Seahawks 30 under 30: Christine Michael's last stand

The Seattle Seahawks have a very good roster, but what's especially nice and hopeful about their team is that the vast majority of current Seahawks are young and signed through 2017, at least. This series leading up to the regular season opener on September 11 will take a closer look at 30 such players, all of whom won't be turning 30 this year.

Player: Christine Michael, RB

Age: 25

How acquired: Second round pick (62nd overall) out of Texas A&M in 2013

Free Agent: 2017

I was hesitant to include Michael here because I would like to think that most players on this list represent greatness in their past and hope for their future ... Michael doesn't have either of those things for me. Frankly, that "greatness" for Michael is only represented through his size and athleticism, not for anything he's done on the field; he was never the lead back for the Aggies, averaging only 697 yards per season at the college level, which is still a lot better than the 165 yards per year he averages as a pro.

And that "hope" for the future passed him by before his second honestly, and ultimately resulted in the Seahawks, Cowboys, and Redskins all giving up on him at some point in 2015.

This is now his third chance with Seattle and possibly his final chance in the NFL. The Seahawks felt so good about his chances that they drafted three running backs in April and added a fourth in undrafted free agency who they seem to like a lot. So why am I shitting all over a player who I am also including on a list of 30 important members of the team who are all under 30? Because by all accounts, Michael should be a good player. If Thomas Rawls re-aggravates his ankle injury, Michael is the only other running back on the roster with NFL experience. He has averaged 4.9 yards per carry in his career with the Seahawks, which only highlights how frustrated the team must be by the fact that they have only given him 91 carries through three years.

My guess is that the team would like to see Michael have an excellent preseason, show some progress as a running back and team player, and increase his value so that they may trade him for the second year in a row.

He's too good to be ignored but will he ever be good enough to stick around?

A peak at the draft profile that got Michael selected in the second round three years ago: