Forsett gives Hawks' run game some upside

GLENDALE, Ariz. — For more than two years now the Seahawks have been running in place.

They've re-signed former MVP Shaun Alexander, recycled Hall of Famer Edgerrin James and burned through veteran T.J. Duckett for good measure.

And after all that, it wasn't until Julius Jones suffered a broken rib in the first quarter of Sunday's loss in Arizona that Seattle started handing the ball to the 5-foot-8 afterthought from last year's draft: Justin Forsett.

The result? Forsett rushed for 123 yards against Arizona, a defense that ranked No. 4 in the league against the run entering the game and just four weeks ago held the Seahawks to 14 yards rushing, the lowest game total in franchise history.

"I was impressed with what Justin did," coach Jim Mora said. "But that's what we've got to expect out of him. He's a good little player. He's got a big heart."

And a big upside if Seattle decides to err on the side of youth in its running game. Factor in that Louis Rankin rushed three times for 24 yards and also caught three passes for 24 yards, and you start to wonder why Seattle has piled so much money into veteran running backs.

Why pay more than $5 million total for James and Duckett, who in two years combined to rush for fewer than 300 yards, when you can give a seventh-round selection like Forsett the ball and watch him run? Why wait to see if Jones blossoms on his second team when you can find someone like Rankin, who was cut by Oakland?

Just look at Arizona, which hasn't erred on the side of youth in the running game. It has correctly opted for it.

The Cardinals didn't wait for James to become ineffective in Arizona. They drafted Tim Hightower in the fourth round in 2008, chose Beanie Wells in the first round last April and then cut James loose. He ended up in Seattle, where he gained 45 yards fewer than Franco Harris' forgettable Seahawks total from 1984.

On Sunday, Wells was the Cardinals' cooler, putting the game on ice in the second half. He gained 75 of his 85 yards after halftime and scored in the third and fourth quarter as the rookie had a breakout game.

"I've had to work on my patience," Wells said after the game.

Seattle hasn't proved willing to wait to find a player from the draft to fill that void. Since Tim Ruskell became president in 2005, the Seahawks have drafted three players for fullback and only one to play tailback: Forsett.

Meanwhile, Arizona has retooled its running game and Wells was a game-breaker against Seattle, playing with a young man's ferocity in the second half. He picked up a personal-foul penalty in the third quarter after Arizona had picked up a first down at the Seattle 4. If the dead-ball penalty had involved abuse of official, it would have been first-and-goal at the Seattle 19. Because he just shoved safety Deon Grant, it was first-and-10 at the Seattle 19. After three plays netted Arizona 9 yards, the Cardinals faced fourth-and-one at the 10 and Wells ran right for the touchdown.

His fourth-quarter run was even more straight forward, right down the pipe of Seattle's defense. Wells spun out of Grant's hit inside the 5 and scored.

"I just had one guy to beat," Wells said, "and I wasn't going to be denied."

Neither was Arizona.

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com