Justin Forsett led the Seahawks with 43 rushing yards on just seven attempts while adding three receptions for 17 yards against the 49ers in Week 1.

Forsett was bottled up all afternoon until a late 32-yard scamper salvaged his per-carry average. This was a straight committee attack from Pete Carroll, with Julius Jones seeing eight carries and Leon Washington six. Forsett isn't going to be a weekly fantasy factor as long as this remains an even timeshare.

Updating previous items, Justin Forsett will be Seattle's primary punt returner to open the year.

Leon Washington will be the kick returner and No. 2 back. The Seahawks probably won't be forcing many punts this season, so Forsett should be well rested each time he takes his spot as the first-team tailback. Washington, though, will be heavily utilized on returns. They'll get similar offensive workloads, so Washington may prove more valuable in return-yardage leagues.

Coach Pete Carroll declared Justin Forsett the Seahawks' starting tailback after Monday's practice.

Leon Washington started the third preseason game, but will return kicks and punts, and see slightly less action on offense. Forsett is going to be a true committee back, but should rack up catches because he'll play on all third downs. Expect low- to mid-range RB2 numbers in PPR, depending on matchups (Week 1 against the 49ers isn't a good one). He's only an RB3 in non-PPR formats.

Seahawks offensive line coach Alex Gibbs has abruptly resigned from his job on Pete Carroll's staff.

No reason was given, but it's quite a blow to a Seattle team that will field a makeshift offense at the skill positions. Known as the "Godfather of Zone Blocking," Gibbs orchestrated perennial 1,000-yard rushers in Denver and was supposed to inject life into a Seahawks backfield that's been pedestrian since the mid-2000s. It's another reason to shy away from Justin Forsett, who may start in Week 1 but is being overdrafted.

Starting for the Seahawks in Saturday's exhibition game against the Packers, Justin Forsett gained just 13 yards on five carries.

He and Julius Jones switched roles this week, with the latter coming on in the second half for 14 yards on five carries and 12 yards on two receptions. Leon Washington looked better than both backs in his first action since breaking his leg last year. We can't stress it enough: this is a true committee backfield. Don't expect Forsett to emerge as a feature back.

Among the Seahawks running backs, Justin Forsett has "flashed" most frequently, according to the team's official site.

No one should be surprised that Forsett has looked the best out of the three backs in Seattle, but that doesn't mean he'll have a chance to carry the load. This has committee attack written all over it, especially with Leon Washington now rounding into form.

Running backs coach strongly suggested that the Seahawks will use a running back-by-committee approach throughout the season this year.

"The strength of our group is our group," said Smith. "It's not one guy, it's the entire group. They all complement each other ... I think we get something different from each and every one of them when they go in the game so that's what is exciting about this group." Justin Forsett is being drafted as a feature back despite all signs pointing toward a timeshare. It's a situation we'd avoid altogether.

ESPN's Mike Sando predicts that Justin Forsett will lead the Seahawks in carries this season.

Sando, a former longtime Seahawks beat reporter, believes Forsett is capable of 1,000 rushing yards because he's such a good fit for new line coach coach Alex Gibbs' zone-blocking scheme. Sando also confirms that Forsett and Leon Washington are "commanding most of the attention at running back" in Seattle, with alleged starter Julius Jones on the proverbial back burner.

On the lookout for a "bigger, grinder type back," the Seahawks' personnel staff is expected to keep a sharp eye on the waiver wire at cut-down time.

Seattle's backfield is comprised of a bunch of smaller backs, and coach Pete Carroll prefers to mix-and-match different strengths based on situation. "I've always liked complementary backs, different style guys," said Carroll. "We love the physical nature of the running game, so it's nice to have that type of big back." Quinton Ganther is serving that role in training camp. The Seahawks can do better.

Coach Pete Carroll explained Wednesday that his starting running back race was too close to call heading into training camp.

Leon Washington, Julius Jones, and Justin Forsett "are all in it," Carroll wrote on his Twitter account. Though Forsett was far more effective than Jones last year, it's worth noting that the majority of his big plays came in garbage time. Considering Carroll's history of committee attacks, none of the backs are a great bet for every week fantasy value.

RB Justin Forsett has become an "instant Pete Carroll favorite", writes Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times.

Although Julius Jones and Forsett have both been working with the first team, Forsett (5.4 YPC) was much more explosive than Jones (3.7 YPC) in 2009, has fewer miles on his engine, and his superior receiving ability brings more to the table in PPR leagues. If the Seahawks can improve on last year's 26th-ranked rushing attack, Forsett could flourish as an intriguing RB3.

Justin Forsett will miss this week's voluntary minicamp after getting married over the weekend.

Julius Jones is also absent, leaving Quinton Ganther and Louis Rankin to take the majority of the backfield reps. Coach Pete Carroll made light of the absences, so Forsett and Jones will still enter training camp atop the depth chart.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll reiterated that the starting running back job remains "wide open," with Justin Forsett and Julius Jones splitting first-team reps on Tuesday.

"There's no reason to call it [now]," said Carroll. "Julius has done everything he needs to do to represent. He's done a beautiful job so far. Justin continues to do real well, too. I love the way he's showing out here. Those guys are certainly in the one-two spots. Whoever is first, it doesn't matter to me right now. I can't tell and I don't care." If the competition is truly "open," expect Forsett to emerge as the more valuable of the two for fantasy purposes.

Justin Forsett becomes a candidate for the feature back job in Seattle following LenDale White's release.

Coach Pete Carroll has already conceded that he needs to get the ball in Forsett's hands, and the former Cal star is the best bet for fantasy value in this backfield. A perfect fit for Seattle's zone-blocking scheme, Forsett was one of the most effective per-touch backs in the league last season. He severely outplayed nominal starter Julius Jones under the old regime. Barring another addition, consider Forsett a RB3 with upside.

Coach Pete Carroll acknowledged that the Seahawks "need to get the ball in [Justin Forsett's] hands" this year.

"He is a capable third-down guy as well so there is a lot he can do," said Carroll. "Right now, I don't see any ceiling on how much he can play. It is going to depend on the mix of the guys." Forsett is expected to be used in combination with LenDale White, but his exact role won't be determined until the competition plays out in training camp.