Anthony Tyus runs the ball in an Ohio game.
The Detroit Lions had a pair of promising rookie running backs on the roster to start the summer, but have since cut ties with both of them.
One of those ballcarriers, Anthony Tyus III, has quickly found a new home with another rising NFC contender. Tyus signed with the Seattle Seahawks, where he could have a chance for a roster spot and a meaningful role this season.
Rookie Goes West After Breakout Season
Tyus spent the first three years of his college career with Northwestern, getting little production, before ending his career with a breakout season at Ohio. Tyus was a workhorse in the MAC, taking 237 carries for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns, adding 16 receptions for 137 yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Tyus didn’t hear his name called in the NFL draft but quickly landed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent. SI.com’s Vito Chirco predicted that Tyus would be competing with fellow rookie Kye Robichaux for the final spot on the active roster, with Tyus getting the edge.
“As for Robichaux, he spent his first two seasons at Western Kentucky followed by his final two at Boston College. In his final campaign with the Eagles, he recorded 744 yards and 10 touchdowns on 175 carries,” Chirco wrote. “At this present juncture, I believe that Tyus is ahead of Robichaux on the team’s RB depth chart.”
The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy suggested that Tyus could be a good fit for Detroit’s backfield, adding a power element that was currently lacking.
“He’s another bigger back (4.59 40) at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, but he can move when he picks up a head of steam and was reliable in pass pro,” Pouncy wrote. “The Lions are always looking for steady practice-squad running backs.”
But the Lions cut ties with Tyus before the start of the preseason and waived Robichaux with an injury designation this week. The Seahawks announced this week that they signed Tyus, giving him a chance to prove himself in the preseason.
Rookie’s Big Opportunity in Seattle
Tyus could have the chance to make an impression in Seattle, where the backfield depth chart is not set. ESPN’s Brady Henderson noted that Kenneth Walker III is slated to return as the top back, but there’s plenty of room for movement within the depth chart.
“No one with the Seahawks has said that the RB1 job is up for grabs, and there’s no real indication that it is,” Henderson wrote. “But nothing seems certain in Seattle’s backfield considering the new coordinator, Walker’s injury history and Zach Charbonnet’s emergence last season in his absence. Charbonnet doesn’t have Walker’s breakaway speed, but the Seahawks love his reliability, and his disciplined rushing style could fit well in Kubiak’s outside zone scheme.”
Henderson noted that the biggest opportunity belongs to Charbonnet, but Walker’s injury history could open up chances for other running backs lower on the depth chart.
“If nothing else, he should at least have the opportunity to cut into Walker’s workload as the primary back,” he wrote. “Walker has missed 10 games in three seasons and was sidelined again during the spring with a minor ankle injury.”
