Seahawks Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin Best Duo in NFL?
By Joe Wedra
The NFC champion Seattle Seahawks head into the 2015 season with potentially more hope than ever. Among the many bright spots, one comes via the running game where Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin may form the best 1-2 punch in the NFL.
Lynch entering new stage in career
It’s unlikely that the offense molds into something too diverse in 2015, however Marshawn Lynch has to be brought into question when forecasting the overall offensive outlook.
The 29-year-old back isn’t ancient by NFL standards, but the decline will be rapid when it occurs. It’s hard to not consider the thumping his body has taken over the course of his NFC West career.
Ultimately, Seattle knows they’ll be in a tight spot when the Lynch ship sails, but there’s no need to look too far ahead with Robert Turbin in place ready to step into a much larger role.
Skill-sets to be seen
It won’t show up on the stat line, but Turbin’s running style has been wildly impressive when he’s had the opportunity to show them off. Contrary to Lynch’s classic ground and pound style, Turbin possesses a rather athletic style that Seattle must utilize moving forward.
On tape, it’s pretty obvious to see Turbin has a future in the league immediately. His athletic ability in the open field shows, even on runs between the tackles. His side-to-side athleticism pops when working behind the Seattle defense; he’s able to utilize the athleticism of those up front by finding the hole and committing.
Because of Turbin’s open-field abilities, Seattle should be using him in the passing game out of the backfield a bit more moving forward. The more reps he sees, the more likely it is that he’ll be a crucial cog out of the backfield in a variety of ways. He doesn’t possess the ability to cruise through the middle using his sheer strength – struggles breaking tackles are seen throughout his tape – however, the Seahawks will have no problem finding open-field packages for Turbin to work with.
2015 outlook
Lynch should roll with no issue next season, producing some of the better numbers in the NFL.
Weapons are in place for the entire offensive attack to shine. However, Seattle is ready for any bullets that might need dodging with Robert Turbin.
The 2012 draft pick won’t get much press heading into the season, but he may be “that guy” that turns heads once the year gets rolling.