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Seahawks Work Out 2 Veteran Running Backs

With Rashaad Penny on injured reserve with a torn ACL, Seattle may want to add another back to the mix as insurance behind starter Chris Carson.
Corbin K. Smith|
Steven Bisig-USA TODAY

Seeking backfield depth, the Seahawks continue to explore free agent options to help replace Rashaad Penny.

With Penny now on injured reserve after tearing his ACL against the Rams in Week 14, ESPN NFL insider Field Yates reported Seattle brought in veteran running backs Robert Turbin and Alfred Blue for workouts on Tuesday. Neither player has played in a game during the 2019 season.

The 225-pound Turbin originally broke into the league as part of the Seahawks heralded 2012 draft class as a fourth round pick out of Utah State. He played his first three seasons with the team as a reserve behind Marshawn Lynch, rushing for 928 yards, catching 43 passes, and scoring two receiving touchdowns.

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After reaching an injury settlement in September 2015, "Turbo" appeared in 10 games for the Browns and Cowboys, rushing for 199 yards and a touchdown. He spent the previous three seasons with the Colts, but a suspension and injuries limited him to just eight games in 2017 and 2018.

The 30-year old Turbin didn't attend any NFL training camps this year, but given his familiarity with Seattle's system and friendship with players such as Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, his return would make sense.

Blue, who entered the league as a sixth-round pick for the Texans in 2014, started 16 games during five seasons with the team. Primarily serving as a backup behind Arian Foster and Lamar Miller, he rushed for 2,407 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 69 receptions and two touchdowns as a receiver.

Most recently, the 28-year old Blue spent training camp with the Jaguars in August before landing on injured reserve. The team released him on October 28 and he’s remained unsigned ever since.

While it remains to be seen if the Seahawks will sign either Turbin or Blue, the team does have an open roster spot after receiver Josh Gordon was suspended indefinitely by the NFL on Monday for his seventh violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.

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Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.

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