One week ago Christine Michael and Robert Turbin were battling it out to be the Seattle Seahawks’ back-up running back behind Marshawn Lynch. Now both are out of the picture.
The Seahawks turned the page on the Michael experiment when they flipped the third-year back to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in exchange for a conditional draft pick. The pick is reportedly a seventh rounder, provided Michael is on Dallas’ roster after a certain number of games. Otherwise Seattle receives no compensation.
The Seahawks also established their initial practice squad Sunday, headlined by former University of Washington wide receivers Kevin Smith and Kasen Williams.
Michael was Seattle’s first pick in the 2013 draft, being selected in the second round out of Texas A&M. The 5-foot-10, 221-pounder impressed the Seahawks with his tools, which include a tremendous burst of speed.
However, Michael never earned the trust of the Seattle coaching staff, carrying the ball just 52 times for 254 yards over the past two seasons, largely in garbage time. Concerns about fumbling were part of the reason for Michael’s limited action.
Michael’s trade means that neither of the two running backs who backed up Lynch the past two seasons will play for the Seahawks. Turbin (sprained ankle) was placed on injured reserve Saturday and is ineligible to play for Seattle this season.
The trade of Michael does two things to Seattle’s running back situation. First, it opens up a roster spot for Fred Jackson. It’s been widely reported that the Seahawks have agreed on a one-year contract with Jackson, an eight-year veteran who was released by the Buffalo Bills last Monday. The path is now clear not only for Jackson to be placed on the 53-man roster, but also to slot in as Lynch’s back-up.
The move also secures a roster spot for undrafted free agent running back Thomas Rawls. Rawls, who impressed during the preseason with a team-leading 158 yards rushing on 30 carries, will be the third stringer.
Sunday was also the day the Seahawks chose their initial practice squad.
Chief among the seven players officially signed to Seattle’s practice squad were Smith and Williams. Both players were in camp with the Seahawks trying to make the team as first-year free agents. Smith impressed with his promise as a returner, while Williams made multiple important catches during preseason games. Both presented valid arguments for making Seattle 53-man squad.
The other five players announced by the Seahawks were offensive linemen Will Pericak and Terry Poole, tight end RaShaun Allen, linebacker Eric Pinkins and running back Rod Smith, All five were in camp with the Seahawks. Poole (fourth round in 2015) and Pinkins (sixth round in 2014) are former Seattle draft picks, the other three came to camp as free agents.
According to Twitter reports the Seahawks also signed two players who were released by other teams. Cornerback Justin Coleman, a rookie free agent out of Tennessee, was released by New England, while cornerback Kevin Short, a rookie free agent out of Kansas, was let go by Kansas City.
Seattle had four players who were among Saturday’s 23 cuts who were claimed by other teams and placed on 53-man rosters, thus making them unavailable for the Seahawks’ practice squad. Those four were defensive end Obum Gwacham (New Orleans), defensive tackle T.Y. McGill (Indianapolis), and safeties Keenan Lambert (Oakland) and Ronald Martin Jr. (New York Jets). Gwacham was a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft, while McGill, Lambert and Martin were all rookie free agents. Seattle had more players claimed than any other team in the NFL.
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