Schefter: Dallas trading for Christine Michael

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@AdamSchefter: Dallas trading for former Seattle RB Christine Michael, per league source. Michael returns to Texas, where he starred at Texas A & M.
 
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@AdamSchefter: Dallas is trading a conditional draft pick to Seattle for RB Christine Michael, per source. RB help for Dallas.
 
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HT: 5'10" WT: 220LBS.
POSITION: RB
SCHOOL: Texas A&M
ARM LENGTH: 31 1/2"
HANDS: 9 3/8"

COMBINE STATS
40 YARD DASH: 4.54 SEC
BENCH PRESS: 27 REPS
VERTICAL JUMP: 43.0 INCH
BROAD JUMP: 125.0 INCH
3 CONE DRILL: 6.69 SEC
20 YARD SHUTTLE: 4.02 SEC
60 YARD SHUTTLE: 11.56 SEC

ANALYSIS

Strengths
Low center of gravity back with good thickness throughout his frame to take and give out punishment. North-south runner who uses his strong legs to burst out of the hole to eat up six or seven yards in a hurry. More speed in the open field than you’d expect given his size, sets up defenders in the open field for a dangerous cut on the run. Capable of strong cuts on stretch plays, runs with lean and balance to blast or step through arm tackles near the line. Also willing to spin off tackles to free himself in space or stretch for an extra yard inside. Takes out blitzers with cut blocks in pass protection, also defenders at the second level as a lead blocker.

Weaknesses
Missed the end of both his sophomore and junior seasons due to injury. Not elite in his change of direction ability, will round some cuts and gets tripped up trying to change field. Will spin away from situations instead of taking what he can get. Ball security can be an issue, will run with the ball away from his frame (three fumbles in 2011). Not often targeted in the passing game, must prove he can be a reliable receiver. Whiffs too often when trying to land a punch in pass protection, and gets pushed back too easily when man-up.

NFL Comparison
Chris Ivory

Bottom Line
Scouts like Michael’s blend of low-center of gravity power and speed in exactly the same way that opposing defense don’t; but he must stay healthy to fulfill his promise after managing to play in just 13 games (with an impressive 1,530 yards and 12 touchdowns in that span) over the last two seasons due to a broken right leg in 2010 and a torn left ACL in 2011. A healthy senior year should translate into at least a top 50 draft slot, if not higher.
 
ThoughtExperiment

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Good article (I think) on why they gave up on him. He's talented but can't seem to put it together consistently.

Christine Michael still has upside, but he's running out of chances with Seahawks
SHARE STORY BY DANNY O'NEIL, 710 ESPN Seattle | August 28, 2015 @ 3:42 pm

There's no denying Christine Michael has not developed the way the Seahawks hoped, Danny O'Neil writes. (AP)
This isn't Christine Michael's last chance.

Simply his next best one, and for a guy who's entering his third season at risk of being third fiddle (again), he's running out of opportunities to earn a more prominent role in Seattle's offense.

"Talent-wise, the guy has all of it," Seahawks running backs coach Sherman Smith said on "Danny, Dave and Moore" this week, "but we want more consistency from him."

It is not a question of upside with Michael. He's always had that. It's why Seattle chose him in the second round of the 2013 draft at a time when running back was the last thing the Seahawks needed. It's an inability to eliminate the downside that has kept Michael behind both starter Marshawn Lynch and backup Robert Turbin on the depth chart.

Saturday's preseason game in San Diego is as close as an NFL team gets to a dress rehearsal. Lynch is expected to play for the first time this year, and he might even get a couple carries.

But while it's a warmup for Lynch, it's a continuing audition for Michael and anyone else looking to convince the coaches they're ready for a more significant role.

In two seasons, he has appeared in 14 regular-season games and has yet to carry the ball in the playoffs. This year, Michael is competing with Thomas Rawls, an undrafted rookie from Central Michigan. And while it's hard to imagine the team cutting Michael, there's no denying that he has not developed the way the Seahawks hoped when they drafted him. Smith spelled that out clearly this week in an interview with 710 ESPN Seattle.

"It's frustrating because he's such a good player," Smith said. "He has such talent, and you want him to get it. Here's what it takes for you to play in this league. You should say to yourself, 'I'm a second-round draft pick, I haven't played in two years, what do I need to do?' "

Well, start with holding onto the ball. There's not a team in the NFL that tolerates fumbles, but coach Pete Carroll is particularly maniacal about it. Michael fumbled twice in a preseason game last year, a result of opponents getting lower than him. This year, he had the ball poked out in the preseason opener while carrying the ball in his left hand. That's a key fact, one Smith pointed out.

"I told him, 'Whoever coached you earlier didn't do you a favor,' " Smith said. "Because he's a right-handed ballcarrier, even going to the left, he's got the ball in the right hand. So he practiced some bad habits."

He's also got to be correct on every assignment. In last week's game he ran to the wrong side of the quarterback, botching an exchange.

Those are the kinds of things that have stunted Michael's integration into the offense. The Seahawks have no doubt about the things he can do with when he gets the ball. The worry is about those things he'll neglect to do like protecting the ball or turning in assignments.

Is Michael on the bubble? Probably not. The team has already sunk its investment in him, using a second-round pick to choose him one selection after the Packers chose Eddie Lacy. Michael is only halfway through his rookie contract, and there's still the chance he would rise to the occasion if there was a more prominent role.

On the other hand, Turbin has recovered well from offseason hip surgery and appears more explosive while Michael's development seems to have stalled. So while this may not be a make-or-break moment in Michael's career, he's going to have to turn all that promise into production.

"I told him, 'It's not about you proving us wrong,' " Smith said. " 'Prove us right. You were a second-round draft pick. Prove us right why we took you.' "
Keep reading...
 
ThoughtExperiment

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One thing I didn't realize was how big he was. For some reason I thought he was a smaller type, but he's 220. That's good -- I've thought we needed a bigger pounder type.

But he does seem to be another non-RKG. Lately we take anyone with raw talent no matter what problems they have.
 
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I love the trade. In the other thread I mentioned how I hoped we would do this after Jackson signed with the Seahawks. I think Michael has a lot of potential behind this line. It just needs to click for him. He's still young so there's time.
 
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Awesome.

So psyched for this season.

We are as complete a team as you can be in today's NFL.
 
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ThoughtExperiment said:
One thing I didn't realize was how big he was. For some reason I thought he was a smaller type, but he's 220. That's good -- I've thought we needed a bigger pounder type.

But he does seem to be another non-RKG. Lately we take anyone with raw talent no matter what problems they have.
Keep reading...

Yep, sounds like he will be the short yardage piece in our RBBC.
 
Hoofbite

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I like the move.

With shit tons of free cap space I would like to have Murray a hell of a lot more though.
 
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No. It induces ideas of a running big black cock. Just a giant penis with two little legs - possibly shaved but not sure - and pronounced vasculature running at top speed.
 
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thw.gif


Hoofbite said:
No. It induces ideas of a running big black cock. Just a giant penis with two little legs - possibly shaved but not sure - and pronounced vasculature running at top speed.
Keep reading...
 
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