Thomas Rawls said he plans to "be ready for camp" after having his rookie season cut short by an ankle injury.
Last week, the Seattle Seahawks running back said he had yet to start running -- an ominous omission for his offseason workout availability -- but in an interview with KCPQ-TV, the running back said he believes he's recovering rapidly.
"I'm just taking it day by day," Rawls said of his rehab, via the team's official website. "I'm getting better. I'm walking on my own, I'm doing a lot of good things, and my recovery is coming very quickly, so I'm looking forward to being out there very soon."
Pete Carroll recently said he was "hopeful" Rawls would be ready for camp, but the running back will be brought along slowly.
After going undrafted, Rawls became one of Seattle's best finds, taking over for Marshawn Lynch without a drop in production. In truth, Rawls was better than Beast Mode in 2015.
As a rookie, the 22-year-old Flint, Mich., native rushed for 830 yards and averaged 5.6 yards per carry (highest of any back with at least 100 carries). Rawls has good one-cut ability and a pinball characteristic that allowed him to average 3.1 yards after contact in 2015. He also compiled 15 runs of 15-plus yards, fifth-most in the NFL.
With Lynch retiring, the Seahawks' offense should morph into a heavier Russell Wilson-centric operation, as we saw down the stretch last season. If he doesn't suffer a setback, Rawls will provide the pounding production needed to keep the play-action and read-options a dangerous weapon.