Seahawks’ RB Chris Carson has chance to prove biggest asset: availability

Jul 15, 2019, 12:34 PM | Updated: 12:38 pm

Seahawks RB Chris Carson rushed for more than 1,100 yards last season. (Getty)

(Getty)

Seattle Sports

The Seahawks kick off training camp on July 25, and until then, Brock and Salk will count down the top 25 most intriguing Seahawks every weekday at 8:30 a.m. Their list continues with No. 8: Running back Chris Carson.

Listen to the full segment here, and check out the highlights below:

Quick look

•Drafted in the seventh round of Oklahoma State in 2017. At No. 249 overall, Carson was just four picks away from going undrafted.
•Ended his rookie season on injured reserve after suffering a broken ankle in Week 4.
•Bounced back in 2018 with 1,151 yards and nine touchdowns — the first 1,000-plus yard season from a Seahawks running back since 2014 (Marshawn Lynch).
•Had surgery on his knee this offseason, but is expected to make a return in training camp.

What Brock Huard is saying

“I think he could be a whole lot higher on this list, largely because of what he did a year ago when he exploded on the scene,” Brock Huard said during Monday morning’s Brock and Salk show. “He just somehow put on 20 pounds of muscle and propelled that into a 1,000-yard season, where he was largely healthy unlike his rookie year. At times last year he made plays that even the great Steve Raible, who has called games for 30 years, was like ‘I didn’t see this one coming, and how in the world did No. 32 get this done?’

Chris Carson just hurdled a defender, did a front flip, then stuck the landing 😱😱😱 #SEAvsCAR pic.twitter.com/90cYbSpEaH

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) November 25, 2018

“He is something else,” Huard continued. “And you know what, frankly? Pete Carroll saw something else in him more than anyone else. He would’ve went undrafted if it wasn’t for Pete Carroll. You get into those late rounds and you get coaches and scouts and personnel (vouching) for guys they want on their football team. Because in Pete’s estimation, he watched some of Carson’s plays at Oklahoma State, where he ran through the face of people. I mean, he just physically embarrassed some of his foes. Now, the problem with Chris, and this goes back to high school, is just that most important ability of all, and that’s availability. He spent most of this offseason watching from the sidelines.”

What makes Carson intriguing

“I thought he had a fantastic season,” Mike Salk said. “He mostly stayed healthy. But the question is, and it’s the reason he’s so intriguing: How much of that was a Thomas Rawls-ian mirage? Carson’s success lasted longer, but the first year of Thomas Rawls’ career, it was like forget Marshawn Lynch — we didn’t even worry about him. They had replaced Marshawn Lynch and there was an argument about whether they were going to get even better.

“How many carries will Rashaad Penny take from him this year? Is there another gear for Carson? Can he do more in the passing game than he did a year ago? I think all questions that are worth asking when it comes to Carson. But he’s the guy you’re hoping is going to become the next big star here.”