Seahawks To Sign RB Robert Turbin
The Seahawks have added one of their former running backs…but it’s not Marshawn Lynch (at least not yet). NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that Seattle is expected to sign running back Robert Turbin.
Those hoping for a Beast Mode reunion shouldn’t fear, however. Garafolo notes that the team is “still working through” Lynch’s meeting and physical. We heard earlier today that both the organization and the former Pro Bowler were “optimistic” that a deal would ultimately get done.
As for Turbin, he was among the running backs that worked out for the Seahawks earlier today. That grouping also included C.J. Anderson, who told ESPN’s Josina Anderson that he won’t be signing with the organization (Twitter link).
Turbin spent the first three seasons of his career in Seattle, including the Seahawks’ Super Bowl-winning campaign. The 30-year-old’s last NFL gig was with the Colts, who he played for between 2016 and 2018. Turbin ran for seven touchdowns during his first season in Indy, but he was limited to only eight games during his final two years with the team.
Following injuries to Chris Carson, C.J. Prosise, and Rashaad Penny, the Seahawks are in desperate need of backfield help. The organization is clearly valuing familiarity when it comes to adding reinforcement at the position.
Seahawks Meet With C.J. Anderson
A third name has surfaced in Seattle’s 11th-hour running back search. C.J. Anderson also worked out for the Seahawks on Monday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Mentioned as a fill-in candidate in the wake of Seattle’s rough Week 16, Anderson joined Robert Turbin in auditioning for the suddenly desperate playoff-bound squad. Marshawn Lynch is perhaps set to help fill the void left by the injuries to Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny and C.J. Prosise. But the Seahawks are planning to sign two running backs, per the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta (on Twitter). Anderson brings considerable experience and has a history of key postseason contributions.
Anderson has played in three Super Bowls, the first being Super Bowl XLVIII against the Seahawks. A Pro Bowler in 2014 and 1,000-yard rusher with the Broncos in 2017, Anderson started in Super Bowl 50 and led all players with 100 scrimmage yards that night. He was a struggling Denver offense’s most reliable option in the 2015 playoffs.
He joined the Rams at around this juncture in 2018 and helped reignite a ground game following Todd Gurley‘s injury. Both he and Gurley surpassed 100 yards in Los Angeles’ divisional-round win over Dallas earlier this year. Anderson went 3-for-5 in 100-yard games as a Ram.
The Lions signed Anderson but released him early this season. The Broncos, Panthers and Raiders cut him last year, but Anderson revived his stock with the Rams. The seven-season veteran has not caught on anywhere since departing Detroit, but this profiles as another late-season opportunity for the 28-year-old free agent.
Latest On Seahawks, Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch will take a physical for the Seahawks on Monday and “both sides are optimistic he is back wearing [No.] 24,” a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Seahawks To Meet With Marshawn Lynch]
If signed, Lynch can participate in a huge Week 17 game for the Seahawks. With a win over the 49ers, the Seahawks can capture the NFC West division and, possibly, a first-round bye, depending on how the Packers fare on Monday night.
Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll is optimistic about a possible reunion.
“He’ll be flying in here this morning and we’re gonna give him a really good chance to come back and play for us, Carroll said on 710 ESPN. “I think it’s freakin’ great if he could get back out there and tote the ball for us.”
Following injuries to Chris Carson, C.J. Prosise, and Rashaad Penny, the Seahawks are in desperate need of backfield help. Lynch might be a bit rusty, but he offers a wealth of experience and familiarity with the Seahawks’ offense. The Seahawks are hoping that Lynch can get back in the groove, starting this week, and help them in their quest for another Super Bowl ring.
If things don’t work out with Lynch, the Seahawks could also consider fellow veteran running back Robert Turbin.
Seahawks To Meet With Robert Turbin
Will it be Beast Mode or Bobby Turbo? In addition to meeting with Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks will also huddle up with running back Robert Turbin, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. 
[RELATED: Seahawks To Meet With Marshawn Lynch]
Turbin, 30, has not played in a game in over a year. He was last with the Seahawks during the 2014 season, serving as one of Lynch’s backups. From 2016-2018, he was with the Colts – his best work came in ’16, when he found the end zone seven times. It was a breakout year for him as he did not score more than one TD in any other season.
Turbin met with the Raiders in April, but did not sign with Jon Gruden‘s squad. He also auditioned for Seattle earlier this month, alongside Alfred Blue.
Seahawks To Meet With Marshawn Lynch
Beast Mode just might return to Seattle. Marshawn Lynch and the Seahawks will meet in Seattle to discuss a reunion on Monday, sources tell Mike Garafolo, Ian Rapoport, and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
The Seahawks desperately need running back help and are open to pulling Lynch out of retirement. Running backs Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise will likely miss the rest of the season with hip and arm injuries, respectively, leaving them perilously thin in the backfield.
Lynch is undoubtedly rusty, but there are limited options available at this stage of the year. For what it’s worth, Lynch left the door open for a return to the Raiders in May, so he might not be 100% finished with football.
Lynch, 33, saw just six games in an injury-shortened 2018 with the Raiders. In the previous year, however, he appeared in 15 games and averaged a solid 4.3 yards per carry. He finished out that year with 891 yards on the ground and seven touchdowns, plus 20 catches for 151 yards.
Lynch, of course, spent the 2010-2015 seasons with the Seahawks and helped the team capture a Super Bowl ring. Then, in the Seahawks’ following Super Bowl appearance, they opted against giving Lynch the ball near the goal line, which wound up costing them the game.
At 11-4, the Seahawks have already punched their ticket to the postseason. They still have a shot at winning the NFC West as well. Their Week 17 matchup against the Niners will determine the division and could even unlock a first-round bye, if the Packers lose tonight against the Vikings.
Seahawks Lose Trio Of Players
The Seahawks lost a tough one at home to the Cardinals on Sunday, and the news got much worse after the game. Running backs Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise will likely miss the rest of the season with hip and arm injuries respectively, head coach Pete Carroll announced to the media. Caroll also revealed that starting left tackle Duane Brown would undergo surgery on his knee and that while he could make it back for the playoffs, he won’t play next week.
That’s all very unfortunate, since Seattle has a crucial Week 17 game against the 49ers that will determine who wins the NFC West and in turn gets a home playoff game. The Seahawks were already playing without key defensive pieces in Jadeveon Clowney and Shaquill Griffin, and it’s unclear if either of them will make it back for next week. Either way, the Seahawks will now be very shorthanded for their showdown with San Francisco.
Rashaad Penny recently landed on injured reserve with an ACL injury, so Seattle has virtually no running backs left after today. They’ll certainly be making a move or two this week, and Carroll acknowledged as much by saying “John’s gotta get working” in reference to GM John Schneider, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Carson had been having a very solid year before going down, and will finish the season with 1,190 yards on the ground and nine total touchdowns.
Depending on who they add to the roster this week, rookie sixth-round pick Travis Homer currently profiles as the team’s starter at running back for Week 17. The Miami product now has eight carries in his career after handling five on Sunday. Brown is the anchor of the offensive line, and his absence will be sorely felt. 2018 fifth-round pick Jamarco Jones started two games when Brown was hurt earlier this year.
As for who Seattle will pick up, there are plenty of serviceable veteran options available. They worked out Robert Turbin and Alfred Blue last week after Penny went down, so perhaps one of those guys will get a call. Additionally, C.J. Anderson is a player the team might have interest in, Condotta hears (Twitter link). Anderson joined the Rams late in the season last year and ended up playing a huge role in their Super Bowl run, so he’s no stranger to this type of situation. Even more interestingly, Condotta tweets that he doesn’t “think it can be ruled out” that they might sign Marshawn Lynch. Lynch retired back in April, but left the door open for a return to the Raiders in May, so he might not be 100 percent finished. That would certainly be entertaining.
NFC Notes: Gordon, Sherman, Cardinals, Packers
This week, embattled receiver Josh Gordon earned the fifth suspension of his career, as he was banned from the league for violating the league’s policies on performance-enhancing substances and substances of abuse. Naturally, some have questioned if the 28-year-old’s NFL career has come to an end.
Russell Wilson got to know Gordon during his brief stint in Seattle, and the Seahawks quarterback is confident that the receiver will see the field again.
“I got pretty close with Josh,” Wilson said (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “You’re going to miss him obviously as a player, but more importantly as a friend and as a guy you bonded with pretty quickly. We’ve been staying in touch and all that. I just pray for him. I really believe that prayer works. I really believe that relationships and friendships work in supporting no matter what we go through. We all have stuff. We all have things that we go through. I’m just praying for him and rooting for him. He’ll overcome. He’s going to overcome, and I really believe that. Hopefully, he’ll get another chance to play with us because he was fun to play with.”
Since joining the Seahawks in early November, Gordon caught just seven passes for 139 yards and zero touchdowns. It’s a far cry from his best work, including a 2014 season in which he had 87 receptions for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games with the Browns.
Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFC…
- Richard Sherman has added incentive to return to the field tonight for the 49ers matchup against the Rams. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the veteran cornerback can earn an extra $1MM if he plays 90-percent of his team’s stats this season. Sherman is currently sitting at 85.7-percent heading into tonight’s game. The veteran missed the 49ers’ Week 15 loss to the Falcons with a hamstring injury.
- Thanks to a six-game suspension for Patrick Peterson and an injury for Robert Alford, the Cardinals have been forced to play rookie cornerback Byron Murphy on the outside. Next season, the team is hoping Murphy can slide back to the position that the organization envisioned for him: slot corner. “We’d like to,” coach Kliff Kingsbury told Katherine Fitzgerald of AZCentral.com. “To me, it’s been tough, him having to play corner and play half the season going against their best wideouts, that’s a tall task for him. We drafted him to be that nickel-type body.”
- Packers rookie linebacker Greg Roberts returned to practice yesterday, tweets ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. The undrafted rookie had been on PUP all season as he recovered from core muscle surgery. Meanwhile, Jim Owczarski of the Journal Sentinel tweets that Packers safety Raven Greene was also seen working out earlier this week. The defensive back has been on injured reserve since Week 2, and he’s been out of his walking boot for several weeks.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/20/19
One minor move to pass along:
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practiced squad: DT Bryan Mone
Mone will be taking the roster spot of Al Woods, the defensive tackle who was suspended four games earlier today. He’s a rookie UDFA who spent a few games on Seattle’s active roster toward the beginning of the year, making three tackles in their opener while playing significant snaps.
Seahawks’ Al Woods Draws PED Suspension
A Seahawks team that has seen several defensive starters miss practices this week will have to get by without one of its interior linemen for a while. Defensive tackle Al Woods received a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Woods has played in all 14 Seahawks games this season. He started five games, which came during Jarran Reed‘s six-game ban to start the season. This is Woods’ first season with the Seahawks. Woods’ ban will stretch into the playoffs. He will not be eligible to play until either the NFC championship game or Super Bowl LIV, depending on Seattle’s seeding. It will go into 2020 if the Seahawks play just one playoff game.
Seattle defensive starters Bobby Wagner, Jadeveon Clowney and Quandre Diggs missed both Wednesday and Thursday practices this week. Shaquill Griffin and Mychal Kendricks missed Thursday’s workout after getting in limited sessions Wednesday. Woods himself did not practice Thursday because of an ankle ailment.
Since Reed returned from a personal conduct ban, Woods has remained a rotational presence. The former Buccaneers, Titans, Steelers and Colts defender, who played briefly with the Seahawks in 2011, has made 32 tackles and registered one sack in his second tour of duty in Seattle. The 32-year-old inside defender has recovered two fumbles this season.
NFC West Notes: Watson, Penny, 49ers
Current Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians, who enjoyed a strong run as the Cardinals‘ HC from 2013-17, nearly brought one of the league’s best quarterbacks to the desert prior to his final year in Arizona. Deshaun Watson was selected by the Texans with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2017 draft, and the Cardinals held the No. 13 overall pick that year. As Patrick D. Starr of SI.com writes, Arians was poised to nab Watson if he slipped one more spot.
It’s unclear whether the Cardinals tried to trade up to select Watson, but they ultimately took linebacker Haason Reddick with their choice. Of course, Arizona seems to have found its QB of the future in Kyler Murray. and who knows how things may have turned out if Watson ended up with the Cards, but it’s always fun to play the butterfly effect game when reports like this surface.
Now for more from the NFC West:
- Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny is undergoing ACL surgery Friday morning, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. We recently heard that, in addition to an ACL tear, Penny may have sustained additional knee damage, but Schefter says the 2018 first-rounder is expected to be ready to go for the 2020 season.
- The 49ers have sustained a number of injuries lately, but they will have CB Richard Sherman back this week. Though recent reports indicated that Sherman may not be back until the playoffs, Matt Barrows of The Athletic says the three-time First Team All-Pro will play in San Francisco’s matchup against the Rams on Saturday night (Twitter link). The Niners, of course, are trying to get back into one of the NFC’s top two seeds after a bad loss to the Falcons on Sunday dropped them to the fifth seed.
- Speaking of Sherman, Field Yates of ESPN.com points out that the 31-year-old earned a league-high $1MM incentive by being named to this year’s Pro Bowl on the original ballot, and he also increased his 2020 base salary by $1MM (Twitter link). Sherman is currently under contract with the 49ers through the 2020 season.
- 49ers LB Kwon Alexander, who was ruled out for the season in November with a torn pec, does have a chance to return at some point in the postseason, as Jennifer Lee Chan of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan conceded that the odds of that happening are slim, and it seems much more likely that the team will have to wait until next year to see Alexander back in action.