James a Hawk
Seattle signs running back, waives Duckett
RENTON, Wash. – Edgerrin James is Seattle’s latest aging star running back, less than a year and half after Shaun Alexander was unceremoniously booted out of town.
The league’s leading active rusher signed a one-year contract with the Seahawks on Tuesday night. He’s being asked to help revive a rushing offense that has been generally dormant since February 2006, when Alexander was the NFL MVP and Seattle was in its only Super Bowl.
Earlier Tuesday, Seattle waived veteran running back T.J. Duckett to clear roster space.
“It’s official! Congrats to Edgerrin James on signing a 1-year deal with the Seahawks,” agent Drew Rosenhaus posted on Twitter late Tuesday.
A team spokesman confirmed the signing moments later. It is believed to be worth about $2 million, though Rosenhaus did not immediately comment on financial terms.
The deal comes 16 months after Seattle released Alexander, when he was 30.
The 31-year-old James is 11th on the NFL rushing list with 12,121 yards but was benched for the first time in his career last season by Arizona. He is expected to practice for the first time with his third NFL team today.
Duckett confirmed to the Associated Press in a text message Tuesday night that he had been released. Seattle was at its preseason roster limit and had to shed someone to add James.
The 28-year-old Duckett, who played in Atlanta for current Seahawks coach Jim Mora and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp from 2004-05, led Seattle with eight touchdowns rushing last season. But he did not start a game in his only season with the Seahawks, and he was relegated by former coach Mike Holmgren to almost exclusively being a short-yardage back.
Knapp is installing his highly successful zone-blocking scheme in Seattle this season, with an offensive line that already is missing three starters to injuries. He had been planning to use a triumvirate to run behind it: Julius Jones, Duckett and elusive, still-developing second-year man Justin Forsett.
In 12 combined seasons, they have rushed for 5,125 fewer yards than James, the 10-year veteran and former star with the Indianapolis Colts. James is within 158 yards of Marcus Allen and Marshall Faulk on the career rushing list, and 191 yards behind Jim Brown for eighth.