Rashaad Penny: 2018 Results and 2019 Projections

This was a pick that seemed a glaring reach at the time. A player projected to go much later being taken in front of more heralded backs. I attribute it to a bit of Seahawk front office arrogance thinking they are smarter than everyone else. Sometimes they are but mostly they aren’t. Results for the drafted RBs was as follows:

2018 NFL Rookie Running back results:

1st Round
Saquon Barkley. 261 attempts. 1307 yards
Rashad Penny. 85 attempts. 419 yards.
Sony Michel. 209 attempts. 931 yards

2nd Round
Nick Chubb. 192 attempts. 996 yards
Ronald Jones II. 23 attempts 44 carries
Kerryon Johnson. 118 attempts 641 yards 200+ receiving
Derrius Guise Injured

Round 3
Royce Freeman. 130 attempts. 531 yards

While there were a lot more drafted I think comparisons to the first three rounds for a first rounder is fair.

Every healthy player but 1 had more carries and more yards than Penny.

Our first rounder was not a position of need and earlier in the year appeared to be way over his head. Remember this was a year the Seahawks led the league in rushing. Our first rounder was our third string back behind Mike Davis.

Mike Davis is gone but that doesn’t mean Penny is any better.

I hope he turns the corner.

Penny can thrive on the edges if Schotty finds ways to get him the ball in space.

JayhawkMike":2kyrsck0 said:

Every healthy player but 1 had more carries and more yards than Penny.

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Well, we utilized a three-headed RB in which Carson was unquestionably the main act, so it's probably not exactly fair to compare Penny's # of carries and # of yards to the other players you listed, unless every one was also the #2 or #3 RB on their respective teams.

Don't average yards matter more? Using the attempts/yards numbers you listed for Rounds 1-3 RBs drafted, Kerryon averaged about 5.4 yards per carry. The next two players' averages are so close it's nearly a tie: Saquon at 5.00 avg yards/carry, and Penny at 4.93 avg yards/carry.

The next best average behind Penny was Sony M. at about 4.45 yards per carry.

Statistical comparison is irrelevant when you have to take the 5th leading rusher in the NFL OFF the field to use Penny. I really don't get the mental hangup on that. Not even the fact that he was a 1st round pick given Carson’s injury last year. It was an absolute priority.

OTOH, Penny should really focus on the passing game this year. If he snatches up Davis' role amd snags 8-10 carries a game as Carson’s pitch hitter then that's great. Carson is a freak of a RB. I don't get the issue.

vin.couve12":2bar866c said:

Statistical comparison is irrelevant when you have to take the 5th leading rusher in the NFL OFF the field to use Penny. I really don't get the mental hangup on that. Not even the fact that he was a 1st round pick given Carson’s injury last year. It was an absolute priority.

OTOH, Penny should really focus on the passing game this year. If he snatches up Davis' role amd snags 8-10 carries a game as Carson’s pitch hitter then that's great. Carson is a freak of a RB. I don't get the issue.

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The issue lies between "JayhawkMike" and the Seahawks Front Office. The label ...... "arrogant front office" is a reoccurring favorite. This thread is simply the most recent iteration of that ongoing theme.

The previous year, Carson got hurt and we had no one to replace him. The fans jeered. So we got someone to step in if Carson got hurt again. The fans jeered.

At some point we have to realise the fans are idiots.

Jville":n21c4ntz said:

vin.couve12":n21c4ntz said:

Statistical comparison is irrelevant when you have to take the 5th leading rusher in the NFL OFF the field to use Penny. I really don't get the mental hangup on that. Not even the fact that he was a 1st round pick given Carson’s injury last year. It was an absolute priority.

OTOH, Penny should really focus on the passing game this year. If he snatches up Davis' role amd snags 8-10 carries a game as Carson’s pitch hitter then that's great. Carson is a freak of a RB. I don't get the issue.

Click to expand...

The issue lies between "JayhawkMike" and the Seahawks Front Office. The label ...... "arrogant front office" is a reoccurring favorite. This thread is simply the most recent iteration of that ongoing theme.

Click to expand...

Not going to argue with that. They make some decisions that are questionable. I looked at a bunch of redrafts the other day and one listed Penny as the worst pick in the draft. If you draft a first rounder they should contribute immediately barring a preexisting injury. Seattle got no where close to first round value last year. Better performing backs where taken later.

May be the weight gain before camp and not 'spectacular' during the first half of the season left some question marks?

JayhawkMike":1a6dtpec said:

Not going to argue with that. They make some decisions that are questionable. I looked at a bunch of redrafts the other day and one listed Penny as the worst pick in the draft. If you draft a first rounder they should contribute immediately barring a preexisting injury. Seattle got no where close to first round value last year. Better performing backs where taken later.

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What a load of bullshit.

Teams bring in players to replace existing players without intending them to start immediately. That's how QBs used to be developed, and it was considered folly to start your 1st-round QB in his rookie year because you'd ruin him.

With our identity as a rushing football team, there is a requirement to have a top-flight running back, and also to have someone who can replace that running back if he gets injured, and hopefully someone to challenge the existing back for the starting role. You don't get that at Mr. Irrelevant.

However, if you do draft your guy early and he's beaten by your existing back, then you use your existing back because for competition to be real you have to ignore the source or contract of the players and go with the one who has the performance.

We didn't draft Penny to play one year. We drafted him to develop him and to step in should Carson get hurt, or to eventually beat our Carson for the #1 job. However, if Carson continues to win then Carson is going to continue to be The Guy because he's earned it, and - and this is the important bit - that doesn't in any way lessen Penny as a draft pick. We still need the guy to back up Carson, and we still want a guy who can push for that starting spot.

That doesn't show up on a stat sheet. Penny didn't not get yards because he sucked. He didn't get yards because Carson was healthily rampaging through the league, which is the whole point - to have a strong running game, regardless of who carries.

JayhawkMike":3jaf3q3i said:

Jville":3jaf3q3i said:

vin.couve12":3jaf3q3i said:

Statistical comparison is irrelevant when you have to take the 5th leading rusher in the NFL OFF the field to use Penny. I really don't get the mental hangup on that. Not even the fact that he was a 1st round pick given Carson’s injury last year. It was an absolute priority.

OTOH, Penny should really focus on the passing game this year. If he snatches up Davis' role amd snags 8-10 carries a game as Carson’s pitch hitter then that's great. Carson is a freak of a RB. I don't get the issue.

Click to expand...

The issue lies between "JayhawkMike" and the Seahawks Front Office. The label ...... "arrogant front office" is a reoccurring favorite. This thread is simply the most recent iteration of that ongoing theme.

Click to expand...

Not going to argue with that. They make some decisions that are questionable. I looked at a bunch of redrafts the other day and one listed Penny as the worst pick in the draft. If you draft a first rounder they should contribute immediately barring a preexisting injury. Seattle got no where close to first round value last year. Better performing backs where taken later.

Click to expand...

I don't think Pete & John place as much value on first round picks as everybody else. They always seem to figure out who they want and snatch them whenever they think the time is right.

You can disagree with me here, but I loved the Penny pick, would I have preferred him to be taken in the 2nd round? Sure, but they didn't have a 2nd round pick last year. I saw Penny as a jack-of-all-trades RB. We all knew Carson was the guy, as long as he stayed healthy, he was RB1, Penny wasn't going to displace him. I was hoping though, that they would use Penny on kick returns, and as a pass-catching RB, I was disappointed that they didn't do that last season, I thought he could be a natural pass-catcher even though he didn't do much of it in college, he just seemed to have good hands. I'm still holding out hope that they can utilize him in those plays. Hopefully by now, Penny is in better shape, knows the playbook more, and is itching for his opportunity to be RB2.

12AngryHawks":2vfy8hj9 said:

I don't think Pete & John place as much value on first round picks as everybody else. They always seem to figure out who they want and snatch them whenever they think the time is right.

You can disagree with me here, but I loved the Penny pick, would I have preferred him to be taken in the 2nd round? Sure, but they didn't have a 2nd round pick last year. I saw Penny as a jack-of-all-trades RB. We all knew Carson was the guy, as long as he stayed healthy, he was RB1, Penny wasn't going to displace him. I was hoping though, that they would use Penny on kick returns, and as a pass-catching RB, I was disappointed that they didn't do that last season, I thought he could be a natural pass-catcher even though he didn't do much of it in college, he just seemed to have good hands. I'm still holding out hope that they can utilize him in those plays. Hopefully by now, Penny is in better shape, knows the playbook more, and is itching for his opportunity to be RB2.

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Pete and John see the draft for what it is: a means of acquiring players. If they want X player they have to determine if he will be there when they make their 2nd pick. If he's not likely to be, then they need to take him with their first pick or not get him. Fortunately, they are not concerned with how the talking heads rank the players; they have their own people and their own ranking board, and they trust their people.

If they wanted Penny and he wasn't likely to be there for our next pick, then first-round it is.

But acquiring players and starting players are two different things. You acquire players by any means necessary including but not limited to drafts, free agent contracts, and trades. Once you have a player, how he performs on the field with the team determines whether or not he starts. It's not handed to someone because they were drafted.

You also have to remember we traded our 18th pick for Rashaad Penny & Rashard Green. Not much impact last year but i got feeling these two will play great, worth the value of 18th pick.

KiwiHawk":k9zua1tn said:

12AngryHawks":k9zua1tn said:

I don't think Pete & John place as much value on first round picks as everybody else. They always seem to figure out who they want and snatch them whenever they think the time is right.

You can disagree with me here, but I loved the Penny pick, would I have preferred him to be taken in the 2nd round? Sure, but they didn't have a 2nd round pick last year. I saw Penny as a jack-of-all-trades RB. We all knew Carson was the guy, as long as he stayed healthy, he was RB1, Penny wasn't going to displace him. I was hoping though, that they would use Penny on kick returns, and as a pass-catching RB, I was disappointed that they didn't do that last season, I thought he could be a natural pass-catcher even though he didn't do much of it in college, he just seemed to have good hands. I'm still holding out hope that they can utilize him in those plays. Hopefully by now, Penny is in better shape, knows the playbook more, and is itching for his opportunity to be RB2.

Click to expand...

Pete and John see the draft for what it is: a means of acquiring players. If they want X player they have to determine if he will be there when they make their 2nd pick. If he's not likely to be, then they need to take him with their first pick or not get him. Fortunately, they are not concerned with how the talking heads rank the players; they have their own people and their own ranking board, and they trust their people.

If they wanted Penny and he wasn't likely to be there for our next pick, then first-round it is.

But acquiring players and starting players are two different things. You acquire players by any means necessary including but not limited to drafts, free agent contracts, and trades. Once you have a player, how he performs on the field with the team determines whether or not he starts. It's not handed to someone because they were drafted.

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That's what I'm saying, Penny was the guy they wanted, and I'm not butthurt at all that they took him at 27. If I were a GM, I'd do things the way Pete & John do, figure out beforehand who you want, and not just take players based on what the mediots think their so-called potential is. So many first-rounders end up becoming busts, the draft is a total crapshoot, that's why everyone shouldn't put so much value on 1st round players, nothing is guaranteed. Luckily, Pete & John are a couple of the best talent evaluators out there, it doesn't matter when they take a player, any one of them could turn out to have real talent. What really matters is development, a 7th rounder could play like a 1st rounder & vice versa, if your teams coaching staff can't develop players, it won't matter who you take or where you take them, they won't succeed. You put crap in, you get crap out.

KiwiHawk":tr6yka2e said:

At some point we have to realise the fans are idiots.

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I knew that as fact the second I became one.

Aros":3tivd68x said:

KiwiHawk":3tivd68x said:

At some point we have to realise the fans are idiots.

Click to expand...

I knew that as fact the second I became one.

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I don't know about you, but I was an idiot long before I became one. :lol:

Many drafts, teams don't have as many as 32 players ranked as 1st Round players. Mel Kiper does, because he has to justify a mock draft. That makes him money, but has nothing to do with reality.

JayhawkMike":3cj107is said:

Jville":3cj107is said:

vin.couve12":3cj107is said:

Statistical comparison is irrelevant when you have to take the 5th leading rusher in the NFL OFF the field to use Penny. I really don't get the mental hangup on that. Not even the fact that he was a 1st round pick given Carson’s injury last year. It was an absolute priority.

OTOH, Penny should really focus on the passing game this year. If he snatches up Davis' role amd snags 8-10 carries a game as Carson’s pitch hitter then that's great. Carson is a freak of a RB. I don't get the issue.

Click to expand...

The issue lies between "JayhawkMike" and the Seahawks Front Office. The label ...... "arrogant front office" is a reoccurring favorite. This thread is simply the most recent iteration of that ongoing theme.

Click to expand...

Not going to argue with that. They make some decisions that are questionable. I looked at a bunch of redrafts the other day and one listed Penny as the worst pick in the draft. If you draft a first rounder they should contribute immediately barring a preexisting injury. Seattle got no where close to first round value last year. Better performing backs where taken later.

Click to expand...

By that logic, I can think of about a half dozen Hall of Fame players off the top of my head who were wasted draft picks. Troy Aikman, Drew Brees, Chris Carter, Steve Young, Michael Strahan, Peyton Manning, Jerry Rice.. man that's just what popped up as I was reading this.

When it comes to modern running backs, Melvin Gordon comes to mind. His rookie season was worse than Penny's.

If you think a rookie RB in a system with 3 starters and a first-year OC has to put up 1000 yards and a pro bowl appearance or they're a wasted pick, well... I'd just encourage you to kick back and be patient. You can't judge him yet.

And frankly, he looked pretty good by the end of the season. I'm actually excited to see how he does this season.

JayhawkMike":2c8gbgyq said:

Seattle got no where close to first round value last year.

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A first-round pick is a means to an end, not an end unto itself. A different first-rounder wouldn't necessarily have elevated the Seahawks any further than they went.

Ask yourself this: would you have been happier with Penny selection right now if Chris Carson had gotten hurt again last year and Penny had rushed for 250/1225 yards?

I'm sure I don't need to remind you that Marshawn only started six games in 2015, Rawls only started seven games in 2016, and Carson got hurt in week 4 in 2017. Our RBs just could not stay healthy over many seasons and that was a huge blow to our offensive production. Having Carson start 15 out of 17 games for us last season was a fantastic improvement in our luck, and as a Seahawks fan you should only feel happy about that.

Penny was such a bad pick that as soon as the Seahawks picked him a the Lions were on the phone trying to trade for him.