The Seahawks currently have Robert Turbin and Christine Michael backing up Marshawn Lynch, but neither guy has taken a firm grasp of the backup role this preseason. Turbin's carried the ball 16 times for 36 yards (2.3 YPC) and has failed to manage a run longer than 8 yards. Michael is averaging 3.3 YPC on 24 attempts, and 29 of his 79 yards came on one play. On the other 23 runs, he's averaged just 2.2 YPC.
Clearly, the Seahawks feel like they need an option to complement Lynch, and that's where Fred Jackson's skill set makes some sense. The veteran's best days are behind him, but he is dependable in pass protection and comfortable as a receiving option. He had a career high 66 catches last year for 501 yards.
As for the players on the roster, Jackson signing would potentially impact Michael and/or Turbin. Michael, a second-round pick in 2013, is signed through 2016 on his rookie deal but has not been the consistent complement the coaches seem to be looking for. Turbin, a fourth-round pick in 2012, is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2015 season.
Jackson played 58.2 percent of Buffalo's offensive snaps last season. And the majority of those snaps (68.2 percent) were passing plays, the story said. He showed good hands with just two drops on 82 targets. Lynch played 737 snaps last year, sixth-most among running backs. It seems that Jackson could be used to spell him on obvious passing downs and be a legit threat out of the backfield. Should the Seahawks sign Jackson, they could look to part ways with either Michael or Turbin. It's also possible that they'd keep all three guys in addition to Lynch and go with four running backs along with a fullback.
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