The Seahawks bolstered their rushing attack this week, signing veteran running back Carlos Hyde. Guard Demetrius Knox was waived to make room on the 90-man roster.
Hyde, a former second-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2014, is coming off the first 1,000-yard campaign of his career having rushed for 1,070 yards and six touchdowns on 245 carries for the Houston Texans last season.
The Seahawks need for help at running back stems more from injury concerns than a lack of talent at the position. Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny provided a formidable one-two punch last season when they were both healthy, but both ended the year on injured reserve with hip and knee injuries, respectively. Carson is expected to be ready for the start of the season according to Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, but Penny's ACL injury came late enough in the 2019 season that he might have to open 2020 on the physically unable to perform list, Carroll said at the NFL Scouting Combine.
"It would be an extraordinary accomplishment if he was ready by the time we got to camp and all that," Carroll said of Penny. "So we will see what happens. We're not going to set any deadline on it, just see how he develops. But this is the kind of timing that might take in the PUP thing."
In six seasons with the 49ers, Browns, Jaguars and Texans, the 6-foot, 229-pound Hyde has rushed for 4,370 yards and 32 touchdowns on 1,072 attempts.
In addition to Carson, Penny and Hyde at running back, the Seahawks also return 2019 draft pick Travis Homer, and have added rookies DeeJay Dallas, a fourth-round pick out of Miami, and undrafted free agents Anthony Jones and Patrick Carr.
Knox, who signed with the Seahawks last year as an undrafted rookie out of Ohio State, spent the 2019 season on injured reserve, the result of a quadriceps injury sustained in a preseason game at Minnesota.
Photos from throughout running back Carlos Hyde's playing career.
Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde (23) before an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde (23) runs the ball against Jacksonville Jaguars free safety Jarrod Wilson (26) during the second half of an NFL football game at Wembley Stadium, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, in London. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde (23) runs the football during an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Buffalo Bills, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020, in Houston. The Texans defeated the Bills in overtime, 22-19. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde (23) runs with the ball during an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020, in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs beat the Texans 51-31. (Cooper Neill via AP)
Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde (23) runs the football to score a touchdown during an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Buffalo Bills, Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020, in Houston. The Texans defeated the Bills in overtime, 22-19. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Cleveland Browns running back Carlos Hyde (34) rushes for a 1-yard touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)
Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde (23) gestures towards the stands after he scores a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde (23) avoids a tackle by New Orleans Saints outside linebacker Demario Davis (56) during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Monday, September 9, 2019 in New Orleans. The Saints beat the Texans 30-28. (Cooper Neill via AP)
Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde (23) runs against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde (23) celebrates for the cameras after his touchdown run against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of an NFL football game Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)
Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde (23) runs past Jacksonville Jaguars middle linebacker Myles Jack (44) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde (23) is introduced before an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, in Houston. The Texans beat the Colts 20-17. (Cooper Neill via AP)
Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde (23) carries the ball during the first half of an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde (23) beats Tennessee Titans cornerback Logan Ryan (26) to the end zone as Hyde scores a touchdown on a 10-yard run in the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/James Kenney)
Kansas City Chiefs running back Carlos Hyde signs autographs at NFL football training camp Saturday, July 27, 2019, in St. Joseph, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Carlos Hyde (34) rushes for yardage during the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
FILE - In this Sept. 16, 2018, file photo, Cleveland Browns running back Carlos Hyde (34) scores a touchdown past New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis (56) during the second half of an NFL football game in New Orleans. The Jacksonville Jaguars traded for Cleveland running back Hyde on Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, adding a proven starter while Leonard Fournette progresses slowly from a strained right hamstring. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File)
Cleveland Browns running back Carlos Hyde (34) runs the football during an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. The Raiders defeated the Browns in overtime, 45-42. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Cleveland Browns running back Carlos Hyde (34) runs the football to score a touchdown during an NFL preseason football game against the Buffalo Bills, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018, in Cleveland. The Bills defeated the Browns, 19-17. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Cleveland Browns running back Carlos Hyde flips the ball during NFL football training camp, Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Berea, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
San Francisco 49ers Carlos Hyde (28) was in the run during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, December 31, 2017, in Los Angeles CA (Terrell Lloyd via AP Images)
San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde, right, scores past Los Angeles Rams linebacker Carlos Thompson during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) celebrates his touchdown during an NFL regular season football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017 in Santa Clara, Calif. The 49ers won, 44-33. (Ric Tapia via AP)
