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I'm rather concerned that any parent, anywhere, would name their male child Christine.
Christine Michael Not Showing He Can Cut It
We are all too familiar with the current decline of the NFL running back. With the league becoming more quarterback centric everyday, running backs are becoming just as disposable.
But for the Seahawks their offense is a throwback ,revolving around running back play, despite them handing Russell Wilson $87.5 million this offseason. Since 2010 Marshawn Lynch has been the engine to the offense and although the Hawks handed him a new contract extension of his own after last season, his days may be numbered as he approaches a running back’s expiration date of 30 years old.
Therefore Christine Michael’s underwhelming performance so far this preseason is concerning. His latest performance against the Chiefs only produced 27 yards on 10 carries, behind an offensive line unit that showed improvement from week 1.
Selected in the 2nd round in the 2013 draft, Hawks coaches have raved about Michael from day 1, making him the clear heir to Lynch on the depth chart. Even with the praise and expectations Michael has not yet been able to consistently prove his supporters right.
With Lynch assuming his usually light preseason workload and Robert Turbin recovering from offseason surgery, Michael is being given a longer look in camp and games. Thus far the results have left much to be desired. Some of that is due to an offensive line still trying to find its groove, but his fumble against the Broncos in the first preseason game is a prime example of his consistent inconsistency.
This isn’t Michael’s first opportunity however, last year with Lynch briefly holding out in addition to his traditionally light preseason it seemed that maybe Michael could push the envelope for more carries come the regular season. Unfortunately for Michael he did not, garnering only 34 carries in 2014.
While he has shown flashes of his potential and improvement in his blocking, Michael still needs to show he is what the Hawks thought he was when they made him their first pick in 2013. And with the Seahawks liking to run the ball as much as they do, they absolutely need Michael to live up to their lofty initial expectations. Though more importantly for Michael, if he can’t then he very well may fall victim to the current NFL trend of recycling running backs.
Image via flickr