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Pete Carroll expects Thomas Rawls to be Seahawks lead back

Otto Greule Jr / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Seattle Seahawks loaded up on running backs at the 2016 NFL draft.

General manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll selected C.J. Prosise in the third, Alex Collins in the fifth, and Zac Brooks in the seventh to help fill the void left by the retiring Marshawn Lynch.

While the Seahawks have had a rookie contribute heavily in the past, Carroll expects his lead back this season to be someone already residing on the roster.

"Thomas (Rawls) gives us a great element in his style of play," Carroll told ESPN. "We love the way he is physical and aggressive and tough. So, you see C.J. come off because he really has special qualities that he can add to the third-down aspect to our offense. We’re hoping that the other guys can complement what we’re already getting from Thomas. Each guy has his stuff. We think we can fit that together.

"We’ll come to appreciate that even more, but I think the message of who we are and what we’re about has been Thomas. We’re really excited to continue to see that, and we’ll see if we can fit it together in a really special fashion. They are unique. These guys are not from the same mold, which we really appreciate."

Rawls ran for 830 yards with four touchdowns through seven starts in 13 games in his rookie season last year after signing as an undrafted free agent. He entered training camp as a virtual unknown, but made a name for himself with four 100-yard rushing games as a rookie. He also averaged 2.68 yards after contact, gaining some comparisons to Lynch.

Carroll has been quite clear that he likes what he's seen from Rawls' rookie season and wants to see more from the undrafted surprise.

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