No, the Seahawks Should Not Trade for Raheem Mostert
It’s well-documented that running the football is at the core of Pete Carroll’s philosophy. So much so that Seahawks fans have long voiced their frustration with the team’s reluctance to fully give the reins of the offense to quarterback Russell Wilson.
After a historically abysmal season running the ball in 2017, in which Wilson was their leading rusher, the Seahawks have once again found dominance between the trenches similar to that of the early 2010s with Marshawn Lynch, primarily with fourth-year running back Chris Carson. But with Carson coming off a late-season hip fracture - his second serious injury in three years - and uncertainty around the exact return date of third-year back Rashaad Penny, who’s currently rehabbing a torn ACL, the Seahawks have had to supplement their running back depth with free agent Carlos Hyde and fourth round draft selection DeeJay Dallas.
The Seahawks appear pretty set at the position in Penny’s absence with Hyde and Dallas joining Carson and Travis Homer as the four likeliest backs to break camp with the team. But as Seattle's front office has reiterated in the past, they’re typically "in on everything" in some capacity when it comes to potential player acquisitions, and it just so happens that a player they’re fairly familiar with, at a position they champion, has recently hit the trade block.
49ers postseason hero Raheem Mostert, who famously rushed for 220 yards and four touchdowns in last year’s NFC Championship versus the Packers, has requested a trade from the team following a contract dispute. Per his agent and Ian Rapoport, Mostert has been paid as a special teamer during his time with the 49ers and has asked for a roughly $1,975,000 raise that would put him in line with teammate Tevin Coleman at $4,550,000.
The 49ers have seemingly balked at the idea, causing the friction between the two parties to escalate to the point that Mostert now wants out of San Francisco. This comes on the heels of the 49ers trading a key piece to their running back depth in Matt Breida to the Dolphins this past April. The team is also reportedly interested in a potential deal for Jets safety Jamal Adams, which would likely require them to maneuver their current salary cap situation in some way, meaning Mostert’s desired raise may not be feasible within the 49ers’ plans.
Mostert finished the 2019 season with 772 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, leading all NFL running backs in yards per carry average (5.6). He also added 180 yards and a pair of scores on 14 receptions. The 28-year old really made a name for himself in the 2019 playoffs where he logged 336 yards and five touchdowns from the NFC Divisional Round to the Super Bowl.
Mostert found most of his success on the ground outside the tackles in 2019 and led the league in yards before contact (3.5), so he isn’t the prototypical downhill runner the Seahawks tend to covet. However, while there’s no denying some of the large holes he was given by his offensive line at times, Mostert showed really good burst and elusiveness to avoid contact running up the middle on his 2019 tape.
What may attract the Seahawks to Mostert most is his effectiveness on special teams, specifically as a gunner on punt coverage. In 2019, Mostert logged 11 tackles and forced two fumbles, recovering both while adding another recovery in the postseason. But with Mostert’s coming out party as a legit option in the backfield last season, there could be some reluctance on his part - and perhaps the team as well - to continue risking his body on special teams.
All the good aside, the Seahawks should do their due diligence - if they haven’t already - and move on. With four capable running backs already penciled into the 53-man roster and another set to return at some point if there’s a season, Seattle has no need to spend draft capital and more money on the position. It also doesn’t really make sense for Mostert, either, entering an even more cramped running back room than the one he’d be leaving.
Even with Carson and Hyde set to hit the open market after this season and Penny not too far behind them, any potential move for Mostert wouldn't be a long-term one. Mostert, like Penny, is under team control for just two years and would cost them a solid chunk of change that they could, theoretically, put towards a position of far greater need. Unless circumstances drastically change with a bunch of injuries early in camp, there just doesn’t seem to be a fit here whatsoever.
