Rashaad Penny visits Seattle

[toffee]

I'd like to see Penny back. He had a historic run of 5 or so games when healthy, even behind an annually maligned Seahawks line. Penny had another game won for the Hawks that year, but Russell and the crap D gave away to the Bears. When healthy, Penny is a gamebreaker.

I was baffled why Penny got zero playing time in Philly, but now I'd have to guess it was the injury, and as someone pointed out, it's not just broken bones, but ligaments and other tissue that needed to recover. Bring him in to camp and whatever happens, happens. Injury settlement release during camp or 1,000 yard season, each within the realm of possibility. Sign AP as a consultant to give weekly pep talks to Penny and bring a belt.

This

 

[nwHawk]

And then. Nothing. Penny is a flash in the pan.

 

[BeanieHawk]

A Penny for the Seahawks thoughts anyone?!?

 

[pittpnthrs]

Stick a fork in him and move on.

 

[IndyHawk]

Loved it when he was healthy, I'll leave up to the new era
to decide.

 

[Grahamhawker]

The Eagles had him healthy and on a minimum salary. He finished the season with 33 yards on 11 carries. I have to imagine he's pretty much done.

Nothing wrong with kicking a tire, but, I mean...yeah.

 

[Sun Tzu]

Penny’s effectiveness is dependent on blocking scheme and health. He has always been fast, but not quick and shifty, heavy, but he doesn’t run with power. He doesn’t create yards after contact with elusiveness or power. To be effective, he needs open running lanes to use his top end speed and vision.

if he were to be signed, I would take it as a hint to what Grub plans for the run game. I would also see him as the fourth running back (insurance for injuries to RB1 & 2) with special teams potential. Kicking the tires on penny has absolutely nothing to do with the current top three running backs on the roster.

 

[Kamcussionator]

Dude's career ypc is 5.7. That would be the best for a RB in NFL history -- if he could get enough carries to qualify. For him, it's not about talent, it's about staying healthy.

 

[Glasgow Seahawk]

I don't get it. He couldn't stay healthy. Maybe we're just doing due diligance incase we get a plague of injuries there since we shouldn't be drafting any this year given the lack of picks.

I'd love to see more of Kenny McIntosh in preseason. I know he was hurt last year but people who followed him in college raved about him.

 

[SeAhAwKeR4life]

OMG, I trust the team to make the right decision. Will be fine either way...

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Yet again, it DIDN'T HAPPEN. Just sayin'

 

[olyfan63]

Penny’s effectiveness is dependent on blocking scheme and health. He has always been fast, but not quick and shifty, heavy, but he doesn’t run with power. He doesn’t create yards after contact with elusiveness or power. To be effective, he needs open running lanes to use his top end speed and vision.

if he were to be signed, I would take it as a hint to what Grub plans for the run game. I would also see him as the fourth running back (insurance for injuries to RB1 & 2) with special teams potential. Kicking the tires on penny has absolutely nothing to do with the current top three running backs on the roster.

On Penny's best runs, in my fuzzy recollection, it was like he ran up the middle or off tackle, found an initial hole to hit, pinballed off a couple defenders in close quarters, ran through a couple arm tackles, and then EXPLODED into the secondary and outran the DBs. I could never really define a "style", Penny's big runs just sort of happened. BUT, since he had those big runs *consistently* in that big 5-game stretch, and many of them looked similar, he MUST have some sort of style or pattern.

I'm glad the Seahawks kicked the tires and it will be interesting to see if Penny winds up playing and having an impact *somewhere* this season.

 

[djb28]

If healthy try it. This coach won't hold on to him for 20 years.

 

[olyfan63]

Penny’s effectiveness is dependent on blocking scheme and health. He has always been fast, but not quick and shifty, heavy, but he doesn’t run with power. He doesn’t create yards after contact with elusiveness or power. To be effective, he needs open running lanes to use his top end speed and vision.

if he were to be signed, I would take it as a hint to what Grub plans for the run game. I would also see him as the fourth running back (insurance for injuries to RB1 & 2) with special teams potential. Kicking the tires on penny has absolutely nothing to do with the current top three running backs on the roster.

I watched Rashaad Penny's career highlights, trying to get a better sense of his style. I see different things than you.

If only Penny could have stayed consistently healthy--the talent is there. Definitely not a miss on talent, only availability.

On his best runs, Penny has a great sense for following his blockers and finding the hole. Once he sees the hole, Penny has a WARP SPEED acceleration to and through the hole that is Eric-Dickerson-like. Seriously. I would have to disagree, that while Penny doesn't LOOK quick and shifty, but in fact he is, though deceptively so. In particular, he has a knack for breaking a run to the outside, setting up his outside cut and leaving defenders grasping at air. I'm not arguing that he's LaDainian Tomlinson, but I'd call him a Poor Man's LT with a faster top-end than LT. Yes, Penny runs away from DBs for long gains, where LT couldn't quite, and had to make a move downfield to extend runs. LT has a few more moves and is better after contact, not more "powerful" but better at staying on his feet.

Penny runs with plenty of POWER, but he prefers to slip tackles by cutting around them and making defenders miss, rather than run over them. He does run plenty of would-be tacklers over, but generally goes down, losing his balance and falling forward. Chris Carson, by contrast, had an ability to stay upright after contact a good chunk of the time. It would be fair to say that overpowering tacklers is not Penny's first choice. Penny runs through arm tackles with ease, and once he hits his warpspeed mode, he runs through a lot of DB attempted tackles.

The video below is Rashaad Penny's career highlight runs. If only he'd been healthy more often. No idea what Penny has left in the tank.