Lions’ Tim Wright Clears Waivers, Goes To IR With Torn ACL
Tight end Tim Wright cleared waivers today and will remain with the Lions, who placed him on injured reserve with a torn ACL (Twitter links via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com). Despite re-signing Wright in March, the Lions waived/injured him on Thursday, though it wasn’t made public at the time that he had such a serious knee issue. 
The 26-year-old Wright, whom Detroit acquired from Tampa Bay for kicker Kyle Brindza last August, racked up just nine catches in as many appearances for the Lions in 2015. He was more relied on in Tampa and New England, respectively, combining for 80 grabs and 11 touchdowns in 32 appearances (10 starts) from 2013-14. Wright’s best individual campaign came as a rookie for the Buccaneers, with whom he amassed career highs in targets (76), receptions (54), scores (five), yards (571) and per-catch average (10.6). After a year with the Patriots, who traded guard Logan Mankins and a fourth-round pick for him, Wright returned to the Bucs on waivers last offseason before they shipped him to the Motor City.
With Wright out of the equation for 2016, the Lions’ tight end depth chart currently consists of Eric Ebron, Brandon Pettigrew, Matthew Mulligan, and a pair of rookies in Adam Fuehne and Cole Wick.
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Bears Sign Leonard Floyd
SATURDAY, 10:05am: The Bears have officially announced the move via Twitter.
FRIDAY, 5:14pm: The Bears have signed their highest-profile draft pick, inking first-round edge rusher Leonard Floyd to a contract, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). With the former Georgia standout now signed, the only remaining player of the Bears’ 2016 class without a contract is third-round defensive end Jonathan Bullard, as noted by PFR’s draft tracker.
Floyd became a Bear after they moved up two spots in the draft for him. The club was set to pick 11th overall, but it surrendered a fourth-rounder to Tampa Bay to land the ninth selection and grab Floyd. The 6-foot-4, 231-pounder was a dominant performer during his three-year tenure at Georgia, where he played both outside linebacker and defensive end, racking up 17 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss. He’ll now serve as a prominent member of a Bears defense that also features the likes of Pernell McPhee, Willie Young and Lamarr Houston as pass-rushing threats.
The Bears’ four-year deal with Floyd will be worth in the $15.78MM range, including a signing bonus worth $9.68MM. It will also feature a fifth-year option for 2020.
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Ryan Fitzpatrick Has Three-Year Offer From Jets
8:54pm: The issue in negotiations is with the second and third years of the Jets’ offer, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. If the Jets’ offer is worth, say, $24MM in total, then the reported $12MM for 2016 suddenly doesn’t look nearly as appealing, notes Florio.
8:24pm: Rich Cimini of ESPN.com corroborates Cannizzaro’s report, writing that the Jets’ offer to Fitzpatrick does include $12MM for the first year (up from $8MM) and has been on the table for at least two months.
5:40pm: The Jets have made a three-year offer to free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, sources tell Mark Cannizzaro of The New York Post. The proposed deal has been on the table for four months, reports Cannizzaro, who adds that it includes $12MM in the first year (Twitter links).
Fitzpatrick made it clear Monday that he hopes to return to the Jets, also indicating that the two sides were engaging in talks 
behind the scenes. However, The Post’s Brian Costello reported Wednesday that the Jets and Fitzpatrick hadn’t held contract discussions in several weeks. With Fitzpatrick unsigned and obviously unable to partake in the Jets’ voluntary workouts, standout receiver Eric Decker – one of Fitzpatrick’s favorite targets – made his dissatisfaction with the team known by skipping OTAs.
After helping the Jets to a 10-6 finish and amassing career highs in yards (3,905) and touchdowns (31) last season, the 33-year-old Fitzpatrick has been pushing for a contract in line with that performance. It’s hard to imagine he’d beat the reported offer on the table anywhere else, though, given that all teams’ quarterback situations appear settled. The Eagles’ Sam Bradford, for instance, briefly held out in Philadelphia after the club irked him with the selection of first-round signal-caller Carson Wentz. Bradford quickly returned to the Eagles upon realizing that there simply wasn’t a trade market for him. Similarly, at his asking price, there’s no obvious market for Fitzpatrick outside of New York.
In the event the Jets and Fitzpatrick don’t eventually reach a pact, Gang Green is likely to go forth with either Geno Smith, Bryce Petty or second-round rookie Christian Hackenberg under center. Even though he was successful last season, a career journeyman like Fitzpatrick is hardly an ideal option, but it’s fair to say he’s more appealing at this stage than any of Smith, Petty or Hackenberg.
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Ryan Bros. On Bills, Saints, Pats, M. Williams
Jenny Vrentas of The MMQB.com had a rather entertaining interview with Bills head coach Rex Ryan and brother Rob Ryan, who’s in his first year as the team’s assistant head coach/defense. Their discussion is certainly worth a full read, but we’ll round up some of the highlights from the braggadocious bros.
Rex Ryan on Rob Ryan:
“Nobody grinds the way Rob does. Bill Belichick hired Rob for one reason: He knew he was a freaking great football coach, and he could grind. That’s it. If you are going to be with Bill Belichick, you better be a grinder.”
“He sleeps here half the week, in his office, in the offseason. Honest to God.”
“I brought in a real football coach. Not a 9-to-5er, a real football coach whose life and passion is the NFL. The name Ryan means something. If you are a fan of the Buffalo Bills, thank your lucky stars he is here, and myself. To me, that’s what we added to this team. When we talk about “all in,” we’re going to do everything we can in our power to help our players succeed. And that’s why we made some of the changes that we made.”
Rob Ryan on why he joined the Bills’ staff:
“I am used to picking my spots, but this time, I had one choice. When I was fired by the Saints, I came here to look at it. Rex loves this team, he brags about this team, so I wanted to be around it. After I did that, for one week, I was like, Damn, I’ve got 
to be here. I don’t care who was going to offer me a job. I wanted to be a part of this. Rex brought me in, because of nepotism … (pause) … and I’m glad he did.”
“To be the best defensive coach in football, I’ve got to learn from the best, so I came here. It’s been how many years since we’ve been together? He’s not learning anything, but I am. Look at some of his protégés. Bob Sutton is doing a fantastic job in Kansas City. Chuck Pagano was with Rex. He spun off a ton of great coaches, and it is going to be fun to be a part of that.”
Rob Ryan on his nearly three-year tenure as the Saints’ defensive coordinator:
“I need to be in a multiple system. I was hired to be in a multiple system in New Orleans, and I did a damn good job and got fired for it.”
“I have coordinated in college and in the pros. And the biggest history of improvement ever in the league, I coordinated that defense [the 2013 Saints]. The defenses I have taken over were ranked, like, 31st. Oh, “my numbers aren’t too good.” You take over the 31st group and see how you do. And you’re given about two years to do it. There are two years that don’t have my signature on them, and it’s the last two years in New Orleans. And that’s just the truth.”
[Note: Saints head coach Sean Payton responded by shooting down the notion that the team’s defense didn’t have Ryan’s fingerprints on it.]
“All of a sudden, we let some good players go; we changed the system after we finished fourth in the league in defense.”
“The biggest mistake I think I made in New Orleans was sitting on my hands and collecting a paycheck, instead of going in, knowing it was wrong and fixing it. When we wanted to change the philosophy of the defense, I should have.”
“They signed players; they signed a free-agent free safety [Jairus Byrd in 2014], and said, we are going to keep him in the middle of the field like the goalpost. Well, that’s great. He’s not going to make one play back there, and now we have changed the entire defense for one signing, and it ruined us. He’s a great kid. But the truth of the matter is, you let an All-Pro safety walk, Malcolm Jenkins, and lost your two best leaders on the team, him and Roman Harper. We changed the entire style of play. It was strange. But hey, I did the best job I could. And it wasn’t good enough. They should have fired me. They probably should have fired everybody that made that decision to go in that direction. Now I’m going to move my whole family over here to Buffalo for a reason: to go kick everybody’s ass, including theirs.”
“But at the end of the day, the last two years in New Orleans were a waste of time for me.”
Rex Ryan on the Bills’ 2015 defense, which dropped to 19th from fourth under Jim Schwartz the previous season, and whether a rebound is on the way:
“I screwed up, and that’s totally on me. So if people lost a little faith in it, or whatever, I can understand. I should be doubted, because I made a mistake in judgment. But just go back and look at the history. You are going to get the real deal this year, and we’ll see how it goes. I know how it has gone my whole career.”
“This was the first time in my life I have ever come into a situation where the defense got worse. And so that was odd. That was different. No excuses. But I’ll stand by my record; I’ll stand by everything I have ever done in this league statistically. Put the numbers up. Do you want to look at one year, or a 15-year window? I specifically said I probably shouldn’t have tried to combine systems last year. I should have just gone for it, this is it, blunt-force trauma, and bring in some players that knew the system and can help run it.”
Rex Ryan on defensive end Mario Williams, who was unhappy in Ryan’s scheme last season and got his release in March:
“Now look, with some of the comments [he made], do I wish him well? Not really. But, he’s on Miami. If he would have gone somewhere else, maybe. He’s a good kid, but I am used to some mean motherf—ers that play out there. The Terrell Suggs, Jarrett Johnsons of the world. I screwed them, too; I had them drop [into coverage], too. Not one of them bitched. Von Miller [dropped into coverage] in the Super Bowl. Why? Because that’s what’s asked of him; that’s what his job is. Your job is to play. Coaches spend a hell of a lot more time studying tape and everything else. They are trying to put the team in the best position to be successful, not an individual.”
Rob Ryan on the AFC East rival Patriots:
“But I know one thing, we are going to beat them. We are together, we’re going to beat the best. It’s two against one. [Belichick] one on one against any coach in the league, that guy is pretty damn good. And he’s also got his best buddy Tom Brady with him. He trained him, and he single-handedly made him great as well.”
“Bring Belichick on. We got him.”
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Knowshon Moreno Interested In Signing With Broncos, Dolphins
Free agent running back Knowshon Moreno is eyeing an NFL return and would like to sign with with either the Broncos or Dolphins, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post. Moreno spent the first five seasons of his career in Denver before inking a free agent contract with the Dolphins in 2014. After suiting up for just three games with the Dolphins, Moreno suffered a season-ending ACL tear – the second torn ACL of his career – and sat out the 2015 campaign to enable his ailing knees to heal. Moreno insists he’s healthy now, though.
“I plan on coming back,” he told TMZ. “I feel good. I feel healthy. I’m fully recovered. So I’m just doing the things I have to right now, just staying in shape and seeing where that goes.”
While the soon-to-be 29-year-old is interested in another go-around with the defending Super Bowl champion Broncos, who 
took him in the first round of the 2009 draft, it’s unknown if the feeling is mutual. As noted by Jhabvala, the Broncos re-signed rushers C.J. Anderson (four-year deal) and Ronnie Hillman (one-year contract) earlier in the offseason, and Kapri Bibbs, Juwan Thompson and fourth-round rookie Devontae Booker round out their depth chart.
The Dolphins also have a crowded backfield, but after striking out on trying to land high-profile options (Anderson included) earlier in the offseason, they lack an established No. 1 rusher. As of now, second-year man Jay Ajayi looks poised to serve as their go-to ball carrier. Ajayi racked up just 187 yards on 49 carries as a rookie, however, and his production tailed off significantly after a strong two-game showing to begin his career. Miami did invest a third-rounder in Alabama’s Kenyan Drake, though, and Daniel Thomas and Isaiah Pead are among its veteran choices. Moreno has enjoyed a better career than both, and the ex-Georgia Bulldog says he has plenty more to offer.
“I still have a lot in the tank. Probably too much in the tank. I need to let it out. I’m really excited to get back. I just want to get back to a team atmosphere, helping a team and, most of all, just competing,” he told TMZ.
During the first six years of his career, Moreno missed 33 of a possible 96 regular-season games, but he did fare well when healthy. In Moreno’s most productive season, 2013, he amassed 1,038 yards on 241 carries (4.3 YPC, the same as his career mark), chipped in an impressive 60 catches and added 13 touchdowns (10 rushing, three receiving). Cumulatively, Moreno has rushed for 3,616 yards, hauled in 158 passes and piled up 36 scores (27 rushing, nine receiving).
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Latest On Talks Between Jets, Ryan Fitzpatrick
8:57pm: Decker’s absence from OTAs does stem from his dissatisfaction with the lack of progress toward a new deal for Fitzpatrick, reports Costello (Twitter link).
5:36pm: It’s nearly June, which means NFL training camp is creeping closer, but the Jets and free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick continue to make no progress toward a new contract. The two sides haven’t engaged in discussions in several weeks, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
For his part, Fitzpatrick indicated on Monday that he’d like to return to the Jets, saying, “I had a great time with the guys last year and I want to continue doing this. I’m still preparing for the season.”
Fitzpatrick added that “the discussions have been behind closed doors,” but if Costello’s report is accurate, those closed-door 
talks haven’t happened in a while.
The 33-year-old Fitzpatrick, whom the Jets acquired from the Texans for a late-round pick in March 2015, has been pushing for a contract commensurate to his performance last season. The well-traveled Fitzpatrick had a career campaign as part of a 10-6 club, amassing personal bests in yards (3,905) and touchdown passes (31) against 15 interceptions.
The Jets aren’t as bullish on Fitzpatrick as he is on himself, however, as they’ve reportedly tried to lock him up to a deal in the $7MM-per-year range. That’s similar annual value to the contracts Robert Griffin III and Chase Daniel signed earlier this offseason with the Browns and Eagles, respectively, but Fitzpatrick has been significantly more productive than those two in recent years.
With Fitzpatrick currently out of the Jets’ equation, the club has three less-than-ideal signal-calling options in Geno Smith, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg. Smith has struggled mightily during his three-year NFL career, while Petty and Hackenberg have a combined zero pro snaps between them. New York did invest respectable resources in the tandem, though, with Petty going in the fourth round of the 2015 draft and Hackenberg in the second round this year. Further, offensive coordinator Chan Gailey stated Wednesday that Gang Green would be content with any member of its current troika under center this year. Receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, both of whom were absent from voluntary OTAs on Wednesday, might disagree. Marshall’s absence is unrelated to Fitzpatrick’s situation, however, per Costello (via Twitter).
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Extra Points: Brees, Bradford, Browns, Jags
The Saints and Drew Brees haven’t had contract extension talks in about a month and a half, the quarterback said Wednesday (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of NFL.com). Brees added that he doesn’t like talking contract during the season, per Larry Holder of NOLA.com (on Twitter). That means the Saints’ hopes of extending the 37-year-old could be put on hold for a while if they don’t lock him up prior to their Sept. 11 opener. Brees is currently scheduled to count $30MM against New Orleans’ cap this year, the final season of his contract.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Although the Eagles traded up in the draft to use the No. 2 overall pick on quarterback Carson Wentz, the expectation is that veteran Sam Bradford will at least begin the 2016 season as their starter. That might not be the case, however, according to new offensive coordinator Frank Reich. On whether Bradford is the Eagles’ clear-cut No. 1 option under center, Reich told CBS Philly, “No, that’s probably not the right impression.” He continued, “This is one of the most competitive industries in the world and so, to say that there’s not competition, that’s just the furthest thing from the truth.”
- Longtime Browns left tackle Joe Thomas stated at the end of last season that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue his career with rebuilding Cleveland, but the nine-year veteran is now pleased that the team didn’t trade him. “It wouldn’t have surprised me if I had been traded, but I’m happy that I didn’t. So it’s kind of a happy ending,” he told Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Thomas, who has gone to the Pro Bowl every year of his career, is also pleased with the Browns’ new head coach, Hue Jackson. “I was always jealous of the guys that were in Cincinnati running Hue Jackson’s offense because it’s a very offensive line friendly offense, a lot of quick throws, a lot of easy fade balls, a lot of different formations to spread the defense out, confuse them, get them into really vanilla looks, some up-tempo stuff, smash-mouth football, he really wants to run the ball inside the tackles,” he said.
- Like Thomas, Jaguars left tackle Luke Joeckel is glad he’s still with his current club. “I love Jacksonville. I’d love to stay here. It all comes down to my play. I’m only focused on myself and me playing football, getting better at left tackle,” he said (link via Mike DiRocco of ESPN.com). While Joeckel’s goal is to improve at tackle, there’s a good chance he’ll shift inside to guard if free agent pickup Kelvin Beachum wins the LT job, as expected, per DiRocco. Since the Jags used the second pick of the 2013 draft on Joeckel, the former Texas A&M standout has been a disappointment. Joeckel’s struggles led Jacksonville to decline his fifth-year option for 2017 and sign Beachum.
- It’s not clear whether right tackle Seantrel Henderson will be a part of the Bills‘ plans in 2016 and coach Rex Ryan admits that he hasn’t spoken to him in some time. “I have no update for you guys on that. So that is a medical thing,” Ryan said (link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW) “I really have no update. I haven’t seen Seantrel in quite a while.” A seventh-round pick in 2014, Henderson started all 16 games in his rookie season in Buffalo, and had started 10 games for the team in 2015 before he was sidelined with Crohn’s disease.
- Free agent wide receiver Wes Welker isn’t sure if he wants to continue his NFL career in 2016. “There are some days I wake up I’m like, ‘OK I’m done,’ and other days I wake up and I’m like, ‘Maybe one more year,'” the five-time Pro Bowler said Wednesday, per NFL Media (via Twitter). Welker, 35, joined the Rams midway through last season and posted unimpressive numbers (13 receptions and 102 yards) in eight games.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Latest On NFL’s Investigation Into PEDs
Nearly five months have passed since an Al Jazeera America documentary linking several NFL players to banned substances came to the fore, but the league still hasn’t interviewed any of the individuals mentioned in the film. That could be on the brink of changing, reports Christine Brennan of USA Today.
“It’s our expectation that we will interview the players involved over the next month or so,” league spokesman Joe Lockhart told Brennan on Wednesday.
Lockhart added that the league is “in conversations with the union over the timing” of the interviews.
“The Dark Side,” a documentary centering on the global epidemic of performance-enhancing drugs in sports, was released in December. In that production, ex-Guyer Institute pharmacists Charlie Sly and Chad Robertson name now-retired quarterback Peyton Manning, Packers linebacker Julius Peppers, Steelers linebacker James Harrison and current free agent linebacker Mike Neal as players they supplied with PEDs. They also connect Packers linebacker Clay Matthews to the painkiller Toradol.
Sly alleges in the documentary that the Guyer Institute – an Indianapolis-based anti-aging clinic – supplied Manning and his wife, Ashley, with human growth hormone when he was recovering from a career-threatening neck injury in 2011. Neal, Peppers and Harrison are all linked to hormone supplement Delta-2, which is designed to stay ahead of drug tests.
Manning, whose Broncos defeated the Panthers in Super Bowl 50, stated after the documentary’s release that he would 
welcome a league investigation into the matter and added that he’d consider legal action. As it turns out, however, the 40-year-old will not sue, relays Brennan. He remains on the league’s interview list, though, because of the potential that he’ll someday end up in a front office.
As of now, Manning doesn’t want to spend significant money or time on a lawsuit that would publicize the private medical records of him and his wife, per Brennan, who notes that Sly’s allegation that Manning went to the Guyer Institute ultimately proved true. Further, the Mannings haven’t disputed the notion that Ashley Manning had HGH and other drugs shipped to her.
For now, Manning is in a strategic phase and keeping an eye on how the libel lawsuits filed against Al Jazeera America by Major League Baseball players Ryan Howard and Ryan Zimmerman fare. Howard and Zimmerman are also included in the documentary, and they elected to take legal action in January. If their cases end up dismissed, Manning will know his also would have been, writes Brennan.
As for the other players involved, Neal is still unsigned despite logging a few productive seasons in Green Bay. He attributes his unemployment, at least in part, to the documentary. Harrison decided against legal action in December for financial reasons, and he made news earlier this month when he tried to videotape his own drug test. Peppers – who does have a 2002 PED suspension on his résumé – called the documentary “irresponsible journalism” upon its release, and Matthews denied knowing Sly.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC Notes: 49ers, Cowboys, Redskins, Vikings
It doesn’t appear that new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly is ready to change his uptempo offensive ways. During the team period at OTAs on Wednesday, the 49ers ran 24 plays in an eight-minute span, good for one snap every 20 seconds, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter). As noted by Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk, Kelly’s taxing, fast-paced attack eventually wore out its welcome with some of his Eagles players during his three-season tenure in Philadelphia.
Here’s more on San Francisco and a few of its NFC counterparts:
- One of Kelly’s players, safety Eric Reid, said Wednesday he’d like to sign a contract extension to remain with the 49ers for the long haul (link via Maiocco). San Francisco already has control over Reid through 2017, having picked up his fifth-year option earlier this month. General manager Trent Baalke stated in April that he’d be open to inking the 2013 first-rounder to an extension, though that was before the fifth-year option decision. The 24-year-old Reid has been a full-time starter for the 49ers since entering the league and has a Pro Bowl nod under his belt. He failed to record an interception last season, however, after piling up a combined seven during his initial two campaigns.
- The Cowboys seem content with Kellen Moore serving as Tony Romo‘s primary backup this year, per head coach Jason Garrett (Twitter link via Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram). “We just feel like Kellen has earned the right to compete for the No. 2 spot, and that’s what he’s doing,” said Garrett. In his first pro action last season, the 26-year-old Moore – a former Lion – appeared in three games, made two starts, and threw four touchdowns against six interceptions. It’s worth noting that the Cowboys visited with veteran passer Matt Moore earlier this offseason before he re-signed with Miami and also selected Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott in the fourth round of this year’s draft.
- Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post wonders where rookie inside linebacker Su’a Cravens will fit in the Redskins‘ defense. Listed as a safety coming out of USC, the Redskins used Cravens at inside linebacker during rookie minicamp. Going forward, it’s possible that Cravens can be used at linebacker, safety, or even nickel cornerback if necessary. Cravens’ label of “moneybacker” helped him vault up the boards in April, leading to his second-round selection in the draft.
- Second-year Vikings defensive tackle B.J. Dubose tore his ACL during OTAs on Wednesday and will miss the 2016 season, according to Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Dubose, a sixth-round pick from Louisville, hasn’t yet appeared in an NFL game.
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com about the Lions‘ perceived lack of change at the running back position. While the Lions did not make a major splash, they did add veteran Stevan Ridley in free agency and Dwayne Washington in the draft. Washington, Twentyman writes, is a no-nonsense tailback who boasts big-play potential thanks to his size and speed. Those two backs will support incumbent starter Ameer Abdullah and pass-catching specialist Theo Riddick.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Marshawn Lynch Rethinking Retirement?
The Seahawks removed Marshawn Lynch from their 90-man roster three weeks ago when they placed the running back on the reserve/retired list, but the 30-year-old still hasn’t officially walked away from football. Now, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), some close to Lynch have conflicting beliefs as to whether he actually is planning to retire.
Lynch told a pair of ex-teammates that he intends to play this year, per Cole, which comes on the heels of Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman‘s recent reluctance to put the rusher’s NFL tenure in the rear-view mirror.
On the notion of Lynch returning in 2016, Sherman said, “I don’t put anything past him. He’s about as predictable as a pair of dice. So I don’t try to call his plays.”
Meanwhile, Doug Hendrickson – Lynch’s agent – doesn’t expect his client to take the field this season, but Cole reports “there’s a 
guessing game going on” and adds that the four-time Pro Bowler is far from a sure bet to remain a Seahawk if he elects against retirement. The Seahawks may be ready to move on from Lynch because of his 2016 cap charge and the injury issues he dealt with last season, relays Cole.
Seattle would rack up significant savings if it were to move on from a non-retired Lynch this summer, recouping $9MM in breathing room, and the club’s ground game was elite even without him last season.
While Lynch battled hamstring and abdominal injuries that limited him to seven games and career worsts in rushing attempts (111), yards (417) and touchdowns (three), Thomas Rawls burst on the scene as an undrafted rookie and averaged 5.6 yards per carry on 147 tries. Rawls also wasn’t the picture of health last year, however, as he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in December that required surgery. The 22-year-old should be good to go for the upcoming season, though, and the Seahawks invested heavily behind him when they selected fellow backs C.J. Prosise (third round), Alex Collins (fifth round) and Zac Brooks (seventh round) in the draft. The club also has veteran Christine Michael on its depth chart, so even if Lynch does go back on his initial instinct to retire, it does appear that his days in a Seahawks uniform are over.
Originally acquired from Buffalo in 2010 for pennies on the dollar (two late-round draft picks), Lynch was the driving force behind Seattle’s offense for most of his five-plus-year career there. In each of his four 16-game seasons as a Seahawk, Lynch finished with at least 280 carries, 1,200 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He also made a pair of Super Bowl trips, one of which ended in victory.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.