KIRKLAND — Among the topics on the Seattle Seahawks’ offseason to-do list, fixing the ground game was Nos. 1 and 1A.
Exit Shaun Alexander, and enter a whole new adventure.
The new-look Seahawks running game was on display for the first time Friday afternoon, and there are still a lot of questions to be answered.
“We’ve still got a ways to go,” offensive coordinator Gil Haskell said after two Friday practices. “The (offensive) line has work to do. The new tight end (rookie John Carlson), we’ve got to figure out if he can be a starter. We’ve got to replace a 1,000-yard rusher.
“So we’ve got a ways to go. It’s a matter of putting it together, and that takes time.”
Julius Jones is likely to be the feature back, but veteran T.J. Duckett and fullback Leonard Weaver should see plenty of carries as well. Weaver and Maurice Morris add another dimension in the passing game, meaning they’ll see plenty of action on third downs.
The days of Alexander left, Alexander right and Alexander up the middle appear to be in the past.
The question now is whether the problems in Seattle’s run game are also history. Seattle ranked 26th in the league in yards per carry (3.8) last season, so the run game was certainly in need of a facelift.
The Seahawks have jettisoned Alexander and offensive line coach Bill Laveroni since the end of last season. Running backs coach Stump Mitchell left to take a job with the Washington Redskins, and the Seahawks brought in three new halfbacks: Jones, Duckett and rookie Justin Forsett of Cal.
The team also brought in a new left guard, veteran Mike Wahle, and moved Rob Sims to the right side, where he will battle Floyd Womack and 37-year-old Chris Gray for the starting spot.
Wahle believes that he can help turn things around in the running game.
“When you bring in new guys like me and the coaches, the expectations are that you’re going to be better in the running game,” Wahle said after the team’s minicamp practice Friday morning. “… Their run game does need to improve from last year, but when you watch the film, it’s just a little thing here and there.”
Seattle’s ground game, which was the envy of the NFL in 2005, went from outstanding to ordinary to subpar practically overnight. The loss of Pro Bowl left guard Steve Hutchinson and the retirements of center Robbie Tobeck and fullback Mack Strong, along with a litany of injuries that plagued Alexander, sent the Seahawks’ running game into a tailspin over the past two seasons.
By the end of last year, Seattle ranked 20th in the league in rushing yards per game (101.2) and 26th in yards per carry (3.8). Alexander looked nothing like a league MVP, Sims and Weaver struggled at times, and Tobeck’s replacement, center Chris Spencer, was learning as he went.
Head coach Mike Holmgren sounded Friday as if he’s losing his patience with players like Sims and Spencer, although he wasn’t naming names.
“Some of the guys that I called young last year, I am not going to call (them) young anymore,” he said. “They have played enough now. Let’s get it going and see some improvement.”
The key to Seattle’s run game, of course, could be the guys who are replacing Alexander. Jones and Duckett have both had success during their NFL careers, yet they’re coming off mediocre seasons. Both players said that they look forward to splitting time in the backfield.
“We’re both veteran guys who’ve been in the league and know what needs to get done,” Duckett said. “We bring a lot to the table. We’ve got a lot of experience; it’s not our first go-around.”
When Jones signed a four-year deal with the Seahawks in March, the team still had Alexander and Morris and had just added Duckett to the mix. But he wasn’t afraid of a little competition.
“They presented me with an opportunity to play, and that was pretty much it,” Jones said. “They didn’t promise me anything, and I wasn’t expecting anything. They just gave me a fair opportunity to play. It’s a winning organization, so I couldn’t say no.”
Morris was working with the first team during Friday’s practices, mainly because he knows the offensive system. Time will tell how things shake down.
“It will be hard to evaluate until we have put on the pads and really get playing,” Holmgren said.
The only known commodity is that Seattle’s running game will include some different faces in the fall.
“You’re used to seeing guys like Mack and Shaun and all of us being together, but (change) is part of the business,” Weaver said. “Things change, and you’ve got to keep moving on.”
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