Rams fans can howl with laughter at Seahawks questionable offseason strategy

The Los Angeles Rams have first-hand knowledge of just how much juice running back Kenneth Walker gave the Seattle Seahawks last season. The eventual Super Bowl MVP compiled at least 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in all three matchups against LA, including the NFC title game. He then followed it up with a massive three-touchdown performance that brought the Lombardi Trophy home to Seattle.

Now, it seems, the Seahawks are on the verge of letting their hero depart in free agency. And NFL insider Tom Pelissero shares that Kenneth Walker is likely changing NFL uniforms.

"It appears increasingly likely that [Kenneth] Walker is headed somewhere else."

NFL Insider Tom Pelissero

Why would they let that happen? 

The front office has its reasons, of course, predicated on financial concerns. Running backs tend to have a short shelf life, and Walker has completed his cheap rookie contract. In free agency, he is projected to sign for around $9 million per year. 

For the Super Bowl MVP and their only 1,000-yard rusher since Chris Carson in 2019 (Walker also did it as a rookie), the Seahawks apparently believe that Walker's asking price is too much. If it means having Walker out of the division, the Rams, 49ers, and Cardinals won't ask any questions. Seattle's NFC West rivals will take that outcome in a heartbeat. 

Seahawks are evidently prepared to let Walker pursue greener pastures

While Pelissero notes that Walker and the Seahawks are still "in touch," his report suggests that Seattle is receding further and further from the front of the race. Instead, the NFL Network insider floats the Kansas City Chiefs as a potential destination. With Isaiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt free agents themselves, the roster has a glaring hole at running back. 

It's one that, in reality, hasn't been wholly accounted for since Pacheco's healthier days early on in his career. Adding a stud like Walker, who rushed for 1,027 yards on 221 carries last season, would fix that immediately. And after trading Trent McDuffie to the Rams, they have some extra flexibility on the payroll.

The Tennessee Titans, owners of the NFL's largest bounty of cap space, are another team Pelissero highlights as a team to watch. 

No doubt Seattle fans will point out that Walker wasn't the only show in town. He and Zach Charbonnet formed a dynamic duo that broke up when Charbonnet tore his ACL in the Division Round versus San Francisco. 

In the regular season, Charbonnet was less productive in terms of total yards and efficiency, but he outscored Walker 12 touchdowns to five. Once he was sidelined in the playoffs, however, the former Spartan proved to be more than capable of stepping in as the full-time feature back. 

It's hardly an apples-to-apples comparison, but Los Angeles fans will recall that the team handed its own Super Bowl MVP, receiver Cooper Kupp, a three-year, $80 million extension that very offseason. Different position, totally different contract scenario, but that's how you treat your hardware-hoisting playmakers.

Maybe not in Seattle. In this day and age, running backs have effectively become disposable commodities in the NFL. Still, obvious top options don't grow on trees, and Walker certainly is one when healthy. If the Seahawks elect to let him walk, leaving them with an injured Charbonnet and no one else to speak of, that's fine with the Rams. Go right ahead.