Seattle Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls was taken off the PUP (physically unable to perform) list on Sunday and was is slowly being integrated back into the mix. Rawls took the league by storm last year while recently when the now retired Marshawn Lynch struggled with injuries during the 2015 NFL season.
Rawls integrated slowly with team
Any time a player is coming off an injury, especially coming off of a fractured ankle, the team will want to slowly integrate the player back into the fold. That is exactly what Pete Carroll and the Seahawks are doing. Tuesday was the first practice since Rawls was activated off of the PUP and the team is taking no chances.
Rawls was seen jogging and working straight-line drills with the trainer and had no helmet as Gregg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune noted on Twitter.
Can Rawls replicate 2015 success to 2016?
Many will wonder if Rawls can match the success in 2016 that he had in 2015. He led all rookies in rushing yards with 830 rushing yards. Rawls presumably will be the featured back for the Seahawks in 2016 if he can stay healthy. Running the ball is what the Seahawks do and are one of the better teams in the league at the end of the year doing so. They finished as the third-best running team in the league behind the Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers in 2015. In 2014, they led the league in rushing with 2,762 yards. In 2013, they were fourth in the league behind the Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers with 2,188 rushing yards. Since 2012, they have finished in the top five every year in rushing and hope to do the same in 2016.
Plenty of options behind Rawls
If for some reason Rawls is not able to replicate his 2015 success to 2016, the Seahawks have plenty of players that can carry the load. Christine Michael has been the featured back most of the preseason. The Seahawks also brought in three other running backs during the 2016 NFL Draft and after. They drafted C.J. Prosise in the third round with the 90th pick overall. They also drafted Alex Collins (5th rd., 171st overall) and Zac Brooks (7th rd., 247th overall). Prosise has been out the last few weeks with a hamstring issue and Collins has been a stud in camp as he had an outstanding scrimmage this past Sunday.
Don't expect to see Rawls in either of the Seahawks first two preseason games. The soonest that he may play could be their August 25th preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, WA.
What's next?
The Seahawks will player their first preseason game of the year this coming Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30pm ET.