27 Eddie Lacy RB

Lacy (ankle) is anticipated to see his fair share of carries during the preseason, but the Seahawks' main goal will be to ensure he enters the upcoming campaign in top condition and health, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Lacy's weight incentives have been highly publicized, but the running back is also coming off ankle surgery heading into his first campaign with the Seahawks. Although he was limited by his ankle during OTAs, Lacy should be ready to suit up for preseason action, when Seattle figures to give him a large enough workload to evaluate his ability against that of fellow tailbacks Thomas Rawls, C.J. Prosise and Alex Collins. Still, the team is anticipated to be careful to not overload Lacy early, as having him enter Week 1 in tip-top shape is far more important.

Lacy (ankle) has been a limited participant at OTAs. "I'm still limited. I'm able to do a lot more, though, and it's steadily progressing so as long as I continue to get better I'll just continue to do more," he explained Friday.

Lacy needed an assortment of hardware -- including two screws, two wires and a plate -- to help repair the damaged deltoid ligament in his left ankle that planted him on injured reserve for most of the 2016 season. While he underwent surgery last October and thus has had over seven months to recover, the Seahawks have little incentive to rush him back at this stage in the offseason, so it comes as exactly zero surprise that he's been practicing under limitations. The expectation is that he will be full-go in time for training camp.

Lacy (ankle) checked in at 253 pounds Monday, successfully meeting the first weight incentive in his contract, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times reports.

Lacy receives $55,000 for each month he falls under a specified weight, with targets of 255 pounds in May, 250 from June through August, and then 245 during the regular season. It sounds as if his rehab from an October ankle injury is the larger concern, with Lacy still not quite able to run at full speed in drills. Head coach Pete Carroll suggested the 26-year-old running back will be a limited participant at OTAs in late May, but it seems Lacy should be a full go for the start of training camp. While Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise (shoulder) represent serious competition for touches, the size of Lacy's one-year contract suggests he's expected to handle a major role, with the deal containing more than $3.5 million before incentives are factored in. Lacy is the favorite to serve as Seattle's lead runner.

Although the Seahawks will make a concerted effort to ensure Lacy (ankle) stays in shape, head coach Pete Carroll said he wants the 26-year-old running back to stay big, ESPN's Sheil Kapadia reports.

According to Kapadia, Lacy's target weight will be in the 240s, which is probably around where he was in 2016 prior to suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5. According to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the 26-year-old running back checked in at 267 pounds during one of his free agent visits, putting him 20-to-25 pounds north of where the Seahawks want him by Week 1. It appears Lacy's weight will be a big story for the second straight offseason, just as it was at this time last year when he was coming off a disappointing 2015 campaign in which he was visibly hampered by his excess weight. A contract season provided plenty of motivation last time around, and the Seahawks are hoping for the same after signing him to a one-year, $5.5 million deal that includes $3 million guaranteed. Lacy is nearly five months removed from surgery which carried an estimated rehab timetable of 4-to-6 months, but the extra weight he's carrying probably doesn't help the process. While his contract makes him the early favorite to lead Seattle's backfield, Lacy has serious issues surrounding his health and conditioning, in addition to facing competition from teammates Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise (shoulder).

Lacy (ankle) has inked a one-year, $5.55 million deal with the Seahawks that includes $3 million worth of fully guaranteed money, ESPN.com reports.

Lacy, whose 2016 season was limited to five games due to a left ankle injury that required surgical repair, will now look to re-boot his career with the Seahawks, who the Seattle Times notes also brought in fellow free agent running backs Adrian Peterson, Jamaal Charles and Latavius Murray for visits. With that in mind, it's clear that the team was looking to upgrade its backfield, which also includes holdovers Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise. Assuming a full recovery from his ankle woes and no conditioning/weight issues, Lacy, who turns 27 in June, appears poised to head Seattle's rushing attack in 2017, with Prosise likely to make his mark in a complementary/change-of-pace role. The move presumably represents a hit to Rawls' workload/outlook next season, while Lacy will look to re-establish his market value in the hopes of securing a long-term deal down the road.