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.' "