Eddie Lacy expected to start over Thomas Rawls for Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks signed Eddie Lacy to a team-friendly contract earlier this month, but that does not mean they expect him to play a minor role in 2017.

Byron Drahold of Seahawks Wire expects Lacy to be the starting running back for the Seahawks next season, with Thomas Rawls coming off the bench and C.J. Prosise retaining his duties as the team’s pass-catching back.

There was once a time when Rawls and Prosise were expected to be a two-headed monster in Seattle, which is why it was somewhat surprising that the Seahawks brought Lacy on board. Rawls was considered the heir to the Marshawn Lynch throne when he broke out down the stretch in 2015, but an injury late in the year forced him to miss some time and get off to a slow start in 2016. The 23-year-old was never really able to get things going after that.

While Lacy’s conditioning has been an issue in recent years, his ceiling is incredibly high. If he can remain in shape (and his contract structure should help with that), there’s no reason the former Alabama star won’t find success in Seattle’s run-first offense. Lacy is certainly going to get plenty of opportunities to shine if he keeps the extra pounds off.