Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has been ruled out for Monday night’s tilt vs. the Lions, but comments by head coach Pete Carroll might mean backup Thomas Rawls is a smart player to target for a trade.

"He had [an MRI] last week, and nothing showed up," Carroll said. "And then after the game, he aggravated his hamstring in a different area than anything that he had felt the week before. It happened on that play where he caught the ball on fourth down and he got a little something. So we checked it out, and there were some findings. So he's working hard on trying to get it back."

Lynch is missing his first game since 2009, but he may have been showing some signs of wear and tear even before his hamstring injury. Through the first two weeks, Lynch had carried the ball 33 times, and averaged just 3.4 yards per carry. He has also scored zero touchdowns this year. That could partly be due to Seattle’s offseason trade that sent Pro Bowl center Max Unger to New Orleans, but it may be that he’s nearing age 30, an age when running backs typically fall off a cliff in terms of production.

None of this means abandon Lynch when he’s back; it simply means Rawls is a smart player to own, with or without Lynch on your roster. In Lynch’s absence, Rawls cast doubt on Lynch’s shortcomings being attributable to the lack of Unger. Rawls picked up 104 yards on 16 carries; that’s 6.5 yards per rush, you can put away your calculators.

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Rawls made the most of his opportunity, much like he did in college when he transferred to Central Michigan, away from the Michigan Wolverines, and posted a 1,100-yard, 10-touchdown year in his only campaign as a starter. If Rawls has a big game on Monday, he will likely earn himself regular work even when Lynch is healthy. A committee will heavily favor Lynch, but Rawls could carve out a role significant enough to make him a matchup-FLEX play.

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