Seahawks’ Carroll: ‘We need to run more’ in 2021 doesn’t assure Chris Carson is returning
For those who think Pete Carroll is stuck in a prehistoric era of football — and for those who like Chris Carson as a Seahawk — cover your eyes now.
And your ears. All, long offseason.
Carroll said Monday his Seahawks offense needs to run more in 2021 to push defenses out of the two-high-safety schemes that derailed Russell Wilson’s deep-passing game over the latter half of 2020.
“We have to run the ball better. And not even better; we have to run it more,” Carroll said Monday in his season-ending press conference.
It was two days after the NFC West champions lost in the first round of the playoffs because the Los Angeles Rams’ defense dominated his offense.
“We have to dictate what is going on with the people that we’re playing, and that’s one of the ways to do that,” Carroll said of running the ball. “I know the fans aren’t jacked about hearing that, but Russ knows it, too.
“We need to be able to knock those guys into the scheme that we want to throw at.”
Seattle’s lead back to run more, Chris Carson, had his contract end with Saturday’s loss to the Rams.
Does Carroll placing the offense’s priority for 2021 of running the ball more mean the team’s top offseason priority is re-signing Carson before he shops in free agency in March?
“No, not necessarily,” Carroll said.
That was telling.
The coach then added Carson was a “huge priority” and the Seahawks would love to have their seventh-round draft choice from 2017 who became a 1,200-yard rusher back next season.
Yet consider what Carroll said when asked about No. 2 running back Carlos Hyde, whose contract also just expired: “I really like Carlos. Carlos and Chris, really they’re the kind of the epitome of hardball running guys. They bring you attitude. They bring you a connection to the physical part of the game the way we’d love it. ...
“Carlos is right in there. He’s one of our guys. We’d love to have him back.”
Hyde is 30, four years older than Carson. The Seahawks signed Hyde to a one-year contract at $2.75 million before the 2020 season. That was with him coming off the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career, with Houston.
Hyde rushed for 356 yards with four touchdowns this past season for Seattle. He missed a month with a hamstring injury and then a game two weeks ago with an illness. Hyde will be much cheaper to retain than Carson, whose rookie contract has ended.
The often-injured Carson has yet to complete a full season injury-free since junior college. Yet he is likely to be command at least double or more than the older Hyde. For one barometer: The nine highest veteran salaries per year in the NFL are all worth an average of $8 million per year or more.
Carson rushed for 2,381 yards and 17 touchdowns in the 2018 and ‘19 seasons. He finished 2020 with 681 yards and five touchdowns. Those were his lowest totals since his rookie year of 2017 ended after four games because of a broken leg.
He wanted a new Seahawks contract by now. In September, he expressed surprise and some disappointment his team hadn’t talked to him yet about a new deal.
“I mean, of course that’s something that’s in my head, on my mind. You see a lot of guys that are starting to get paid,” Carson said Sept. 1. “You see somebody get paid, your phone blows up. Everybody’s up in you like, ‘Oh, did you see so and so got paid, blah, blah, blah.’
“Like I said, man, I just try not to focus on it.”
Two weeks ago, during the last week of the regular season, Carroll said Carson has earned the right to shop elsewhere for the money he wants, at a position with the shortest shelf-life in the NFL.
“I think Chris is really one of us, and he’s fit into the program great,” Carroll said. “What he said, I think he obviously means.
“But I do know Chris has got to — he’s got to look out for himself. So he’s got see what the situation is.”
This story was originally published January 11, 2021 at 11:53 AM.
