So, the Harvin trade made me wonder - are we changing philosophy on offense?
Lynch is definitely at his prime right now but one has to wonder how much more will he sustain with his playing style. Turbin has been great when given the opportunity but he's not the same style of back. Wilson has obviously showed he's got it in him to take control over games and over the team in general.
Investing those draft picks and the big contract we're probably gonna give Harvin would make sense only if:
A. We part ways with either Tate or Rice, at least after this season. Both of them are outside guys though and not really on the same spot as Harvin, but we're not throwing the ball enough to make it worthwhile keeping all of them.
B. We're going to increase the amount of overall targets to make optimal use of all of them. This means though straying away from Pete's very loved philosophy on offense of building on the run game. I'm not saying the running game won't have an impact, but we're gonna put it more on Russel's shoulders probably. With the way the game is played right now I really think that's the right thing to do. Running backs, even as tough as Lynch is, have a short lifespan and are prone to injuries. Building on the run was obviously the best thing to do with T-Jack at QB and probably also while Wilson was acclimatizing to the game. But as he progresses and continue to prove himself, I see putting more on his shoulders a good thing. I think this trade is a big vote of confidence in him and his potential. What do you think?

pete has said since he first came here that he wanted to run/pass 50/50. last year it was 55/45, that means passing more.

also, as the 4th quarter is "run the ball" time when you're winning, that means passing more in the first 3 quarters. it's not so much a change of philosophy as it is finally being able to implement the philosophy they've always wanted to

also, although harvin's catches count as receptions, screen passes should really be considered part of the running game instead

Pete has said in the past that he's always shooting for a 50/50 total ratio by the end of the season. I think what we'll see is Seattle pass 55% of the time, but ultimately end up at 50% when they are running a clock killing offense to end games with 31-14 type leads.

I don't think Harvin changes anything. He massively improves our slot receiver position and gives Bevell several new wrinkles on offense to play with. Covering Harvin out of the slot will also limit how many looks a defense can give. Harvin will force other teams to game plan especially for him similar to how Julian Peterson forced offenses to game plan for his unique skillset at linebacker.

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