Penny has arrived

[Stream Hawk]

Edit: If he stays healthy* Penny could be the lead back. Maybe I was drinking the Kool-Aid a little too much right after the game. I will keep the rest because I do feel that Penny has turned the corner.

Hey all, thought this could use its own thread. I don’t have any quotes/websites to link just wanted to bring up Penny’s performance of late. It’s pretty phenomenal. I have been a huge supporter since we drafted him, and now the dude is showing juice. It also could be a huge story that AP turned him into a (edited) “potential” star.

Penny reminds me of Seahawk stories of two players from our past. Matt Hasselbeck & Golden Tate. Late bloomers and then they blossomed into stars after a few no-show seasons. Rashaad’s ceiling is bigger than both of them.

At least we have this story to hang on this season. Although Penny’s awakening might complicate other matters at hand. Like …what to do with his contract and this team?!

[Aseahawkfan]

Sorry, not buying it. This is his fourth year. A few good games isn't going to make Penny into some kind of stud. If some team wants to be suckered into signing this guy for money, I hope it's another team and not us. If he wants to come back and see if he can replicate these games over a season for a reasonable price, then take a shot if we can't find better.

I don't hop on or off some bandwagon over a few games or even a season. Which is why you won't see me bagging on Russell after 99% amazing play because he has one off season or hopping on Penny's wagon after a handful of games in a lost season.

You gotta prove it over years in this league as far as I'm concerned. Russell has proven it. Penny has not.

[trents]

Penny is immensely talented but I worry about his discipline, conditioning and weight control. He reminds me of a fast Eddy Lacey. It looked to me like he was pretty gassed by the fourth quarter tonight.

[Hawktawk]

Gassed? He had a buck 75 I’d be gassed walking that far . He’s a rare talent . You see Lacey I see a really fast Bettis that makes house calls . Haters gonna hate

[trents]

Hey, I'm not a hater. Actually, I'm a big Penny fan. Two years ago he was challenged by the Seahawk coaching staff to come to camp in better shape and he responded to that. Then came all those injuries. I'm just saying his body type looks like it has potential for blimping out if he's not disciplined.

[obiken]

Its too late to have hope in Penny, sorry.

[Stream Hawk]

Why is it too late? And the larger question is why all the Penny hate all these years? Takes a while to become good in the NFL. We may be lucky that he finally found “it” and can offer him something to keep it going.

[Aseahawkfan]

4 years in near the end of the season he's found it? Then he comes back next year, we sign him, he gets injured again when he's the focus of the offense? Then what do you say?

I don't know how some of you get so enamored of a running back after 4 years after a couple of games. This guy has produced nothing substantial. He's just running well in garbage time. He's got a lot to prove to make it in this league. If that proof doesn't come at a reasonable price, then he can go try to prove it with another team.

[jshawaii22]

Glad to see Penny knows what the "money games" mean. Waits 3 years and 14 games of futile waste of a draft pick (injuries aside he couldn't beat out a 7th round draft pick at any time) and then plays 3 games like a first round draft pick should. Another in a long line of Seahawk high pick failures (Jordyn Brooks might be the exception) that some seem to push aside when evaluating the people making those decisions. It's time for PC/JS to move on.

[RiverDog]

Glad to see Penny knows what the "money games" mean. Waits 3 years and 14 games of futile waste of a draft pick (injuries aside he couldn't beat out a 7th round draft pick at any time) and then plays 3 games like a first round draft pick should. Another in a long line of Seahawk high pick failures (Jordyn Brooks might be the exception) that some seem to push aside when evaluating the people making those decisions. It's time for PC/JS to move on.

Yeah, reminds me of James Carpenter's tenure with us. He reports to camp overweight and unable to jog 50 yards without ending up breathing like a vacuum cleaner, gets beat out by a journeyman OL, doesn't even suit up for a couple of big playoff games, then in his contract year, comes in 50 pounds lighter and plays like an all pro.

I'm not saying Penny was faking injuries or anything like that, but let's judge a player's contributions and worthiness of a second contract based on their entire time with us and not just the last 6 weeks of their contract season.

[Hawktawk]

Like Rashard Penney said a couple months ago “ I really don’t try to get hurt “ Penney was drafted along a with a big make a hole type battering ram . By Pete’s choice Carson was getting 20 carries and Penney 3 or 4 which gives a RB no chance to get a feel or warmed up . In the 2018 season Penney was beginning to take carries from Carson and had a couple of explosive runs in that time . Then hurt . But I don’t look at history . I look at film . I see a back with rare speed and acceleration , great balance and power , elusive but efficient in traffic trying to stay north and south . I see great vision and great patience setting up blocks . He’s got probably 500 yards and a 7 ypc in the last 6 games with 3 or 4 touchdown runs . He’s as good as about anyone , faster than almost everyone by the eye test . Surely for a man his size . If he’s out of shape imagine when he isn’t . As critical as I was of bringing in AP Carroll has credited his mentoring of Penny with helping elevate his game . Minus a terrible performance last game or god forbid injury we should take a run at Penney

[tarlhawk]

From WalterFootball.com:

Rashaad Penny Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:
Surprising speed for a big back
Quickness to the hole and second level
Has the speed to break off long runs
Size to be a power back
Quick feet
Impressive vision
Good balance
Runs decisively between the tackles
Physical downhill runner
Dangerous receiver in the open field
Quality route runner
Quality hands
Instinctive runner
Potential third-down back
Kick returner
Could be a nice contributor on special teams
Durable
Athletic upside




Weaknesses:
Learning issues
Plays slower when he's unsure mentally
Makeup isn't very good
Doesn't have an impressive work ethic
Sometimes legs go dead on contact
Needs to improve pass blocking


Summary: The 2018 NFL Draft is very strong at the running back position, and Penny is one of those runners who could turn into a starter after being a second-day pick. The NFL wants backs who possess three-down ability with the skills to contribute as runners, receivers and blockers. Teams also are always looking for big backs who have the speed to break off long runs. Penny has the potential to fulfill all of these wishes, and as a result, there should be plenty of teams that consider taking him on the second day of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Over the past few seasons, Penny was a consistent producer for San Diego State, and as a senior, he was one of the best backs in college football. As a junior, Penny averaged 7.4 yards per carry for 1,005 yards with 11 touchdowns. He caught 15 passes for 224 yards and three scores that season as well. In 2017, Penny dominated the competition while averaging 7.8 yards per carry for 2,248 yards with 23 touchdowns, plus he had 19 receptions for 135 yards and two scores.

As a back, Penny is a thickly built downhill runner. He has a surprising burst to hit the hole and accelerate to the second level. Penny is fast for a big back and can run away from the defense when he gets to the open field. His second gear is very impressive and makes him dangerous to rip off long runs on any carry. Penny combines quick, feet, good balance, and decisive running to be a dangerous runner for a zone-blocking system. That kind of system would be his best fit in the NFL.

[NorthHawk]

Who cares what Walter Football thought of him at the time.
He's underproduced for the time he's been here. Some of it was because of injuries, but most of the time he got on the field he wasn't able to get
the job done. And we passed over the best RB of the draft to get that lack of production from him.
Some team is going to offer him a salary much bigger than we will and he will be off to that team. He may turn out to be a great signing, or not but
he will get a chance to keep his career alive.

On a side note, it's been reported by more than one source that Peterson has had a big impact on the RB's. It seems to be true as all of the RB's have
been running harder since AP arrived. It's almost like he showed them how they had to hit the hole to be successful. We saw Alex Collins improve
when he went to the Ravens and then came back. He played with a lot more confidence and determination than his prior stint here and now we're
seeing not just Penny, but Homer and Dallas running a lot harder, too.

[RiverDog]

Who cares what Walter Football thought of him at the time.
He's underproduced for the time he's been here. Some of it was because of injuries, but most of the time he got on the field he wasn't able to get
the job done. And we passed over the best RB of the draft to get that lack of production from him.
Some team is going to offer him a salary much bigger than we will and he will be off to that team. He may turn out to be a great signing, or not but
he will get a chance to keep his career alive.

On a side note, it's been reported by more than one source that Peterson has had a big impact on the RB's. It seems to be true as all of the RB's have
been running harder since AP arrived. It's almost like he showed them how they had to hit the hole to be successful. We saw Alex Collins improve
when he went to the Ravens and then came back. He played with a lot more confidence and determination than his prior stint here and now we're
seeing not just Penny, but Homer and Dallas running a lot harder, too.

That's true. To hear some tell it, the only problem Penny had was his injuries. It's true that he had a few flashes of brilliance, but nowhere near the type that would justify a first round selection. Unlike Carson, he wasn't a good enough blocker to be a 3 down running back.

Somebody's bound to offer him a big enough contract to bust our budget. The simple fact that he's a former first round pick will be enough to lure one or two teams with a need to fill. This was Penny's last hurrah as a Seahawk.

[Hawktawk]

If he had not gotten hurt he’d have been awesome and put Carson on the bench or cut deeply into his carries . I forget the opponent but he had an explosive 50 yard TD run and over 100’yards splitting carries in 2018, clearly had another gear Carson lacks . The eye test tells anyone not hooked on their hatred the guy cam be special . I know let’s bring back Carson with his neck fused . Talk about injured .

[tarlhawk]

Who cares what Walter Football thought of him at the time.
He's underproduced for the time he's been here. Some of it was because of injuries, but most of the time he got on the field he wasn't able to get the job done. And we passed over the best RB of the draft to get that lack of production from him.

Forgot you're so bitter Chubb wasn't drafted...I gave the report as info that was pre-draft for "those" unaware of Penny...and how accurate some reports are when presented. "Some?" of his lack of production was injury related...you shape your posts in a narrow light when upset about a player (Chubb) ...so its no wonder you focus your ire on the GM and the RB he chose over Chubb.

[obiken]

Why is it too late? And the larger question is why all the Penny hate all these years? Takes a while to become good in the NFL. We may be lucky that he finally found “it” and can offer him something to keep it going.

Because if your as old as River, Cbob, or myself, we have seen this so many times before. You have a huge sampling size of what he is, then at the end of contract he has few good games. Sorry, time to let someone else take the risk, we have to move off and move on.

[RiverDog]

If he (Penny) had not gotten hurt he’d have been awesome and put Carson on the bench or cut deeply into his carries.

Let's not start revising history. Penny never beat out Carson when both were completely healthy, so I don't know what it is that makes you so sure of yourself now. Carson was the harder of the two to bring down and could move the pile better than Penny could, making him a better short yardage running back. He was also a better pass blocker than Penny, a critical factor when you have a suspect OL. Penny was a 3rd down, change of pace running back designed to shift some of the load from Carson, a position not worthy of a first round pick.

If Carson has to retire due to his injury, then I wouldn't mind seeing us take a flier on Penny. Otherwise, no.

[RiverDog]

Why is it too late? And the larger question is why all the Penny hate all these years? Takes a while to become good in the NFL. We may be lucky that he finally found “it” and can offer him something to keep it going.

Because if your as old as River, Cbob, or myself, we have seen this so many times before. You have a huge sampling size of what he is, then at the end of contract he has few good games. Sorry, time to let someone else take the risk, we have to move off and move on.

It's too late because Penny's rookie contract is up and we declined to pick up his 5th year option. We've already made a financial commitment to go with Carson and will be taking a $6.4M cap hit next season. Penny is likely to get an offer similar to what Carson is making. It doesn't make a lot of sense to put that kind of money into not one, but two injury prone running backs.

If Carson can't pass a physical or retires, then we might be interested in offering Penny a market rate contract.

[obiken]

River, how many draft guides have you seen and the guy is a bust when it says: high motor, great work ethic? Very few IMHO.

[tarlhawk]

That's true. To hear some tell it, the only problem Penny had was his injuries. It's true that he had a few flashes of brilliance, but nowhere near the type that would justify a first round selection. Unlike Carson, he wasn't a good enough blocker to be a 3 down running back.

"that would justify" Really? Fans always have opinions of who "should have been selected...or this guy was not worthy of a 1rst Rd. pick" ...when a highly paid group (GM/scouts/VP of Football Operations) actually make the selections without sampling their fan base (for clues). Chris Carson had a fantastic season prior to Penny being drafted...we weren't looking for a feature RB to replace Carson...but a rotational complementing back(ie different running style/skill set) to eventually share the back field. I speculate Penny also offered some Kick return upside that never got traction after his untimely injuries. Chubb is a feature back who is worthy of "all the snaps"...not a rotational type so he "didn't fit" ...he would be looking to replace Carson from the get-go.

Pass Blocking as a 3rd down back is a necessity that not all college feature backs come tailor made for...depending on the program we drafted from. It was reported that Christian Michaels arrived with an attitude of not putting in the work (willing to learn pass pro) to become a complete feature back. I hadn't seen Penny being reported in a similar fashion...his initial low snap count no doubt reflected it was a slow learning technique for him but he seemed to put in the time as he started getting more snaps before his untimely injuries.

[RiverDog]

"that would justify" Really? Fans always have opinions of who "should have been selected...or this guy was not worthy of a 1rst Rd. pick" ...

Exactly. No more or no less than you or anyone else in this forum, I am a fan with an opinion, and IMO Penny's 4 year performance did not justify his status as a first round draft pick. I reserve that judgement for a consistent starter, and I see no need to justify my opinion beyond that.

Similar to my opinion on our selection of Eskridge, I did not object to our drafting of Penny because we bypassed Chubb. My beef was that we were assigning too high of a priority on a 1 or 2 down running back that could have been had for a much cheaper price.

Pass Blocking as a 3rd down back is a necessity that not all college feature backs come tailor made for...depending on the program we drafted from. It was reported that Christian Michaels arrived with an attitude of not putting in the work (willing to learn pass pro) to become a complete feature back. I hadn't seen Penny being reported in a similar fashion...his initial low snap count no doubt reflected it was a slow learning technique for him but he seemed to put in the time as he started getting more snaps before his untimely injuries.

Each player has their own challenges. The fact is that Penny could never beat out Carson as the #1 running back, and that includes at the start of this season when both were healthy.

[c_hawkbob]

Why is it too late? And the larger question is why all the Penny hate all these years? Takes a while to become good in the NFL. We may be lucky that he finally found “it” and can offer him something to keep it going.

Because if your as old as River, Cbob, or myself, we have seen this so many times before. You have a huge sampling size of what he is, then at the end of contract he has few good games. Sorry, time to let someone else take the risk, we have to move off and move on.

Exactly. Seen a whole lot of suddenly productive players in a contract year after a sub par rookie contract. It'll be a shame if he moves on and continues to look this good, but I wouldn't spend a whole lot hoping he'll do it here. Especially as Riv points out, after having already made the decision to let him reach FA this year.

[NorthHawk]

Forgot you're so bitter Chubb wasn't drafted...I gave the report as info that was pre-draft for "those" unaware of Penny...and how accurate some reports are when presented. "Some?" of his lack of production was injury related...you shape your posts in a narrow light when upset about a player (Chubb) ...so its no wonder you focus your ire on the GM and the RB he chose over Chubb.

Of course I'm bitter. I'm a fan and want the team to improve. For years since Lynch left we've had a hole at the RB position. Carson has never had a season where he didn't miss games because of his style of running.
As well, Pete based his Offense on the run game and they knowingly bypassed the best RB in the draft for a gamble on a lesser talent. We've had a series of years where we've had to get RB's off the street to help fill in
because of injuries and what do we do? We bypass another stud RB in Jonathan Taylor. Again, this from a HC who says he wants to "pound the rock". Well, Penny hasn't worked out until the end of his contract. Surprise!!
He's now playing with purpose. Can you really trust a player to continue on what he's done the last few games or do you look at his history on the team? People with a realistic view look at his complete book of work and
see that he wasn't the best choice in the draft and just maybe he's playing hard to get a contract. We will probably offer him a contract, but some other team will probably offer something better. It's the way it seems to
work in the NFL and moreso in Seattle during this regime of many of our highest draft picks.

[Stream Hawk]

4 years in near the end of the season he's found it? Then he comes back next year, we sign him, he gets injured again when he's the focus of the offense? Then what do you say?

I don't know how some of you get so enamored of a running back after 4 years after a couple of games. This guy has produced nothing substantial. He's just running well in garbage time. He's got a lot to prove to make it in this league. If that proof doesn't come at a reasonable price, then he can go try to prove it with another team.

Produced nothing substantial? He has the 2nd most 25+ carries this season, behind JT. And with how many less carries? As far as injuries, same could be for anyone. Penny was not injury prone out of college anyway.

But, yes, have him prove it at a reasonable price next year. Make it enticing, of course. I didn't say let's throw an SA-like franchise-breaking contract at the guy.

[RiverDog]

4 years in near the end of the season he's found it? Then he comes back next year, we sign him, he gets injured again when he's the focus of the offense? Then what do you say?

I don't know how some of you get so enamored of a running back after 4 years after a couple of games. This guy has produced nothing substantial. He's just running well in garbage time. He's got a lot to prove to make it in this league. If that proof doesn't come at a reasonable price, then he can go try to prove it with another team.

Produced nothing substantial? He has the 2nd most 25+ carries this season, behind JT. And with how many less carries? As far as injuries, same could be for anyone. Penny was not injury prone out of college anyway.

But, yes, have him prove it at a reasonable price next year. Make it enticing, of course. I didn't say let's throw an SA like franchise breaking contract at the guy.

You make it sound like Penny has a number of games with 25+ carries when the fact is that he's had just one, yesterday's game vs. the Lions, and up until last month, his high water mark for rushing attempts in any game this season was 7.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/gamelog ... haad-penny

Take out the last 5 weeks and his production is a real nothing burger.

[Hawktawk]

He’s going to be more expensive than anyone thinks . He’s got a skill set far beyond Carson , the ability to change games with 1 play . Forget history of injury whether he didn’t beat out Carson or if he was given the same touches .It’s strictly the eyeball test including eyeballing his stat line . Right now 2021 you pick Carson or Penney

Plenty of GMs smarter than me eyeballing penney too . Teams will make a run .

[TriCitySam]

Certainly Penney has always had the talent, and at the time there were plenty of teams that passed on Chubb and some reports were that some teams wanted Penney after Seattle took him.....but as with any draft, it's a crap shoot and you simply don't know what the future holds. In Penny's case, he had all the tools and led the nation in rushing in college, but the injury bug took away his pro career.

If I could get him at a decent price, fine. If not I'd say pass. History says you do not get more healthy as you age. But with our recent luck, he'll go to another team and play lights out for the next 4 years

[RiverDog]

Certainly Penney has always had the talent, and at the time there were plenty of teams that passed on Chubb and some reports were that some teams wanted Penney after Seattle took him.....but as with any draft, it's a crap shoot and you simply don't know what the future holds. In Penny's case, he had all the tools and led the nation in rushing in college, but the injury bug took away his pro career.

If I could get him at a decent price, fine. If not I'd say pass. History says you do not get more healthy as you age. But with our recent luck, he'll go to another team and play lights out for the next 4 years

That's another reason why I don't like spending high draft picks on running backs: They have a shorter shelf life relative to other positions. Offensive linemen can play at a high level well into their 30's (Andrew Whitworth is 40). Most running backs hit a wall when they turn 30, if they don't get injured before then.

[Hawktawk]

What people miss about Penney is he’s entering his 5th year with maybe a year of mileage on his body . It’s for a bad reason but right now he looks really healthy . He’s pushing the pile , taking hits . I hold my breath every time but he looks healthy now with a year of mileage spread over 4 years . Gotta think outside the box sometimes .

[Stream Hawk]

Here’s a link of support:
https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/sea ... aad-penny/

John Clayton is also on board, big time.

[Aseahawkfan]

He’s going to be more expensive than anyone thinks . He’s got a skill set far beyond Carson , the ability to change games with 1 play . Forget history of injury whether he didn’t beat out Carson or if he was given the same touches .It’s strictly the eyeball test including eyeballing his stat line . Right now 2021 you pick Carson or Penney

Plenty of GMs smarter than me eyeballing penney too . Teams will make a run .

Neither. If I'm Jodi Allen, I get rid of Pete Carroll. Carroll is the primary guy who is holding on to a belief that isn't true.

I check to see if John Schneider wants his shot at being GM with no shared power. He runs the show. He builds the team. If he wants to take this, I give him 3 years to get the team going in the right direction.

If Schneider doesn't want it, then I start my search for the head coach and GM ASAP.

I keep certain players like Russell Wilson, DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Brooks, and our punter. I try to keep Diggs for a reasonable price. I look to get rid of Jamal Adams. I start cutting the old vets like Duane Brown and Carlos Dunlap. I start a competitive rebuild letting the entire locker room know you are now competing for your jobs. You want a job here, you have to earn it. No more of this mentality that "We're a few players away from a Super Bowl."

It's a fast and heavy roster rebuild like when Pete and John first got here. I've been one of Pete's biggest supporters over the years, but it's time for Pete to retire. He no longer has the perspective and distance necessary to manage a roster. He doesn't have a realistic view of this team's situation.

[tarlhawk]

Each player has their own challenges. The fact is that Penny could never beat out Carson as the #1 running back, and that includes at the start of this season when both were healthy.

I've made this opinion before but I feel the Seahawks wanted two feature backs with different running styles to work both into the game...I don't think Penny was drafted to replace Carson otherwise Chubb had more chutzpah. I also think Penny possibly would take over kick returns as a rookie but a sudden penchant for injury eliminates any plans to give a rookie more exposure to injury. Alex Collins has the college pedigree to become a short yardage back who can burst at any time the opponent lets up.. If anyone remembers the Miami backfield that excelled at running...you had Csonka for power/Mercury Morris for explosive speed around the edge/Jim Kiick for finesse/receiving.

It would be nice if both can sustain full health...I hope Josh Johnson gets an opportunity for 2nd year growth.

[Old but Slow]

Hang on to this guy. It has been a while since we have had a back that opposing teams had to plan for.

He is apparently a slow learner, as, if I remember correctly (which is not usual at my age), he did not start in college until his senior year. Then he exploded. Led the nation in rushing. His rookie year he looked lost, then came the injuries, and he still is unproven. But the talent is there, he doesn't fumble, and he is still young.

Early on he seemed to run into the back of his blocker, while in these games he seems able to read the blocks to find the running lane. It sounds easy, but we see it from above, while the runner is fighting through a riot between very large gentlemen. I could see that experience helps.

Peterson may have helped, and I have heard it said that he might be a good coach, but I can't get past his child abuse reputation.

[RiverDog]

I've made this opinion before but I feel the Seahawks wanted two feature backs with different running styles to work both into the game...I don't think Penny was drafted to replace Carson otherwise Chubb had more chutzpah. I also think Penny possibly would take over kick returns as a rookie but a sudden penchant for injury eliminates any plans to give a rookie more exposure to injury. Alex Collins has the college pedigree to become a short yardage back who can burst at any time the opponent lets up.. If anyone remembers the Miami backfield that excelled at running...you had Csonka for power/Mercury Morris for explosive speed around the edge/Jim Kiick for finesse/receiving.

It would be nice if both can sustain full health...I hope Josh Johnson gets an opportunity for 2nd year growth.

Boy, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. You're showing your age.

We're going to have to pick one or the other: Carson or Penny. We already have Carson under contract and will be taking a $6.4M cap hit next season if he makes the roster. Penny is a free agent and considering that he's a former first rounder, is bound to attract an offer of at least that amount. That's a lot of money to dedicate to one position when we have so many other needs on the team. We're going to have to pick one, and it's obvious that if they're both healthy, Carson is the better of the two. He's a better short yardage runner, a better blocker, and is at least Penny's equal as a receiver. He's a 3 down back.

We'll see how Penny looks this Sunday. The Cards don't have a lot to play for as they need to hope that the Niners beat the Rams for them to have a chance at the division title and a right to host a wild card game. They have a two game lead over the next lowest seed, so losing to us isn't going to cause them to slip. They are guaranteed of at least the #5 seed, with the Niners, Eagles , and Saints fighting for the other two seeds. Bottom line is that the Cards may decide to rest some of their starters.

[NorthHawk]

A team doesn't make a player a first draft pick in the hopes he can be a good change of pace or backup player.
They are expected to be the starter at some point the first year and if not then, starting the 2nd year.
As ObS said, he only started 1 year in College and couldn't beat our someone named Palfry who in that lesser league was one of the top yardage gainers in CFB.
So the chances of him being a very good RB were not as good as it sounds.
Maybe he has turned a corner, we won't know until next year but it's quite obvious we need a good RB to challenge him if we keep him and replace him if we don't.

[Hawktawk]

A team doesn't make a player a first draft pick in the hopes he can be a good change of pace or backup player.
They are expected to be the starter at some point the first year and if not then, starting the 2nd year.
As ObS said, he only started 1 year in College and couldn't beat our someone named Palfry who in that lesser league was one of the top yardage gainers in CFB.
So the chances of him being a very good RB were not as good as it sounds.
Maybe he has turned a corner, we won't know until next year but it's quite obvious we need a good RB to challenge him if we keep him and replace him if we don't.

He’s turned the corner barring more injuries . He’s really been contributing for a couple weeks before the breakout vs the Texans . I’ve been watching a lot of film of multiple games for various reasons and vs the 9ers he was productive and explosive in his few touches which led me to predict he was going to be a factor . His worst game was vs the Rams where Russ was very bad and refusing to run on the read option leading Penney to run into a wall several times .He still had 40 yards on only 11 carries . He was the offense vs the Bears constantly changing field position from punt to scoring range . It’s criminal the rest of the offense wasted that effort . He’s as good as anyone right now . The most dynamic since 2014 Lynch .

[tarlhawk]

Our rollover cap could afford both RB if we decided to go that route...Penny needs resolved early on while later... Carson if returned with a full bill of health can compete to "stay". It can be speculated on forever but our GM with input from our VP of Football Operations will be the decision maker.

[NorthHawk]

I wouldn't count on any of that. Pete and John have made a shambles of the draft on the Offensive side.
They really haven't hit on much outside of Lockett and Metcalf of late with maybe Lewis and the past 2 years still TBD.
Their hubris in passing by great talent for a long shot hasn't worked at all and they need to get back to selecting quality.
Their history doesn't match our needs and it's unreasonable to expect it to change.

[Aseahawkfan]

I wouldn't count on any of that. Pete and John have made a shambles of the draft on the Offensive side.
They really haven't hit on much outside of Lockett and Metcalf of late with maybe Lewis and the past 2 years still TBD.
Their hubris in passing by great talent for a long shot hasn't worked at all and they need to get back to selecting quality.
Their history doesn't match our needs and it's unreasonable to expect it to change.

I was looking over our roster. I can't think of a unit besides the WRs, QB, FS, and punter that is competitive with the better teams. This roster is not a great roster.