I’m not one who is going to take time writing blog posts about the same thing I see written everywhere else. Yes, we signed Edgerrin James. Yes, we waived TJ Duckett. Yes, Edge is old and the leagues active rushing leader. The thing that many are missing is that the upside of this signing may have nothing to do with the running game.
While James’ grind-it-out, get every yard style is certain to endear him to Hawks fans who have no patience for pushover RBs, it is his pass blocking that interests me. James is arguably the best pass blocking running back in the NFL, and it isn’t really close. When you see our offensive line in shambles, having a guy who can be Matt’s bodyguard is appealing.
I can’t count how many time James stonewalled Seahawks blitzers over the past few years. Compare that to barely remembering any other RBs doing the same. And I’m not just talking about chipping on some guy or cutting his knees. James will stand up a charging linebacker. Heck, maybe he can teach Rob Sims a few things.
It’s not the type of attribute that gets a lot of media attention, but coaches and players know about it. Hawks fans will be talking about it soon enough, and it might just keep Matt healthy this season.