C.J. Prosise

RB C.J. Prosise Fighting For Roster Spot

One look at the Seahawks depth chart would lead anyone to infer that running back C.J. Prosise is on the roster bubble. However, it makes it a whole lot easier when the head coach comes out and says it.

Talking to reports this week, Pete Carroll said the former Seattle draft pick is fighting for a spot on the team.

“C.J. has really jumped out, too,” Carroll said (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times). “He’s looked good now. He knows he’s battling (for a roster spot).’’

Prosise, a third-round pick back in 2016, is battling a number of running backs for a backup gig. First-rounder Rashaad Penny is expected to earn the starting gig, but any of Prosise, Chris CarsonJ.D. McKissic, and Mike Davis could make the team. For what it’s worth, Roster Resource currently lists Prosise fourth on the depth chart.

There was once hope that the 24-year-old would be Seattle’s long-term replacement for Marshawn Lynch. Unfortunately, the young running back has battled injuries during his brief career. Both his 2016 and 2017 seasons ending prematurely due to a fractured scapula and an ankle injury, respectively. In 11 career games (two starts), Prosise has compiled 195 rushing yards (4.8-yards per carry) and one score. He’s added another 23 receptions for 295 yards.

Extra Points: Jets, Goodell, Burfict, Prosise

The Jets have no plans to bench Josh McCown in favor of youngster Christian Hackenberg, as NJ.com’s Connor Hughes writes. “This isn’t Triple-A,” quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates said Tuesday. “We’re going to play the best players that give us an opportunity to win at all positions. That’s our philosophy. Josh is our starter.”

Though just 1.5 games behind Buffalo for the AFC’s last wildcard spot, New York is sitting last in the East with a 4-6 record and might be better served seeing what the team has in Hackenberg or Bryce Petty sooner rather than later with McCown, at 38 and on a one-year deal, obviously not the team’s future at the position.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • League spokesman Joe Lockhart says the impetus for signing commissioner Roger Goodell to a new deal despite having 18 months remaining on his current contract were a series on notable events on the horizon, according to ESPN’s Jim Trotter (Twitter link) Those milestones include the new collective bargaining agreement in 2020 and network TV deals in 2021 and 2022. “Sense that getting an extension beyond those dates was in the best interest of (NFL),” Lockhart said.
  • Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict will not be suspended for making contact with a referee in Sunday’s game vs. Tennessee, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Instead, it will be reviewed using the standard process for a possible fine. Burfict was ejected from the game after picking up a pair of personal-foul penalties on one drive midway through the second quarter.
  • 49ers safety Adrian Colbert could possibly miss the team’s upcoming game with Seattle after breaking his thumb vs. New York, coach Kyle Shanahan tells reporters and ESPN’s Nick Wagoner (Twitter link). The injury, which will require surgery, was sustained early in the first quarter but Colbert managed to play the rest of the way. Should he not be ready for the Seahawks, Antone Exum and Dexter McCoil are potential replacements, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco (Twitter link).
  • Jaguars safety Tashaun Gipson is happy to have left Cleveland and hopes Jacksonville can “hang 40 on them” when the team’s meet up this weekend, writes ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. The veteran defender spent his first four seasons with the Browns before joining the Jags in 2016 and apparently still harbors some ill feelings to the organization, which he also criticized for not drafting Carson Wentz and Deshaun Watson.
  • Seahawks running back C.J. Prosise could return in time for the postseason, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. The coach said the injury will have Prosise sidelined six weeks, but he must sit out eight games after being placed on IR.

Seahawks Place C.J. Prosise On IR

The Seahawks have placed running back C.J. Prosise on injured reserve, per a team announcement. To take his place, running back Mike Davis has been promoted from the practice squad.

C.J. Prosise (Vertical)

Prosise has been dealing with ankle injuries throughout the season. The most recent flare-up happened during the team’s Nov. 9 win over the Cardinals, forcing him from the game midway. His prognosis apparently wasn’t great heading into this weekend’s game against the Falcons, prompting the team to park him on IR for the rest of the year.

Davis, a fourth-round pick of the Niners in 2015, was claimed off waivers by Seattle in May. Although he didn’t make the Week 1 cut, the Seahawks signed him to the taxi squad after releasing him. The 24-year-old had 19 carries for 50 yards in eight games for the Niners last year. He has yet to show much at the NFL level, but the Seahawks believe that he has a bit of potential.

Davis joins Eddie Lacy (recently sidelined with a groin injury), Thomas Rawls, and J.D. McKissic on the RB depth chart.

Injury Notes: Luck, Bradford, Garrett, Hawks

Despite reports that suggested the contrary, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck will not begin practicing this week, head coach Chuck Pagano announced. Pagano gave a somewhat vague answer on Luck earlier this week, suggesting that while the signal-caller was “progressing well,” his return to practice was not guaranteed. Today, Pagano admitted that Luck is “at least” a week away from embarking on a throwing program. Luck, who is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, was not placed on the physically unable to perform list at the season’s outset, so there are no timetable restrictions on his return.

Here’s more from around the NFL, with a focus on injury situations:

  • Sam Bradford has missed each of the Vikings‘ past two contests as he deals with a knee issue, and while he didn’t practice today, Minnesota is “doing everything it can” to allow Bradford to play against the Lions on Sunday, according to head coach Mike Zimmer. Because Bradford isn’t dealing with any structural damage, pain management is the only barrier to him suiting up. If Bradford can’t go, the Vikings will once again turn to backup Case Keenum, who 25 of 43 pass attempts for a career-high 369 yards and three touchdowns against the Buccaneers in Week 3.
  • After hinting last week that defensive end Myles Garrett was “close” to a return, Browns head coach Hue Jackson once again reiterated that the 2017 No. 1 overall pick could attend practice this week, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. “If he is able to play, we might not play him the whole game,” said Jackson. “So we’ll see how that unfolds if he’s able to go. We’ll find out more as we go through the week.” Garrett has been sidelined for the start of his rookie campaign after suffering an ankle injury during the preseason.
  • The Seahawks are expected to be without running back C.J. Prosise on Sunday as he deals with an ankle ailment, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Prosise hasn’t been a major contributor to Seattle’s offense thus far, as he’s managed only eight rushes and six receptions, but he has played on nearly a third of the club’s offensive snaps. The Seahawks will continue to lean on rookie Chris Carson — with dashes of Eddie Lacy and/or Thomas Rawls — when they face the Colts and their 11th-ranked (by DVOA) rush defense.

NFC Notes: Kap, Giants, Seahawks, Cards

Count the Giants among the teams that didn’t consider signing free agent Colin Kaepernick when they were in the market for a backup quarterback, co-owner John Mara told Jenny Ventras of The MMQB. Mara, whose Giants ended up signing Geno Smith and drafting Davis Webb to back up Eli Manning, revealed to Ventras that the team’s fans haven’t been shy about voicing their disdain for the polarizing Kaepernick. “All my years being in the league, I never received more emotional mail from people than I did about that issue,” said Mara. “If any of your players ever do that, we are never coming to another Giants game. It wasn’t one or two letters. It was a lot. It’s an emotional, emotional issue for a lot of people, moreso than any other issue I’ve run into.”

More from the NFC:

  • Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman has reportedly been disgruntled since their February 2015 loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX, and Peter King of The MMQB places some of the blame for that on Pete Carroll. The head coach has created too loose an atmosphere, suggests King; in spite of that, though, King doesn’t expect any drama this year from Sherman, as he’ll have plenty of eyes on him from both the team and the media on the heels of a contentious 2016 and a trade rumor-filled offseason.
  • One of Sherman’s Seahawks teammates, second-year runner C.J. Prosise, has a chance to emerge as one of the NFL’s best pass-catching backs this year, posits Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. With fellow RBs Eddie Lacy and Thomas Rawls in the fold, carries will be difficult to come by for Prosise, but he could break out as a 60-catch type for a team whose backs hauled in 75 passes last season, writes Kapadia. Only three RBs – Arizona’s David Johnson, Pittsburgh’s Le’Veon Bell and New England’s James White – racked up 60 or more receptions in 2016. Prosise, who missed 10 games as a third-round rookie, finished with 17 grabs on 19 targets and posted a lofty yards-per-catch average for a back (12.2).
  • Cardinals third-round rookie wide receiver Chad Williams has stood out as an “athletic freak” during OTAs, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. The former Grambling State star has impressed head coach Bruce Arians, who said of the 98th overall pick: “He’s shown up a lot already. It’s a tough room to crack but he’s off [to] a good start.” Arizona’s receiving corps underwhelmed last season, thanks in part to injuries, with its second, third, fourth and fifth wideouts only combining for 10 more catches (117) than No. 1 man Larry Fitzgerald had by himself (107). Given that Fitzgerald might be entering his last season and John Brown is scheduled to hit free agency next March, Williams could soon become an integral piece of the Cardinals’ offense if his work this spring carries into game situations.

C.J. Prosise Has A Chance To Play Saturday

Seahawks rookie running back C.J. Prosise hasn’t played since Week 11 after suffering a fractured scapula, but there’s a chance — however slim — that he could return to the field when the Seahawks face the Falcons on Saturday. Prosise attended a walthrough practice today, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link), but he’ll need to be cleared for contact before determining if he can play this weekend, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. In fact, head coach Pete Carroll said Prosise will need to practice at “full speed” in order to play against Atlanta, per Liz Mathews of The Seahawks Wire (Twitter link).C.J. Prosise (Vertical)

[RELATED: Seattle Seahawks Depth Chart]

Prosise, Seattle’s third-round pick in 2016, played sparingly throughout the season until breaking out in Week 10. On 17 carries against the Patriots, Prosise managed 77 yards, and added seven receptions for another 87 yards. Fellow running back Christine Michael was soon waived, leaving Prosise as the likely starter going forward. But after a 72-yard touchdown run the following week, Prosise suffered the shoulder injury that has kept him out ever since.

In Prosise’s absence, the remaining Seattle running backs delivered poor performances until the first round of the postseason, when 2015 hero Thomas Rawls rushed for more than 150 yards against the Lions in a Wild Card weekend win. Alex Collins, George Farmer, J.D. McKissic, Terrence Magee, and fullback Marcel Reece make up the rest of the Seahawks’ backfield at the moment.

NFC West Notes: Rams, Mathieu, Seahawks

For months now, we have been hearing that the Rams are on the cusp of extending coach Jeff Fisher and GM Les Snead. Lately, however, things have been quiet. Mike Florio of PFT reached out to Rams VP of football operations Kevin Demoff for comment and he said there were “no updates” to give for either of them.

Some people, according to Florio, believe that Fisher already has an extension in place but the team is waiting for the right time to announce it. Now 4-6 after losing to Miami, the Rams might want to wait a little longer.

Here’s more from around the NFC.

  • Cardinals GM Steve Keim thinks “there’s a good chance” safety Tyrann Mathieu plays Sunday in Atlanta (Twitter link via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com). Mathieu’s been out since October with a shoulder injury.
  • C.J. Prosise suffered a fractured scapula, and Pete Carroll said Monday it’s too early to tell if the rookie running back will be able to return this season, per Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk. That malady sounding quite concerning, the Seahawks head coach did say Prosise won’t need surgery on his injured shoulder. A high-ankle sprain will sideline running back Troymaine Pope, leaving Thomas Rawls and Alex Collins as the healthy Seattle runners of the moment.
  • Caroll also said Sunday looms as a possible Michael Bennett return date, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. Bennett’s been out since late October with a knee injury, one that snapped a games-played streak that hit 74. The Seahawks recently discussed an extension with the vocal defensive end as well, and it looks like the surging team will have his services again soon. Bennett has three sacks this season, with Cliff Avril and Frank Clark combining for 17.5.
  • Before signing with the Seahawks as a UDFA this year, tackle George Fant nearly signed with the Chiefs, GM John Schneider said on his radio show (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times). Fant, 24, has proven to be another strong UDFA find for Seattle, appearing in eight games and making four starts this year.
  • It was confirmed today Eric Reid will miss the rest of the season with a biceps tear. The 49ers safety will head into 2017 with a fifth-year option year that could well be guaranteed due to Reid’s injury status.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report

Seahawks’ C.J. Prosise Out “A While”

After a 72-yard touchdown run, C.J. Prosise left the Eagles-Seahawks game in the first half and did not return. Pete Carroll revealed the rookie running back won’t be returning to action for a bit for a Seattle team that now has a shortage of running backs.

The seventh-year Seahawks coach said postgame, via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (on Twitter) the emerging performer’s progress will stall due to a scapula injury which will keep Prosise out a while. Carroll added he expects Prosise to return before the end of the season, per Condotta (via Twitter).

Seattle cut Christine Michael earlier this week and observed Green Bay claim the Seahawks’ leading rusher this season, although Michael won’t play tonight against Washington. The Seahawks, though, are down to Thomas Rawls, rookie Alex Collins and Troymaine Pope, who left Sunday with a high-ankle sprain. Carroll noted Collins will be needed next week (Twitter link, via Condotta).

The Seahawks, who also cut C.J. Spiller this year after employing him briefly, received quality production from Prosise the past two weeks prior to the shoulder malady. The Notre Dame product gained 233 yards on 27 touches in that span, totaling 81 on six against the Eagles.

Rawls has missed most of the season due to a fractured fibula after seeing his rookie campaign wrap up early because of a broken ankle. He took 14 handoffs today, gaining 57 yards, and will probably be asked to handle more work now that Prosise and Michael are out of the picture.

Despite being comfortably ahead in the NFC West now, the Seahawks entered Sunday ranking 30th in the league with 77.7 rushing yards per game. Since their run of playoff appearances began in 2012, the team has not finished outside the top four in rushing in a season.

Mort & Schefter On Norv Turner, C-Mike, Rams

After stepping down as Vikings offensive coordinator, Norv Turner is not looking for work at this moment. However, he is still interested in coaching, according to Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. Once his Vikings contract runs out this winter, Turner would like the opportunity to help mold an up-and-coming quarterback.

I just enjoy it too much,” Turner said. “I really enjoy teaching the players.

Turner says he’ll only return to the sidelines for the right opportunity or, as Schefter and Mortensen put it, “the right team in the right city with the right quarterback.” Given the Vikings’ offensive struggles under Turner, he is probably a stronger candidate as a quarterbacks coach than an offensive coordinator. Turner has had several stops as an OC in the NFL, but serving as strictly a QB coach at the professional level would be a first for him. The only time he ever held that title was with USC from 1981-1983.

Here’s more from Mortensen and Schefter:

  • Christine Michael‘s release was about his regression as a runner and also a statement about the Seahawks‘ confidence in rookie C.J. Prosise, Mortensen writes. At Notre Dame, there were doubts about Prosise’s ability to grind out tough yards because of his soft-spoken personality. However, the Seahawks saw a warrior underneath his reserved demeanor and had enough faith to use a third-round pick on him. Going forward, Mortensen writes that Prosise is expected to be the main ball carrier with Thomas Rawls eased back into action.
  • Case Keenum will move into a backup role behind No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff, but it’s actually possible that he’s bumped all the way down to No. 3 and made inactive on gamedays if the Rams fall out of the playoff hunt. Keenum is headed for free agency at the end of the year and L.A. will likely want to gauge what they have in Sean Mannion, a 2015 third-round choice.
  • There has been a lot of talk about Oklahoma defensive tackle Charles Walker and his controversial decision to leave the team in advance of the 2017 NFL Draft. The popular view is that NFL teams will not look favorably upon Walker’s decision to abandon the Sooners, causing him to slide in the draft. However, Mortensen isn’t certain that clubs will concur with Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops‘ framing of the situation. Walker suffered the third reported concussion of his career in early October and cutting his season short may benefit him on multiple levels. From a talent perspective, Walker is viewed as a first- or second-round pick for the spring.

NFC Notes: Locke, Seahawks, Cardinals, Bucs

A fifth-round pick in 2013, Jeff Locke looks to be set to face some competition to finish out his contract with the Vikings. Minnesota is expected to add rookie punter Taylor Symmank on Monday, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

The Vikings brought in Symmank and Nick O’Toole to compete at their rookie minicamp this weekend, but O’Toole left the Twin Cities on Sunday, while Symmank looks to be staying. Symmank averaged 46 yards per punt last season at Texas Tech. After Locke’s per-punt figure hovered at 44.2 yards in each of his first two seasons, it slunk to an NFL-worst 41.6 in 2015.

Symmank told Tomasson he’s been asked to take a physical with the Vikings, who currently have 89 players on their roster. Locke has a nonguaranteed $721K due this season.

Check out the latest from around the league as teams continue to assemble their 90-man rosters.

  • The Seahawks envision former Notre Dame running back/wide receiver C.J. Prosise becoming a potential replacement for Fred Jackson as the team’s third-down back, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times notes. Seattle initially placed the third-round pick with the running backs to start its rookie minicamp but shuttled him into receiver drills on Sunday. Converted to running back before the 2015 season, Prosise totaled 1,337 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns in 2015. “I’ve never had anyone that was a receiver that went to running back that could do both. You commit one way or the other,” Pete Carroll told media, including Condotta. “… It’s a real prize for us. I don’t really have a guy to compare him to at this point.”
  • Also from Condotta: Rees Odhiambo will compete with Mark Glowinski for the Seahawks‘ starting left guard position, and Carroll plans to use Jarran Reed at both nose tackle and 3-technique. “It’s just such a crucial pick for us,” Carroll said. “Jarran can really jump right in and give us the stout play, he’s just got a great savvy for the running game. He’ll play both spots, for sure.”
  • The Cardinals are planning to replace the still-unsigned Jerraud Powers with Justin Bethel, but given that third-round pick Brandon Williams has only played the position for one season after playing running back from 2011-14, Arizona could use a veteran corner to help lead Patrick Peterson‘s cadre of sidekicks, Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic writes. Beyond Bethel and Peterson, no Cardinal cornerback has more than one year of NFL experience. Joining Powers among the top unattached corners right now are fellow former Cardinal Antonio Cromartie, Leon Hall and Phillip Adams.
  • Although Ryan Smith lined up at cornerback in 2015 for North Carolina Central, he’s expected to work at safety for the Buccaneers, Roy Cummings of Today’s Pigskin writes. The Bucs added Vernon Hargreaves III in the first round after signing Brent Grimes in an attempt to fortify a cornerback corps that helped yield 31 touchdown passes last season and allow the second-highest quarterback rating in the league. The 5-foot-11, 198-pound Smith arrived in Tampa as the No. 108 overall pick and will compete with the likes of Chris Conte and Keith Tandy for playing time on the Bucs’ back line. Cummings identifies Bradley McDougald as a starter at either the free or strong safety spots, with his complement undecided. Pro Football Focus graded Conte as the Bucs’ best safety last season and tabbed the now-27-year-old veteran as its No. 32 safety.