Eddie Lacy Seattle Seahawks Rumors: 2017 Free Agents And Minnesota Vikings Link?
Eddie Lacy-Seattle Seahawks rumors have placed the former Pro Bowl running back on the list of 2017 free agents that have drawn the interest of the front office. The Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers are also being linked to Lacy, but his meeting with the brass in Seattle might indicate that he could be leaving Wisconsin soon.
A report by NFL analyst Luke Rodgers has spurred the Eddie Lacy-Seattle Seahawks rumors, as he states that the team scheduled a meeting with the free agent running back for Saturday (March 11). This will follow a meeting that the Seahawks have with running back Latavius Murray on Friday (March 10). In a quest to improve the running game, the team has been linked to quite a few of the top 2017 free agents. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, that also includes former NFL MVP Adrian Peterson and Kansas City Chiefs star Jamal Charles.
There has been a lot of Seattle Seahawks news and rumors since the NFL offseason began. A report by the Seattle Times states that even though Seattle has already committed up to $8 million for one year of Luke Joeckel, the team is also trying to sign free agent offensive lineman T.J. Lang. Lang is in Seattle to chat with the team on Friday before he heads to a meeting with the Denver Broncos over the weekend. Adding Lang and Joeckel in the same offseason could certainly give quarterback Russell Wilson more protection for the 2017 NFL season.
Back to the Eddie Lacy rumors, as the Seahawks are courting him in free agency. It’s not entirely clear how much general manager John Schneider is willing to offer him, but it has been confirmed that Lacy is on the list of 2017 free agents that the team wants to sign. Lacy has struggled with weight problems as a member of the Green Bay Packers, causing his “stock” around the league to take a hit. Could the next Lacy contract be a bargain where he has to prove himself for a new round of NFL free agency in 2018?
Eddie Lacy’s stats weren’t very impressive during the 2016 NFL season. Playing in just five games for the Green Bay Packers, Lacy would finish the season with 360 rushing yards. It follows a 2015 NFL season where Lacy failed to maintain his consistency in the running game. He managed just 187 carries in 15 games, posting 758 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers were a huge drop from his 1,139 rushing yards and 427 receiving yards in 2014. That dip in production could have the Packers looking for someone new in free agency.
The other player showing up on the list of 2017 free agents Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider is interested in is former Oakland Raiders running back Latavius Murray. Murray played his first three NFL seasons with the Raiders, averaging 4.2 yards per carry over that time. Murray’s stats included 788 rushing yards, 264 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns during the 2016 NFL season. It appears that the Raiders are simply going to allow Murray to walk away in free agency rather than offer him a new contract.
One of the reasons that these Latavius Murry-Seattle Seahawks rumors have come up is the desperation by the team to improve in the running game. It is the same reason why Eddie Lacy has a meeting on Saturday and why Jamal Charles and Adrian Peterson have already been linked to the team. The question many Seahawks fans will have is whether the team will have a good enough offensive line to garner the salary of signing one of these big name 2017 free agents. The line didn’t do well in 2016, leading to some very rough rushing stats for the team.
During the 2016 NFL season, Christine Michael actually led the Seahawks with 469 rushing yards. Thomas Rawls had 349, Russell Wilson had 259, C.J. Prosise had 172, and Alex Collins notched 125. Injuries were a big concern for the Seahawks’ depth chart, carrying over into the postseason as the team had to play without a healthy Rawls or Prosise against the Atlanta Falcons. It didn’t end well, forcing the front office to pursue some interesting names once the 2017 free agency period finally began.
It’s actually a good thing that there has been an abundance of Seattle Seahawks news and rumors since the NFL offseason began. It shows that the front office is dedicated to improving a team that wasn’t that bad during the 2016 NFL season. While the Seahawks did have some weak spots on the roster, the team also won the NFC West again, showing that there is certainly a lot of talent still on the active roster. Adding some key pieces through free agency and during the 2017 NFL Draft should put the team right back in the competition to make another Super Bowl run.
In addition to signing left guard Luke Joeckel away from the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Seahawks have a new kicker in Blair Walsh. The Minnesota Vikings decided to move in a different direction, making Walsh available for the Seahawks to bring on board. Former Seahawks kicker Steven Hauschka then received a contract offer from the Buffalo Bills that he has already accepted. There have been a number of fans commenting on social media that they are sad about Hauschka leaving, but Walsh isn’t a bad replacement when it comes to the kicking game.
Seahawks free agent meetings have been made with Jamal Charles, Eddie Lacy, Latavius Murray, and T.J. Lang. Lang is also meeting with the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos, so there could be some competition to sign the offensive lineman. With those three running backs and Adrian Peterson all available in free agency, it might cause the price to drop on one or more of them. Should one of them become extremely affordable or if they are willing to take a discount to play for the Seahawks, it could be an easy decision for John Schneider to make.
The Seattle Seahawks rumors about Eddie Lacy and Latavius Murray should become quite intense over the next 24 hours, as those meetings could draw the attention of a lot of fans hungry for another Super Bowl.
[Featured Image by Dylan Buell/Getty Images]
