Eddie Lacy to earn $55,000, if he makes weight
By Brian Gosa
Seattle Seahawks running back Eddie Lacy needs to weigh-in at under 250 pounds Monday to earn $55,000.
Since the retirement of Marshawn Lynch following the 2015 season, the Seahawks have been pressed to find a presence big enough to fill the void created in their offensive backfield. And “massive” could very well be an understatement, considering how last season’s running corps included three rookies and an injury-prone second-year guy. With so many questions at the position, it’s no surprise that Seattle ranked 25th in run offense in 2016, with total yards and run attempt numbers falling below averages from previous seasons.
In March, the Seahawks’ front office hoped to stabilize the situation by signing free agent Eddie Lacy after four years with the Green Bay Packers. The former University of Alabama star signed a one-year deal worth $1.365 million in base salary, plus a $1.5 million signing bonus. But Lacy could see that $2.865 million skyrocket to $5.5 million based on a few incentives included in his contract.
The part of the deal that has captured the most attention is the mandatory weigh-in clause. During the 2017 season, Lacy is set to complete seven weigh-ins, each worth $55,000 if the designated weight goals are met.
On Monday, Lacy will participate in the second weigh-in, as reported by Sheil Kapadia of ESPN. For the June and August evaluations, Lacy must be under 250 pounds, and after that his goal drops to below 245 pounds for September, October, November and December.
Eddie Lacy’s weight has been an issue since he first arrived in the league, but his struggles in Green Bay took concerns to another level. At the end of the 2015 season, Green Bay head coach, Mike McCarty went on record saying, “He’s got a lot of work to do. I think I’m stating the obvious. His offseason last year was not good enough, and he never recovered from it. I had a chance to talk to Eddie today, and that was pretty much the majority of our whole conversation. He has to get it done because he cannot play at the weight that he played at this year.”
In 2016, Lacy’s problems were amplified by a severe ankle injury limited him to five games and his production dropped well below where it had been in his first two years as a Packer.
Now he has the opportunity to get back on track with a new coach in Pete Carroll, who looks to regain some punch in the running game with a big, but in-shape Lacy.
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It’s clear the running back is seeing the weight incentives more like challenges than punishment. “Whatever he likes, that’s what I like. As a competitor, you want to be challenged,” he said. “So it’s a positive challenge. At the end of the day, it helps me personally, too, so why not?
And by all accounts Lacy is ready to put in the work. When asked about the changes he’s made to achieve his weight goals, Lacy said, “Eating a lot. I’m from Louisiana. I like good food. Gotta change it.
“I have a great support group behind me from coaches to players to the nutrition team. So everybody’s positive, which helps me because I know I have a group of people behind me pushing me, so it’s all working out, it’s all going great. I’ve just got to continue to go that way.”