Seahawks Re-Sign Running Back for 2021

Getty The Seattle Seahawks are bringing back Alex Collins.

The Seattle Seahawks are bringing back running back Alex Collins for the 2021 season as the move was listed on the NFL’s transaction wire. Seattle has yet to formally announce the signing, but we can expect it is likely a one-year deal with little risk if the team opts to release him prior to the season.

Collins is a name to watch given the uncertainty the team has at running back heading into the offseason. Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde are both free agents and could leave a sizable void behind if the Seahawks decide to let them walk. Collins was signed to Seattle’s practice squad in November 2020 and made three appearances last season. His best outing came against the Rams in Week 10 when Collins had 11 carries for 43 yards.

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Carroll on Collins: ‘We Feel Very Comfortable With Him Playing’

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has been high on Collins throughout his career. Collins was drafted by the Seahawks but left Seattle after his rookie season in 2016. He played two seasons for the Ravens before missing 2019 with an injury. Shortly after Collins signed with the Seahawks, Carroll praised how the running back looked in his return to Seattle.

“He kinda fell right back into the flow of things here and we feel very comfortable with him playing,” Carroll said in November 2020, per Sports Illustrated. “Even though he hasn’t been practicing all this time, we feel pretty good about him. He’s got his head in the right spot for it.”

Carroll on the 2021 Seahawks Offense: ‘I Want to See If We Can Run the Ball More Effectively’

Collins could play an increased role in the Seahawks offense even if the team re-signs Carson or another veteran. During his final press conference of last season, Carroll emphasized that he wants to see the team “run the ball more effectively” in 2021.

“I want to see if we can run the ball more effectively to focus the play of the opponents and see if we can force them to do things like we’d like them to do more, like we have been able to do that in the past,” Carroll explained, per Seattle 950 KJR. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to run the ball 50 times a game. It means we need to run the ball with direction and focus and style that allows us to dictate the game. I mean I just, frankly, I’d like to not play against two-deep looks all season long next year. And so we have to be able to get that done. It’s not just the running game. It is the style of passes that will help us some, but we have to get after it a little bit differently. As it unfolded in the end of the season, it became really obvious. In the last four or five games, it became really obvious.”

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