Convo Between Yoder and Makena

[makena]

ok..

Yoder and I have been battling back an forth about our future running game.
Mind you, we covered the gambit... but in short Yoder is worried and I'm not.

So, I'm hoping yallz can chime in...

Mak

[Hawk Sista]

Huh? What am I missing... Need more $$?

[jshawaii22]

All teams change as the personnel and the opportunities (or lack of them) come up.

I assume you're talking about life post Marshawn... It won't be the same, but it won't be devastating, either.

The other side of the coin is I expect a jump in our passing attack in the next 2 years that will put us in the forefront of the league.
I think we signed Percy and drafted specifically to address the speed passing game and with RW getting his new contract next year, I see that as the major push.

I know what our Pete wants and we all want what Pete wants. Balance makes it very hard on a defense to prepare and harder to stop. But that isn't always obtainable and I think Pete and the O coaches will adapt as necessary to life without the Beast.

Will we still have a running game? Of course, but it may never be the same again... as compared to the last two years.

js

[RiverDog]

You always worry no matter how well things look to be set. Things change so often and so quickly in the NFL and what was once a strength can become a weakness. A retirement here, an injury there. Remember how quickly our OL went to hell in a hand basket when Hutch left, Locklear never developed, Tobeck retired, and Big Walt started showing his age?

Things are bound to change here in the next year or two. It's unclear if Christine Michael is going to be a 3 down running back or if we'll have the running back by committee that Bevell eluded to a month or so ago. But personally, I think we'll be fine. I'm more worried about protecting Russell Wilson than I am about when or who's going to replace Beast.

[c_hawkbob]

We may not be as Beastly in the running game beyond next season, but I do believe we'll continue to be as effective. With Carroll it's more about the scheme, more the puzzle than the individual pieces. We may not rely as heavily on a single runner, but between Chis and Turbo we will have a nice thunder and lightning compliment Pete has used so effectively (with different players all the time as is necessary in college ball), and with the odd Harvin change of direction thrown in to keep the opposing safeties and linebackers cautious ... I think we'll be fine.

[kalibane]

I'm not worried at all. I think people worried about the future of the running game are just uncomfortable by the thought of change. There is a reason why RBs have such little value in the draft and on the open market. It's become one of the most replaceable positions in football. Marshawn Lynch is a little less replacable than most but he's no where near as irreplacable as many people here think.

[NorthHawk]

As everyone here probably already knows by now, I'm not a big believer in our OL.
I think Lynch makes up for a lot of deficiencies along that line in the run game and, well, the pass protection is a whole other story.
If Michael can bring that something special - getting to the 2nd level fairly clean or making the first guy miss, he has the explosion to get some beastly gains.
The question in my mind is can he set up whatever blocks there are to take advantage of his talents, or will he go down a lot easier than Marshawn and put more pressure on the passing game?

I suspect in the future, there will be more reliance on the quick passes to Harvin or maybe Richardson as the run game becomes less proficient.
This might give the run game a better chance to succeed, but what I would really like to see is a superior OL.