Should Seattle Seahawks consider trading K9?

At times, Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has flashed star potential.

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As a rookie in 2022, he rushed for 1,050 yards at a clip of 4.6 yards per carry. In 2023, he ran for 905 yards and 4.1 yards per carry. And over those two seasons, he showcased his speed, elusiveness and big-play ability while breaking three touchdowns of 60-plus yards.

But in 2024, Walker’s stats plummeted. Dealing with injuries and playing behind a struggling offensive line, he rushed for just 573 yards and 3.7 yards per carry in 11 games.

Meanwhile, as Walker’s production dipped, second-year back Zach Charbonnet filled in and showed some promise. Charbonnet ran for 569 yards and 4.2 yards per carry last fall – including 303 yards and 5.1 yards per carry over the final five games.

Charbonnet’s late-season surge prompted some to wonder whether he could be poised to overtake Walker for Seattle’s lead-back role. In particular, pundits speculated that Charbonnet’s more patient running style could be a better fit for new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s wide-zone blocking scheme. They also pointed to the disparity in health, with Charbonnet missing only one game in two seasons and Walker missing 10 games in three seasons.

Some have even gone a step further.

Given that Walker is heading into the final year of his rookie deal, former NFL quarterback Brock Huard and FOX NFL reporter Ralph Vacchiano both floated the idea back in March that perhaps the Seahawks could look to trade the 24-year-old Walker. That idea is further by the fact that Seattle appears to have good running back depth behind Walker in Charbonnet, Kenny McIntosh and recent seventh-round pick Damien Martinez.

With all that as the backdrop, former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus and former NFL offensive lineman Ray Roberts discussed Friday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy whether the Seahawks should entertain the idea of trading away Walker. Here’s a summary of what the two Seahawks Radio Network analysts said.

Bump’s take

Bumpus wants to give Walker an opportunity to show what he can do in Kubiak’s scheme.

“I don’t know what Ken Walker would be worth, but I wouldn’t do it,” Bumpus said. “I want to see Ken Walker operate in this new Kubiak offense, because I think that if he is patient, if he’s watching that film, if he’s giving the wide-zone a chance and looking for the cutback lane, he could have one of those years going for 1,000 yards and having (long touchdown) runs. … I think in this offense, he’s capable of doing that.

“I think Zach Charbonnet is a good running back. I think McIntosh is good running back. I think Damien Martinez is a good running back. But they’re not Ken Walker. And you’ve gotta have that home-run hitter in this offense. Neither of those guys have the speed that Ken Walker has to break it 60 yards like the way he’s done. … I would not entertain that trade at all.”

Big Ray’s take

Roberts said he would probably at least entertain the idea of trading Walker, due to his belief that Charbonnet is a better fit for Kubiak’s wide-zone blocking system.

“I love K9,” Roberts said. “Let me just say that first of all. He’s very explosive and creative in how he runs. But I do think that he is a running back for a particular system and a particular way that you want him to run. I think when you are saying, hey, here’s our entry point to the offensive line and to this run play, we need you to press that hole and then make a decision, I think that’s a little bit challenging for him. And it doesn’t mean that he’s not a great running back. It just means that his style isn’t for everyone.

“And with this outside zone stuff, you have to be really committed to it. You can’t cut it all the way back to the other side, because now you’re cutting back to the (defenders). … K9 tends to put his foot in the ground and tries to go all the way back behind the (opposite) tackle. And there’s just not a whole lot of success in running that way all the time.

“And so I think, depending on what you can get back from him and how comfortable you feel with the guys that you have, yeah, I would entertain it probably.”

Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

Should Seattle Seahawks consider trading K9?

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