Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll wants to run the football better in the 2018 season, so it follows that his NFL team would sign in free agency an offensive lineman as "physical and tough and as big and strong as you can get."

That's how Carroll described D.J. Fluker, the former Alabama standout who joined the Seahawks last week on a one-year contract.

Seattle general manager John Schneider described Fluker as "all football," and Carroll called him "a great passion guy." But it was Fluker's size and reputation as a road-grader that attracted the Seahawks the most.

Fluker had an abbreviated 2017 season with the New York Giants. He made six starts and received extensive playing time in another game, but turf toe ended his season early.

In the seven games with Fluker in the offensive line, the Giants averaged 112 rushing yards per game. The rest of the season, New York averaged 85 rushing yards per game.

In joining Seattle, Fluker will continue to work with Mike Solari, the Seahawks' offensive-line coach after holding that position with the Giants in 2017.

"I'm fired up about D.J., you know," Carroll said at the NFL's annual meeting this week. "This was a guy we knew through the draft and have tracked him for a number of years because of his unique qualities, his physical nature and his style. The thing I like most about this transaction is that he worked with Mike Solari, so he's got background and he's got system and the mentality that Mike wants.

"But I think the best part about him is that physical nature. He's 355 pounds you know and plays like it, and I'm anxious to see if he won't give us a different impact in what he can bring to the game."

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Seattle's rushing attack hasn't been the same since the departure of running back Marshawn Lynch after the 2015 season. In 2017, quarterback Russell Wilson led the Seahawks with 586 rushing yards. The top rushing total for a Seattle running back last season was the 240 yards of Mike Davis. J.D. McKissic, the former Central-Phenix City standout who played wide receiver at Arkansas State, was the only Seahawks' running back who scored rushing touchdown in 2017.

"Our formula of the running game being an integral part of it is really the focus," Carroll said. "We've got to get that done. Without that, then we're still kind of in a mode where we don't feel as comfortable as we want to be. So it's hugely important. ... So that needs to emerge as a significant part of our program, and everything else, I think, will fall into place. We know what the formula is; we know what it takes. We just have to get ourselves back and feel that continuity. So that'll be a big focus again, and the challenge begins. Here we go."

Carroll said the Seahawks planned to use Fluker at right guard. After entering the NFL as the 11th player picked in the 2013 draft, Fluker played right tackle for two seasons for the San Diego Chargers before moving to right guard for two more. He played mainly right guard with the Giants.

"We'll start him on the right side," Carroll said of Fluker. "That's where he's played most consistently, whether it was as a tackle or a guard, so we will keep him there. He's an extraordinary figure. He loves the game. He's outspoken and outgoing and brings a real attitude about it.''

Fluker is joining an offensive line that has four players returning who were starting at the end of the 2017 season -- left tackle Duane Brown, right tackle Germain Ifedi, center Justin Britt and guard Ethan Pocic. The Seahawks also have George Fant coming back. He was starting at left tackle in 2017. But when he was lost to injury, it caused Seattle to obtain Brown, a four-time Pro Bowler, from the Houston Texans in a trade.

"We haven't had a guy like Duane Brown in some time," Carroll said. "Duane coming back is a great plus. He barely got started with us last year, then he got hurt and struggled through an ankle and all of that. But his return -- the consistency that he brings, the experience that he brings, the toughness that he brings.

"The growth of Ifedi on the other side -- he's going to get better, he's going to make a big jump. I think the best thing that ever happened to him is there's a transition here for him where he can get a new start and really get going with Mike Solari. Britt is going to be the best he has been, Pocic is going to be better than he has been, then D.J. coming in.

"Then there's George Fant returning to us. George was really poised to have a big-time second year, and he has had a fantastic offseason working. I see him every day in the building, so he's going to factor into the competition.

"This is the best we've been in some time. A little quietly it's emerging that it's a very good group, and it's going to be one that we're going to look forward to seeing some real progress made."

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.