Pro Bowler Leon Washington joins
the Seahawks.
After making no trades in the first half of the draft, the dam finally broke for Seattle.
The Seahawks swapped fourth and sixth-round picks (which dropped Seattle seven and nine picks, respectively) for RB LenDale White and Kevin Vickerson from the Titans. Seattle then traded its later fifth-rounder for Jets RB Leon Washington.
Say good-bye to Julius Jones and prepare to see a lot less of Justin Forsett.
To Continue...
LenDale White RB
Height 6-1
Weight 235
Age 25
White will be that big back Seattle hasn't really had since the failed T.J. Duckett pick-up. Unlike Duckett, White has a proven track record after leading a rushing attack as the workhorse for Tennessee in 2007, when he racked up more than 1100 yards. White was primed for a huge season in 2008, but was unexpectedly supplanted as the starter by Chris Johnson (deservedly so, because Johnson amassed more than 2,000 yards the next season in 2009 and 1,200 in 2008.)
White is known by many fantasy GMs for his 15 touchdowns and 773 rushing yards in 2008. He declined further after Tennessee devoted even more carries to Johnson in 2009. White still has upside at 25-years-old. It doesn't hurt that head coach Pete Carroll likely knows exactly how to utilize the bruiser after coaching him at USC, where he racked up 25 touchdowns in 2005.
Leon Washington RB
Height 5-8
Weight 195
Age 27
Washington is a fast, slippery back. Unfortunately, he suffered a broken fibula (right leg) last year to end his season after seven games, which is why he was acquired for so cheap. Most critics call this one a "steal" as Washington has tremendous upside if he can adequately recover from the injury. He may be eased into action, splitting time with Justin Forsett as the primary back.
He is also an accomplished kick-return specialist, averaging 25.5 yards per return with four touchdowns, including three in 2007.
Washington hasn't put up astounding running back numbers as of yet, splitting time with Thomas Jones during the arch of Jones' career. However, he still made a Pro Bowl in 2008 after rushing for 443 yards while receiving for 335. His versatility makes him a standout at RB, with exceptional receiving skills. He's also a sufficient blocker.
Kevin Vickerson DT
Height 6-5
Weight 305
Age 27
Vickerson doesn't have a lot of starts to show for his four year career. Well, he has no starts. He was a seventh-round pick in 2005 and has the physical tools to succeed in the NFL. I'm not going to pretend to know much about Vickerson.
Here's what he said about joining Seattle:
"It's a new start," Vickerson said. "And new starts are always good. So it's like you're just wiping off everything that you've done before. It's good. A change. That's my biggest thing is a change. A change for the better, it's not for the worse.
Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
