Seahawks rumors: Jamaal Charles to compete with Adrian Peterson, Latavius Murray
By Matt Conner
The Seattle Seahawks are bringing in numerous running backs to see who is the best fit, including Jamaal Charles, Adrian Peterson, Eddie Lacy and Latavius Murray.
The Seattle Seahawks are checking all the boxes on veteran running back as they decide who to sign in the early days of free agency. The team has already hosted former Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy and now they’ve scheduled visits with several familiar faces like Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings, Latavius Murray of the Oakland Raiders and, of course, Jamaal Charles.
Seahawks are being very diligent on OL/RB. TJ Lang and Eddie Lacy visited. Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles and Latavius Murray scheduled too
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 12, 2017
Charles was let go by the Kansas City Chiefs early in the offseason with a failed physical designation, although Charles’ camp has said he will be ready to go by the beginning of the season. His cap hit was going to be cost-prohibitive, but several fans have hoped he would return to K.C. Yet the team’s statements about Charles were rather definitive about his absence, thanking him for his service without necessarily leaving the door open for his return, unlike someone like free agent defensive tackle Dontari Poe.
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Charles is the team’s all-time leading rusher with 7,260 rushing yards and an incredible average of 5.5 yards per carry, best in NFL history. Charles also has 43 rushing touchdowns in his career and another 20 touchdown receptions.
Despite the gaudy numbers, Charles faces serious competition for the job and Adrian Peterson has even better career numbers, a first-ballot Hall of Fame player who was let go from the Minnesota Vikings for the same reasons—cost, age, injury concerns. Peterson led the NFL in rushing just two seasons ago and ranks No. 16 all-time in rushing yards.
Murray would give the Seahawks a much younger option with more tread on the tires, but his numbers haven’t even touched those of Peterson or Charles. The latter options, if healthy, could potentially give a team an impact talent in the backfield. Murray had 788 yards last year with a 4.0 yards/carry average. He does have a nose for the end zone with 12 rushing touchdowns last season.
Lacy’s role and production has been diminishing since his rookie season in Green Bay. Last season, Lacy started only 5 games and had 71 carries, but looked a bit more productive with 5.1 yards per carry in limited duty before he landed on injured reserve.