Seattle Seahawks Give Up On Christine Michael
Occasional fantasy darling Christine Michael showed promise for the Seattle Seahawks early on, but the frustratingly inconsistent talent has been released.
The Seattle Seahawks are coming off of a last-gasp win over the New England Patriots, as Pete Carroll was able to exact his revenge on Bill Belichick. Rookie running back C.J. Prosise is healthy, and the former Notre Dame star played a huge role in the victory.
Prosise made play after play in the passing game, as the former wide receiver caught all seven targets for 87 yards. He made his presence felt on the ground, too, rushing for 67 yards and showing excellent patience and footwork.
Impressed by Prosise’s work in Week 10 and with Thomas Rawls likely to return, the Seahawks decided to dump fellow running back Christine Michael, temporarily ending what has been and on-and-off relationship between player and team.
Source: the Seahawks have released RB Christine Michael.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 15, 2016
Michael has averaged four yards per carry, put up 52 yards per game, and scored seven touchdowns from scrimmage. But with Rawls set to return and Prosise coming off of the best game of his young career, the Seahawks have decided that Michael is excess. And indeed, the news of Michael’s release means that Rawls is ready to go:
So for anyone who might have wondered, Seahawks RB Thomas Rawls is ready.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 15, 2016
Though his season stats look good, Michael hasn’t been highly effective since his huge Week 3 game against the San Francisco 49ers. Michael’s been finding the end zone, but he hasn’t been efficient. It isn’t easy to shine behind the Seahawks offensive line, but Rawls and Prosise look like more consistent rushers.
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There could be more to the story here, but I’m guessing the Seahawks just don’t feel like they can rely on Michael as a runner or receiver. Rawls and Prosise have set roles as a 1-2 punch and there just might not be a place for Michael. They released C.J. Spiller earlier this season after he caught a touchdown pass for them. The Seahawks are willing to move on from running backs quickly. At 6-2-1, that seems to be working out for them.