected to continue his production after his solid 2018 campaign in which he had a perfect passer rating when targeted, but he may receive some additional help in the passing game this season.
Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer admitted his intention to use Carson’s hands as a weapon during an interview this week on 710 ESPN Seattle.
“We need to get him more involved in the passing game,” Schottenheimer said. “He’s got unbelievable hands, and he’s a problem for people coming out of the backfield.”
Carson told reporters Tuesday Schottenheimer has been hard at work putting not just him, but also the other running backs in enhanced roles in preparation for the season.
“He’s doing a lot with the running backs,” Carson said. “He’s splitting them out wide, putting them in different spots around the field, he’s using us more for pass-catching than what he did in the previous years, it’s fun for us.”
The Seahawks could feature a more dynamic offense by making the most of their players’ abilities, and Schottenheimer plans to do just that with the team’s array of young running backs.
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