Is this year the beginning of the end for Christine Michael?

I don't post on here very often, but I've been mulling this idea in my head the last couple of days mostly to prevent myself from pondering the RW/BWagz contract circus that is gripping this board.

There's the tl;dr version: Unless CMike makes the leap this training camp/preseason, I think he's going to be a surprise cut.

Let me first point out that since we picked him in the second round in 2013, I've been drooling over this guy's potential. He's got some legitimately sexy tape, game breaking speed, decent vision, etc. and his combine numbers back that up. While he appears to have a higher than average fumbling rate (per the eye test), the numbers would point to a league average rate that's likely influenced by sampling size (low carry #s). The elephant in the room is the pass pro. He's not going to pass Marshawn on the early downs depth chart, so, to get on the field, he has to replace Turbin as the passing down specialist. Turbin's in a contract year and I think he's good enough to get paid midlevel money elsewhere (we're definitely not going to pay him with what we have sunk at the position in Lynch's contract), so it's time to start looking for a new backup/potential Lynch replacement. Honestly, I haven't been too impressed with the tape on Thomas Rawls, but the preseason hype train has taken this guy for a ride.

So unless Turbs' injury is more severe than the team has let on or CMike takes the preseason by storm to push him up to the #2 spot, I think he's going to be a surprise cut. We could use the roster spot for somebody we're grooming as a future playmaker (Rawls/ Sokoli/ added OL//WR depth) or at least someone who contributes on special teams. I'm willing to give CMike the preseason to shine. If he still looks like a project with pass pro, I think it's time to cut our losses.

What does .net think?

I don't think I'm going out on a limb here but I think it's a make or break year for the guy.
He cannot have a bad camp or bad preseason IMHO.

He'll be traded for a conditional pick. Probbaly end up with a 6th or 7th.

Let's revisit this thread in September.

Unless Michael turns out to be some Percy-level cancer, there's no way in hell he's being cut or traded in favor of an undrafted rookie.

I think it makes a lot of sense to use the roster spot for someone who can contribute more, but I don't like the idea of only getting a 6th or later.

He has zero football IQ and it is pretty obvious the coaches don't like him. I think he is a goner.

He's got talent, that's a given. But for some reason it hasn't translated into effectiveness as a Seahawks, from the coaches perspective. I personally think he's a so-so runner that has no heart. I hope I'm wrong.

I think he gets Replace by Thomas Rawls

I think he makes multiple pro bowls and I'm hoping they're with the Hawks. He's shown more than enough flashes. Do you know who the worst practice player of all-time was? Vincent Edward Jackson.

Pass pro? C'mon. That's why you have a 3rd down back. I think they're making an example of him because they can. They have the Beast and they have a decent backup, so they're giving Michael a bunch of tough love so he'll be right and hungry when they need him. Give the kid the rock and get out of his way.

I mean no disrespect to Mr. Michael or Turbin, but Michael can't even beat out Turbin, and Turbin is a very average back. Hopefully Rawls can beat him out.

C-MIke will be to valuable in 2016 to cut him.
Turbin will be gone (can't afford him.) Beast Mode could retire, or fall off.

The best play will be to keep C-Mike around as insurance for the 2016 season at the very least.
C-Mike would have to be horrid in the preseason, or something off the field would have to happen for the Hawks to move on.

The Hawks could carry 1 less receiver and 1 more running back that is how I have it with my current 53 man projection.

I won't list my whole 53 because it will change once they start playing preseason games and injuries happen.

It could look like this

QB Russell Wilson
QB TJack

RB Marshawn Lynch
RB Robert Turbin
RB C-Mike
RB Thomas Rawls
FB Derrick Coleman

TE Jimmy Graham
TE Luke Willson
TE Anthony McCoy
TE Cooper Helfet

WR Doug Baldwin
WR Jermaine Kearse
WR Chris Matthews
WR Tyler Lockett
WR Ricardo Lockette

9 O-Lineman

= 25 Players on Offense

PUP Paul Richardson

There has been some sentiment around here that they expected more out of him and have campaigned against him given his draft....levity. The media caught wind of it and there have been 3-4 piggy backed articles in various places and now said sentiment has gone viral. Many would site the arrival of a certain UDFA that really tries to bounce every play outside as direct competition, but that's really not the case. Michael's problem has been health. Many would bring up a couple fumbles and some idea of where he carries the ball, but these are largely parroted as well. Michael will again be on the team backing up the best RB in the NFL that you really don't want to take off the field.

At FB, that new kid out of Purdue just might make the team over the others. He's a natural and quite possibly prototype FB/H Back. His size/speed and agility might just bring the position back to relevancy in the NFL. That shorter 250-260 ish FB and "move" TE, as some would call it instead of H-Back, can really be a big contributor if they can double as a legitimate blocker and pass catcher. The reality of it is that any position can be relevant as long as the player can legitimately contribute at a high level in more than one way. This is echoed in the repeated instances of "the more you can do" on this team.

Two years no significant contribution from a position that is by nature one based on god given abili9ty and instinct, you only have to know where the holes are and be able to block when asked. Blocking skill is more want to then anything else, the technique usually is taught pretty easily at the level he is at.

My thoughts are he excelled with god given talent in college and was never asked to do the dirty work, his heart and desire isn't there to push himself. Some guys you can get through to and some you can't. We won't hold onto a 2nd rounder because of where he was picked, we let Moffit go, we will let him go if we have a player no matter where he is picked or not picked that shows desire, heart and ability that will grow with the team.

High on talent, high on heart, low on brains. He's not getting cut anytime soon but they're not going to beg him to stick around come contract time unless he starts to really produce... which probably ain't happening.

The Rawls stuff is just smoke, IMO. They still have high hopes for CM, which is why they pump Rawls when they can, they are trying to fire Michael up.

I thought the plan was to let Cmike get the most preseason reps out of the backs to see if he can step up to the next level?

Tical21":2a0wwc9a said:

I think he makes multiple pro bowls and I'm hoping they're with the Hawks. He's shown more than enough flashes. Do you know who the worst practice player of all-time was? Vincent Edward Jackson.

Pass pro? C'mon. That's why you have a 3rd down back. I think they're making an example of him because they can. They have the Beast and they have a decent backup, so they're giving Michael a bunch of tough love so he'll be right and hungry when they need him. Give the kid the rock and get out of his way.

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Yeah, poor pass pro is just something coaches say when they don't want to play somebody for whatever reason.

I don't see him getting beaten out by Rawls, or really see any turnover or change of strategy in the Seahawks backfield at all this year.

Zebulon Dak":3oi9nofe said:

High on talent, high on heart, low on brains. He's not getting cut anytime soon but they're not going to beg him to stick around come contract time unless he starts to really produce... which probably ain't happening.

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I follow him on IG. He's extremely gifted athletically but, he's a very, very immature young man. Seems more concerned about a rap EP he's put out and flashing his wads of money and showing off his car than focusing on his game. He's somewhat of a goof ball. I wish the best for his this season because I'd really like to see those skills produce on the field. His budding rap career, not so much. It does sound like he's got some flow though for whatever that's worth.