Seahawks focusing on fixing a deteriorating run game
Two of the Seattle Seahawks' 2018 draft picks, like several of the team's moves earlier in the offseason, had one thing in common: they were made with an eye towards fixing a badly broken running game.
That's why the Seahawks spent their first-round pick on running back Rashaad Penny and then in the fourth chose Will Dissly, in their eyes the best blocking tight end in this year's draft.
"It was right on the mark. It's exactly what we hoped to do," coach Pete Carroll said at the conclusion of the draft when asked how important it was to land Penny and Dissly given the emphasis on improving that part of their offense.nfl jersey free shipping "We wanted to see if we could factor it in. We were thinking that there was a good chance that we might have a shot at a running back because it was a great draft for those guys, and then Will was exactly in [line with] that. Even [earlier] in the offseason and the things that we’ve done, there's a number of things that are leading to that. We gave ourselves a chance to get better, there’s no question."
The Seahawks finished 23rd in rushing last year and 25th in 2016, a steep and swift decline for a team that was never worse than fourth over the previous four seasons. But that only begins to explain how bad it was.
Of Seattle's 1,629 rushing yards last season, 472 of them came via 56 Russell Wilson scrambles, according to ESPN charting. Each figure led the league. That means that on designed runs, the Seahawks averaged a measly 3.27 yards per carry, much worse than their overall YPC average of 3.98. Excluding scramble plays, Seattle averaged 3.76 yards per carry in 2016 and between 3.83 and 4.77 over the previous four seasons.
What's more: Wilson accounted for three of the team's four rushing touchdowns last season -- yes, only four -- and led the team with 586 rushing yards while no running back produced more than 240. He became only the fifth quarterback since 1970 to lead his team in rushing.
As far as Football Outsiders' DVOA (Defense-Adjusted Value over Average), the Seahawks ranked 22nd in rushing last year. They were also 22nd in rushing DVOA in 2016 after finishing no worse than seventh from 2012 to 2015.
That should provide a sense of how badly Seattle's running game has deteriorated and why it was an offseason priority to fix.
Here's how the Seahawks -- they hope, at least -- have done that.wholesale nfl jerseys free shipping
Replacing Tom Cable with Mike Solari
The Seahawks hired Solari as their new offensive-line coach in January after firing Cable, who had held the position since 2011 and whose dismissal came not a moment too soon for most fans. The disapproval intensified over the past two seasons as Seattle's running game -- which Cable oversaw -- fell apart.
