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Seattle Seahawks: Examining Fred Jackson fit

By Kevin Parvizi

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Immediately after it was announced that the Buffalo Bills had cut ties with veteran running back Fred Jackson, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and Baltimore Ravens were thrown around as RB-needy contenders who could look into Jackson as an option. His toughness, experience, and three-down ability would make him an attractive backup for a number of teams, and it looks like the Seattle Seahawks feel the same way about what F-Jax can bring to the table for them.

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Earlier today, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that Jackson is visiting the Seahawks today, and I don’t think many people would have guessed that the ‘Hawks would be his first free agent visit after yesterday’s release. Signing with the Seahawks would allow Jackson to compete for a championship, and the only other team that can realistically offer him that is the Patriots.

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It’s unclear how interested the Pats are in Jackson, because while Bill Belichick undoubtedly has a great deal of admiration for his long-time AFC East rival, the Patriots have a lot of bodies in their backfield. Although nobody has emerged a la Shane Vereen as the pass-catching back, Dion Lewis has excelled this preseason and Travaris Cadet is another worthy third-down back competing for that gig.

In Seattle, Jackson’s path to playing time is  muddied with less bodies but might be even less clear. Christine Michael is a prime release candidate if Jackson is signed, simply because he’s turned in yet another disappointing offseason. Michael has failed to match the previous hype, and there simply wouldn’t be space for him with Marshawn Lynch, Robert Turbin, and, in this hypothetical, Jackson on the roster (Thomas Rawls is another player worth mentioning).

Turbin and Michael both offer more upside than Jackson, but perhaps the Seahawks would prefer to bring in a more experienced player who has more past production. After all, Jackson did catch 66 passes last season and boasted 896 rushing yards with nine touchdowns and 4.3 yards per carry in 2013. Although he averaged just 3.7 yards per carry last season and isn’t as talented of a rusher as either Turbin or Michael, Jackson still has something left in the tank.

Lynch will continue to hoard touches as the NFL’s best running back, as he’s shown no signs of slowing down. There have been nagging back injuries and retirement considerations, but he’ll continue to churn out carries and chip in as a pass-catching option.

The fact that the Seahawks are showing interest in Jackson can be read as a lack of confidence in Michael, who has been criticized for not being reliable enough, but it might be more about showing a desire to get the running back more involved in the passing game. Lynch has caught 36 and 37 passes, respectively, in each of the past two seasons and has been solid in that capacity, but perhaps the Seahawks would rather give those targets to a more specialized pass-catcher in Jackson, thus saving Lynch some wear-and-tear.

I didn’t think the Seattle Seahawks would be interested in signing Jackson, simply because I thought they were fine with Turbin, Michael, and Rawls as the three men on the depth chart behind their workhorse back. But perhaps they like Jackson’s experience and three-down ability.

And perhaps they have a trade in mind. After dealing Kevin Norwood to the Carolina Panthers yesterday for a conditional seventh-round pick, the Seahawks have shown a willingness to deal young players who are odd-men out in a crowded position.

On the surface, Michael seems like the odd-man out for the Seahawks, but it’s more likely for Fred Jackson to replace Turbin, who is more of a three-down back, on the roster. Turbin is good enough to earn more touches elsewhere, and a team could recognize this by trading a pick of some modest value to the ‘Hawks if Jackson is signed. I highly doubt the Seahawks are interested in straight-up releasing either Michael or Turbin if they can help it, though it will be interesting to see which RB teams are more interested in acquiring.

Jan 18, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) carries the ball as Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Nick Perry (53) attempts the tackle during the third quarter in the NFC Championship Game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Jackson interest is a bit weird, but it makes some amount of sense if he comes at a cheap enough price. Since he probably wants to chase a championship after spending his time in Buffalo, I have a feeling he’d be willing to take a discount on a one-year deal to show his stuff as the Seahawks No. 2 back.

Because the Seahawks probably want to use the running back more in the passing game, signing Jackson would make sense for that reason alone, even if it isn’t a perfect fit or a necessary addition.

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