RENTON, Wash. – Along with his staff trailing by seven with underneath six minutes left to play within the third quarter of their preseason opener in Pittsburgh, Seahawks operating again DeeJay Dallas placed on his arduous hat and went to work trying to even the rating.

Taking a primary down handoff from Drew Lock on an inside zone idea, Dallas promptly caught his left cleat within the turf and reduce towards the grain behind a wall fashioned by Seattle’s offensive line, together with rookie proper deal with Abraham Lucas, who washed his defender down the road of scrimmage. With all the protection flowing in the direction of his left, he astutely noticed a crease opening to his proper after which darted again upfield off the bottom of tight finish Colby Parkinson, who efficiently sealed his defender exterior.

Ending the run with authority, Dallas energy spun out of a deal with after which lowered his shoulder to choose up a number of additional yards driving a trio of defenders, capping off a formidable 18-yard run to push the Seahawks previous midfield. Moments later, he caught a dump off from Lock in the midst of the sphere, made a security whiff, after which leaped previous the objective line for a hard-earned landing to trim the deficit to 2 factors.

Now in his third NFL season, the fruits of Dallas’ labor have been realized to date as one of many standouts of Seattle’s coaching camp and preseason. After seeing restricted snaps on offense in 2021 and seeing his staff use a second-round choose on operating again Ken Walker III in April, he continued to give attention to enhancing his all-around recreation this offseason, aiming to make himself indispensable together with his versatility and talent to make an affect in a myriad of the way.

“I used to be nonetheless making an attempt to get my toes moist a bit bit,” Dallas stated whereas reflecting on his sophomore season. “Actually trying ahead to this 12 months simply to point out that I’ve improved as a runner, previous catcher and as a blocker. Simply exhibiting that I can contribute like loads of totally different phases of the sport. No matter known as upon for me, I can do it. Whether or not it is catching or blocking or returning or going to dam a kick, I can do all of that.”

Whether or not he is been operating via a tackler, leaving one greedy for air with a juke transfer, racking up yards after the catch, selecting up blitzes in move safety, or excelling on particular groups, Dallas has gotten off to an ideal begin pursuing his objective of turning into Mr. Do It All in a deep, proficient steady of operating backs.

Starring within the exhibition opener within the Metal Metropolis, Dallas rushed for a team-high 73 yards alongside together with his 17-yard landing reception in a dropping effort. Whereas he was restricted to 5 carries and 15 yards on the bottom, he adopted up with a team-best 52 receiving yards within the Seahawks 27-11 loss to the Bears final Thursday, together with a 29-yard reception from Geno Smith. In these two video games, he additionally returned a pair of kicks and was given an opportunity to return punts as properly.

All through camp, Dallas has been taking part in with a unique edge, operating indignant behind his pads and persistently protecting his highly effective pistons chopping on the level of contact. In some ways, his model has emulated former teammate and two-time 1,000-yard rusher Chris Carson, who was pressured to retire attributable to a neck harm shortly earlier than the beginning of coaching camp in July.

Ever since arriving as a fourth-round select of Miami in 2020, Dallas has leaned on Carson, who all the time saved his door open to assist younger backs each time they wanted it. Even after stepping away from the sport, the 2 associates have stayed in contact and he continues to function a mentor off the sphere.

“Chris was an enormous assist for me,” Dallas remarked. “Simply seeing a man like, he is the underdog, the last word underdog. He was drafted within the seventh spherical. You sort of write off guys who had been drafted within the seventh spherical or undrafted or no matter. However he sort of defied the chances and he put all of it on the road. From his operating model, I attempted to include that like I simply watched his movie and simply attempt to run powerful, run as powerful as doable. And that is what he did when he was right here. He simply sort of taught me that with out even educating.”

Modeling his recreation after Carson past his dashing potential, the elevated physicality has tremendously benefitted Dallas and he is been removed from alone. Calling Seattle’s present backfield group “sextuplets,” others comparable to Rashaad Penny and Travis Homer have additionally adopted extra of a bruising, no non-sense operating model within the wake of Carson’s departure and loved robust camps in their very own proper. Collectively as a unit, they’ve taken on a mindset searching for to run via opposing face masks at any alternative.

However when assessing the place his recreation has improved essentially the most, together with being a bit quicker and faster, it is all about eye self-discipline and imaginative and prescient, which Dallas acknowledged placing additional emphasis on this spring.

“What I did prioritize was simply eye self-discipline, simply studying find out how to find out how to be a greater operating again,” Dallas remarked. “Your eyes are bodily, however like, [I tried] to not focus a lot on being quick or being robust, however simply being disciplined about the place my eyes are on runs as a result of you possibly can put anyone in any system, it doesn’t matter what they run. In the event that they know find out how to learn a entrance and dissect the entrance earlier than the play even occurs, they’ll break off 20 and 30 yarders.”

As evidenced by two runs of 10-plus yards towards the Steelers and a number of other massive runs ripped off throughout camp practices, Dallas’ efforts have paid off, notably on zone blocking ideas that usually require backs to pay better consideration to pre-snap particulars comparable to line of defense alignment and linebacker placement. Given how continuously offensive coordinator Shane Waldron calls zone ideas, together with huge and mid-zone varieties, he knew he needed to improve that facet of his recreation.

“With zone operating, you’ve got simply acquired to know, like we all the time say, get a pre-snap learn of the entrance and see the place all people is. And you may cancel out a bunch of various gaps, proper?” Dallas defined. “So should you acquired an over or underneath entrance, cancel out the gaps, relying on what entrance you could have. And that is what I’ve simply been engaged on, simply recognizing the entrance, seeing the place the linebackers are, simply making an attempt to see it and hit it earlier than it even develops.”

There isn’t any query Dallas has improved leaps and bounds in regard to his imaginative and prescient and pre-snap recognition. He is gentle years forward of the place he was in his first two seasons. Coupled together with his bruising operating model and former receiver background, he is developed into a high quality all-around again who can deal with a big workload when crucial whereas additionally being a viable third down specialist.

As for the place he matches into the group’s plans this season, Dallas is not frightened about his particular person statistics or how typically he sees the sphere on offense. No matter whether or not he begins out of the backfield or performs simply 5 snaps, with the unhealthy style of a final place end nonetheless in his mouth, his final objective stays to do no matter it takes to assist his staff win and pursue a Tremendous Bowl.

With that stated, now that Walker III could also be out to begin the common season, Dallas has positioned himself to be a significant factor for the Seahawks not solely on particular groups, however as a key cog of their backfield rotation. Primarily based on how he is carried out in camp and two preseason video games, his sights ought to now be set on rising as a legit distinction maker for a younger squad trying to show skeptics flawed.