Christine Michael to get more opportunities this year?

[NorthHawk]

PFT has a comment from Pete saying they expect more from him this year.
It will be interesting to see who wins the backup spot behind Marshawn.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... e-michael/

[PasadenaHawk]

Wouldn't take much to see more out of him, given what little we have seen so far. Hope he lights it up.

[Zorn76]

CM needs to step up and be the #2 this season. If he's behind Turbin because of playbook knowledge and/or blocking skills, then some work ethic issues may be a factor. Having him spell Marshawn while having some big play potential would be ideal compared to RT.

[RiverDog]

Just more Pete Speak (yawn). Wake me up when he gets his first touch, I don't want to miss it.

[Eaglehawk]

What has changed so that CM is going to get more touches?
That question was not answered.

[Vegaseahawk]

The dude basically evaporated in 2013. RB's need to run. It's not like he needed to be protected against injury or anything like that. Why not rotate him in there with Turbo? I don't recall seeing him take even 1 handoff in the regular season. It should be interesting to see him complete for the backup spot next year though.

[Hawktawk]

Micheal will get more touches. maybe a lot more. If anyone was paying attention to the plays he got the ball its clear he has a burst unlike anyone on the team except maybe Harvin. And he is violent at the point of contact, almost drawing a crown of the helmet penalty against the Raiders when he hit some defender so hard he knocked his helmet off. His potential makes me drool. Its just PC playing Okeydokie again. Why play the guy and take a chance on a turnover or missed block when you have an all pro and a solid backup in front of him? Plus he just gets hungrier. Just wait till next year LOL, in a lot of ways.............

[monkey]

What has changed so that CM is going to get more touches?
That question was not answered.

What has changed is probably the way the team views Robert Turbin. My best guess is they are not thinking of Turbin as Marshawn's eventual replacement (I should hope not!) but are thinking that Michael may very well be.
What hopefully changed was Christine's willingness to block, hopefully he matured as the year progressed, and hopefully he became a more complete player.

My guess is that this is Pete's way of both telling Michael that more is going to be expected of him, and of telling us fans that his plans for Michael hasn't changed, that he's still on track with what they drafted him to be.

[Hawktawk]

Another thing to consider is that the miles are piling up on the Beasts odometer. He seemed to hit a wall last year in the regular season with several consecutive games under 100 yards. He played really well vs the Rams in the last game and really was a workhorse getting Seattle to the SB in the playoffs. But really he wasn't a huge factor in that game either. With a guy who plays like Marshawn the future can be very soon for the next man up. Turbin doesn't look like anything more than a change up guy. But Micheal is a true one cut zone read downhill runner with another gear at the second level. JS and PC have a pretty good track record. If they are high on the guy so am I

[RiverDog]

What has changed so that CM is going to get more touches?
That question was not answered.

I can't see how anything could have changed from the way CM was being used up until just a few weeks ago. Did he suddenly lose faith in Turbin or Lynch? Are they thinking of a position change for Turbin? Where are these touches going to come from?

I have to conclude that this is just another example of Pete thinking out loud without giving us any of his reasoning.

[Clem7]

I think CM will be a star. How they are bringing him along makes no difference.

[Zorn76]

Another thing to consider is that the miles are piling up on the Beasts odometer. He seemed to hit a wall last year in the regular season with several consecutive games under 100 yards. He played really well vs the Rams in the last game and really was a workhorse getting Seattle to the SB in the playoffs. But really he wasn't a huge factor in that game either. With a guy who plays like Marshawn the future can be very soon for the next man up. Turbin doesn't look like anything more than a change up guy. But Micheal is a true one cut zone read downhill runner with another gear at the second level. JS and PC have a pretty good track record. If they are high on the guy so am I

Our OL's run blocking was terrible in the SB. It was, literally, the only thing that was poor in a game that was otherwise lights out for the Seahawks. Conversely, the pass protection was excellent. Go figure.

IMO, Marshawn hit a wall that was made up of his own OL being pushed into him. Nothing about Beast suggested he was suffering from fatigue or losing a step. It boils down to our guys up front who, while having guts and some moxie, aren't really that talented overall. It's the #1 thing, bar none, that Pete and John need to fix moving forward.

We can do better than Breno, Carp, McQ, etc. Giving RW just a half second longer in the pocket, and giving Lynch anything that resembles a hole in any given gap will go a long way for our chances of repeating. I think Michael has big upside. His mindset now needs to be that he's simply going to out play Turbin for 2nd string.

Beyond that, we still need to find another RB in the next year or two to replace Marshawn. Maybe that'll be Michael, maybe not. But given how RB's have fallen in drafts recently, we'd be wise to invest in one as added insurance and have an additional candidate to take the reigns from Beast when he's through playing.

[Oly]

What has changed so that CM is going to get more touches?
That question was not answered.

What has changed is probably the way the team views Robert Turbin. My best guess is they are not thinking of Turbin as Marshawn's eventual replacement (I should hope not!) but are thinking that Michael may very well be.
What hopefully changed was Christine's willingness to block, hopefully he matured as the year progressed, and hopefully he became a more complete player.

My guess is that this is Pete's way of both telling Michael that more is going to be expected of him, and of telling us fans that his plans for Michael hasn't changed, that he's still on track with what they drafted him to be.

My thought is similar. Turbin's playing time came mostly on passing situations because of his blocking and receiving, and I'm guessing he's better than CM by a big margin there. But I'd also guess that if Lynch had gotten injured in Game 1, then Michael would have been the starter by midyear.

All guesses of course, but Michael has looked far more promising as a runner than Turbin.

[Eaglehawk]

My thought is similar. Turbin's playing time came mostly on passing situations because of his blocking and receiving, and I'm guessing he's better than CM by a big margin there. But I'd also guess that if Lynch had gotten injured in Game 1, then Michael would have been the starter by midyear.

All guesses of course, but Michael has looked far more promising as a runner than Turbin.

When we look at Turbin and say that MC is better don't forget his Turbin's blocking abilities and the dozens of yards that were brought back because of penalties on the offense when, coincidentally, he broke some huge gains. I am not sold on MC just yet.

[briwas101]

What has changed so that CM is going to get more touches?
That question was not answered.

Exactly. If nothing has changed then nothing has changed.

If he sat on the bench because he isnt one of our 2 best RB then what's changed about that?

If he is just an insurance policy in case lynch gets injured or becomes too expensive compared to production and needs to get cut, then what has changed?

There was a good reason most people were scratching their head when we drafted him. He can't get much playing time behind Lynch and Turbin, and if he can't crack the top 2 then it indicates he was drafted too early.

Maybe the hawks wanted to have the most talented inactive list in the nfl?

[briwas101]

What has changed so that CM is going to get more touches?
That question was not answered.

What has changed is probably the way the team views Robert Turbin. My best guess is they are not thinking of Turbin as Marshawn's eventual replacement (I should hope not!) but are thinking that Michael may very well be.
What hopefully changed was Christine's willingness to block, hopefully he matured as the year progressed, and hopefully he became a more complete player.

My guess is that this is Pete's way of both telling Michael that more is going to be expected of him, and of telling us fans that his plans for Michael hasn't changed, that he's still on track with what they drafted him to be.

Except that the conventional wisdom was that the hawks knew turbin wouldn't be Lynch's replacement a year ago when we drafted Michael. So in that sense absolutely nothing has changed.

Lynch is still Lynch, and turbin comes in to give him a breather. Turbin will never be Lynch but he is quality as a backup.

[Hawktawk]

[quote

Our OL's run blocking was terrible in the SB. It was, literally, the only thing that was poor in a game that was otherwise lights out for the Seahawks. Conversely, the pass protection was excellent. Go figure.

IMO, Marshawn hit a wall that was made up of his own OL being pushed into him. Nothing about Beast suggested he was suffering from fatigue or losing a step. It boils down to our guys up front who, while having guts and some moxie, aren't really that talented overall. It's the #1 thing, bar none, that Pete and John need to fix moving forward.
We can do better than Breno, Carp, McQ, etc. Giving RW just a half second longer in the pocket, and giving Lynch anything that resembles a hole in any given gap will go a long way for our chances of repeating. I think Michael has big upside. His mindset now needs to be that he's simply going to out play Turbin for 2nd string.
Beyond that, we still need to find another RB in the next year or two to replace Marshawn. Maybe that'll be Michael, maybe not. But given how RB's have fallen in drafts recently, we'd be wise to invest in one as added insurance and have an additional candidate to take the reigns from Beast when he's through playing.

Zorn I was listening to Bill Polian on NFL Network and he said he was impressed with how well Wilson did in the SB despite very average line play.he even described Unger as "a guy with a big name but who played a very average to poor game" Honestly I don't think the line played really well in any phase. Thats why I would have been cool with RW as MVP. He had plenty of pressure but he still made the plays.

As to the larger RB issue, don't misunderstand I love the Beast. But I never have felt he has the greatest vision or quickest decision making capability. A lot of his "Beast Mode" plays running over people are a byproduct of him being impatient,indecisive or greedy rather than taking whats there. And yes they are also a product of a mediocre line. I thought Okung was really not very good but apparently had lingering problems from the toe injury. I thought Unger was very average, maybe living off his reputation a little. To me Breno was better late in the season. But clearly there is no Jones,Hutch, or Tobeck on the team and nobody on this roster is really an upgrade over Grey or Lock either. Its a huge area of need. As for Lynch/Turbo/Micheal I see next year as Lynches last with Seattle due to the looming RW contract among others. The flashes Ive seen from Micheal tells me the FO thinks they have their heir apparent.

[Eaglehawk]

O line needs a facelift for sure.

And the CM deal is just doublespeak from PC.

Lynch will continue to lose a step, and Turbin and MC should see more touches. I think that is all PC had in mind. He knows that next season will be Lynch's last year.

[Zorn76]

[quote

Our OL's run blocking was terrible in the SB. It was, literally, the only thing that was poor in a game that was otherwise lights out for the Seahawks. Conversely, the pass protection was excellent. Go figure.

IMO, Marshawn hit a wall that was made up of his own OL being pushed into him. Nothing about Beast suggested he was suffering from fatigue or losing a step. It boils down to our guys up front who, while having guts and some moxie, aren't really that talented overall. It's the #1 thing, bar none, that Pete and John need to fix moving forward.
We can do better than Breno, Carp, McQ, etc. Giving RW just a half second longer in the pocket, and giving Lynch anything that resembles a hole in any given gap will go a long way for our chances of repeating. I think Michael has big upside. His mindset now needs to be that he's simply going to out play Turbin for 2nd string.
Beyond that, we still need to find another RB in the next year or two to replace Marshawn. Maybe that'll be Michael, maybe not. But given how RB's have fallen in drafts recently, we'd be wise to invest in one as added insurance and have an additional candidate to take the reigns from Beast when he's through playing.

Zorn I was listening to Bill Polian on NFL Network and he said he was impressed with how well Wilson did in the SB despite very average line play.he even described Unger as "a guy with a big name but who played a very average to poor game" Honestly I don't think the line played really well in any phase. Thats why I would have been cool with RW as MVP. He had plenty of pressure but he still made the plays.

As to the larger RB issue, don't misunderstand I love the Beast. But I never have felt he has the greatest vision or quickest decision making capability. A lot of his "Beast Mode" plays running over people are a byproduct of him being impatient,indecisive or greedy rather than taking whats there. And yes they are also a product of a mediocre line. I thought Okung was really not very good but apparently had lingering problems from the toe injury. I thought Unger was very average, maybe living off his reputation a little. To me Breno was better late in the season. But clearly there is no Jones,Hutch, or Tobeck on the team and nobody on this roster is really an upgrade over Grey or Lock either. Its a huge area of need. As for Lynch/Turbo/Micheal I see next year as Lynches last with Seattle due to the looming RW contract among others. The flashes Ive seen from Micheal tells me the FO thinks they have their heir apparent.

Yeah - I could've amended my previous statement to, "our pass protection was excellent - for our team."

re: Polian - I disagree that it was as bad protecting RW, but do understand the Unger sentiments as they pertain to the run blocking, which definitely was awful overall.

I guess we see things differently with Lynch. His effectiveness is because he's a north/south runner, hitting the hole as quick as possible, with footwork that is, for the most part, unbelievable. His gambles - much like RW - payoff more often than not. I haven't looked up his contract details, but at 28 yrs old, I believe he has this season and next as productive seasons. Again, shore up that line and he'd be that much better, let alone our QB on passing downs.

We'll need to see a lot of CM for Seattle to be able to bank on him for the future of the franchise.

[Hawktawk]

We'll need to see a lot of CM for Seattle to be able to bank on him for the future of the franchise.[/quote]

I agree completely Zorn. I like the flashes Ive seen from CM, he has another gear.But Timmy Smith had a great SB for the redskins years ago too........ And I agree with Lynches footwork being outstanding, not to mention the sickest stiff arm in the league. I think its banking on a lot to say hes good to go for 2 more seasons. His style is so physical he is always nursing something, back, knee, ankle. He definitely looked flat at times last season so much so that PC had to field questions about perhaps giving touches to CM LAST year. Carroll squashed the suggestion at the time which makes it interesting what he is saying now. And regardless of whether lynch is locked up we have some serious looming contract issues with Wilson and Sherman among others so he could be a cap casualty or trade bait regardless of production.

[RiverDog]

O line needs a facelift for sure.

And the CM deal is just doublespeak from PC.

Lynch will continue to lose a step, and Turbin and MC should see more touches. I think that is all PC had in mind. He knows that next season will be Lynch's last year.

Pete does that from time to time, gets carried away and says something he doesn't really mean... Remember the "we're going to build around Tavaris" line a few years back?

[wait_a_sec]

I was all jacked up for CM when he joined the team because of the speed/explosion factor. Put him in on some plays with Percy and see what happens then!

[HumanCockroach]

The dude basically evaporated in 2013. RB's need to run. It's not like he needed to be protected against injury or anything like that. Why not rotate him in there with Turbo? I don't recall seeing him take even 1 handoff in the regular season. It should be interesting to see him complete for the backup spot next year though.

I know he had a few carries in blowouts, I think Jacksonville and against Atlanta, there might have been another game. I seem to remember he did well when given the opportunity. Just think he is missing some key elements that the staff want from him ( specifically pass blocking). His upside IMHO is pretty damn high, we'll see if he has put in the necessary work to actually compete with Turbin for playing time.

[NorthHawk]

Hawks had the luxury of not having to play him.
If there was some type of issue about how to do things Pete's way including blocking, winning a SB should have cleared that up. Players want to contribute to winning, not just watch.

[kalibane]

It most likely comes down to being reliable with pass blocking. We know Turbin will stick his nose in there even if he isn't great. Honestly the last guy that made me as excited in such limited exposure as CM has was Ahman Green. Hopefully it works out that way.

[HumanCockroach]

It most likely comes down to being reliable with pass blocking. We know Turbin will stick his nose in there even if he isn't great. Honestly the last guy that made me as excited in such limited exposure as CM has was Ahman Green. Hopefully it works out that way.

The coach will trade him, and he'll go on to a big career somewhere else? LOL, just messing around.

[Distant Relative]

It's funny how people continue to analyze (and some) even think and or insinuate that they know more about this situation than the Coach! CM had a serious knee injury in 2011, a injury that some players take over a year to recover from.

I know it is hard for some of you to think about the future of our team but I think that's exactly what the coaches are doing. Why not let the kid watch and learn? Why is it that some of you are so against it? Just because of his draft status? The kids abilities are there and the coaches didn't see a need to get him into the rotation. I for one am glad that PC doesn't change his coaching or game planning to appease the fans.

I'm actually surprised a certain poster hasn't declared CM a bust yet. The same poster that thinks he needs to have every move made by PC explained to him.

Super Bowl Champs! Seattle Seahawks!

[RiverDog]

It most likely comes down to being reliable with pass blocking. We know Turbin will stick his nose in there even if he isn't great. Honestly the last guy that made me as excited in such limited exposure as CM has was Ahman Green. Hopefully it works out that way.

That's been the rap on CM, which is a bit curious as you would think that if blocking was a big issue with him that it would have been something that came out on film.

I haven't really seen too much of him, outside of the few touches he got in garbage time in a few blowout wins, but he made such an impression on the friends of mine that attended camp they ran out of adjectives to describe him. But if he can't or won't block, he won't be seeing too much of the field. We already have 5 guys in front of him that can't block.

[briwas101]

It's funny how people continue to analyze (and some) even think and or insinuate that they know more about this situation than the Coach! CM had a serious knee injury in 2011, a injury that some players take over a year to recover from.

I know it is hard for some of you to think about the future of our team but I think that's exactly what the coaches are doing. Why not let the kid watch and learn? Why is it that some of you are so against it? Just because of his draft status? The kids abilities are there and the coaches didn't see a need to get him into the rotation. I for one am glad that PC doesn't change his coaching or game planning to appease the fans.

I'm actually surprised a certain poster hasn't declared CM a bust yet. The same poster that thinks he needs to have every move made by PC explained to him.

Super Bowl Champs! Seattle Seahawks!

I agree that a lot of people fail to look at the future (although this board seems to be ahead of the curve!) but the problem is that drafting for too far down the road isn't wise either. If you draft someone in the 2nd round to hopefully become the starter in the final year of his rookie deal then you really didn't get much out of the player on his rookie deal and you have to give him a huge raise just to see what he can do in his 2nd season of actually playing (in this scenario).

If Michael is good enough to outright earn playing time next year, fantastic. If the Hawks have to trade Turbin in a year to make room for MIchael, so be it. It is definitely too early to panic on him, seeing as how this was just his rookie season. But if he doesn't see much playing time in 2014 then there is every reason to question how wise it was to devote our 2nd rounder to him.

As to the comment "I'm actually surprised a certain poster hasn't declared CM a bust yet. The same poster that thinks he needs to have every move made by PC explained to him" i haven't noticed anyone on here be like that. Everyone who voices criticism about some of P&J's moves have done so with decent logic. No one is completely negative and it seems as though the criticism comes out of frustration with the way some of their moves pan out.

[briwas101]

It most likely comes down to being reliable with pass blocking. We know Turbin will stick his nose in there even if he isn't great. Honestly the last guy that made me as excited in such limited exposure as CM has was Ahman Green. Hopefully it works out that way.

But if he can't or won't block, he won't be seeing too much of the field. We already have 5 guys in front of him that can't block.

Truth.

So first we waste Miller's ability because we need him to block, and then we possibly miss out on Michael because he is sub-par at blocking?

The offense starts with the offensive line, fix it and it opens up the entire offense.

[RiverDog]

It most likely comes down to being reliable with pass blocking. We know Turbin will stick his nose in there even if he isn't great. Honestly the last guy that made me as excited in such limited exposure as CM has was Ahman Green. Hopefully it works out that way.

But if he can't or won't block, he won't be seeing too much of the field. We already have 5 guys in front of him that can't block.

Truth.

So first we waste Miller's ability because we need him to block, and then we possibly miss out on Michael because he is sub-par at blocking?

The offense starts with the offensive line, fix it and it opens up the entire offense.

I couldn't agree more. We're fixing the symptoms without getting to the root cause, which in this case, is the offensive line. Christine Michael might be the next Adrian Peterson and we might not get to find out if he is because the OL performs so badly that we need a back, like Turbin, with better blocking skills.

If I were Zach Miller, I'd be a bit perturbed because I'm seen as not performing up to my contract because I'm doing everything that the coaches are asking for and hence can't get into the area that tight ends get paid for, which is to catch and run with the football.

[I-5]

I don't think what the fans and writers say have any effect on Zach Miller's psyche, so I don't see how he would even be the slightest bit perturbed. He, his coaches and general manager are the ones that know his true value, and his contract status will come from that and that only.

Regarding CM, I see him as a star in the near future. True, there is a logjam at tailback, but I just know when players practice well, Pete finds a way to get them into games. It's all about being ready when/if the opportunity arises, and I think Michael is only going to get stronger and most explosive. He was by far the most exciting player to watch during last year's preseason for me.

[NorthHawk]

I'd like to see him in against the opposing #1 Defense in the pre-season just to get a feel of how good he is against regular season NFL players.
It'll show us if he's ready to start if required or wanted. I hope he pushes for playing time, but until Lynch is ready to move on, he will have a tough time to be the starter.
Turbin might be in for a battle, though.

[I-5]

Just remember, everyone discounted Russell Wilson's eye-popping rookie preseason, because he wasn't necessarily playing against NFL starters.

[NorthHawk]

But that's a little different though because Wilson didn't have a dominating player in front of him like Michael has in Lynch.
Wilson was given the reins and let run with it (within the confines of the Offense). His mistake free or few mistakes made the decision easier to keep playing him.

[I-5]

Good point. But my issue was that people were saying that Wilson wouldn't be able to reproduce that kind of performance with regular NFL starters. There is some logic to that, but at the same time, doing it vs 3rd stringers doesn't mean you WON'T be able to do it against NFL calibre starters.