August 8, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Some observations from Day 7 of camp from those who were there (and other features):

Kam Chancellor is still very plugged in to the Seahawks, coaching DeShawn Shead from afar, Gregg Bell of The News Tribune writes.

Larry Stone of The Seattle Times wonders how Chancellor and the Seahawks can both come out of this without looking bad.

Earl Thomas and Jesse Williams still have not participated in team drills, per Brady Henderson of 710 ESPN.

Kevin Norwood and Dion Bailey stood out to John Boyle of Seahawks.com.

Mohammed Seisay’s response to being traded from Detroit to Seattle: “What? Me? Traded?”

Good news from Justin Britt: “It’s just night and day compared to last year.”

Contracts, State of the team

A tale of two holdouts: Lynch vs. Chancellor

August 7, 2015 cc Leave a comment

For those wondering why the Seahawks don’t just accommodate Kam Chancellor, as they did Marshawn Lynch last year, it is worth pointing out that there are some big differences in their situations.

Lynch had two years left on his contract, and speculation was swirling that the Seahawks might part with him after the 2014 season. So, he just wanted to get some kind of financial commitment out of the Hawks.

The team offered to convert $1 million in game roster bonuses and incentives in 2014 to guaranteed money, along with $500,000 from his 2015 salary. Even as Lynch held out for the first week of training camp, they reportedly did not budge off the original offer from earlier in the offseason. And they also had threatened to follow through on their right to fine him if he did not report after the first week.

Lynch basically got a $500,000 bump last season — but it came from the 2015 salary. Of course, he ended up signing a new three-year deal this offseason anyway.

There is much less wiggle room for Chancellor.

Continue reading A tale of two holdouts: Lynch vs. Chancellor →

CHAWK LINES, Training camp

August 7, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Some observations from Day 6 of camp from those who were there (and other features):

Jesse Williams, a second-round talent the Hawks picked in the fifth round in 2013 due to knee problems, says he hopes he got rid of his bad injury luck when he had his cancerous kidney removed this offseason. It would be a great story if he somehow became a contributor this season, but don’t get your hopes up.

Jermaine Kearse apparently is doing his best to fend off Seattle’s younger, cheaper receivers, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.

Stephen Cohen of the Seattle P-I wrote about a couple of receivers named Doug: Baldwin talked about Percy Harvin and mentoring young receivers, and McNeil worked at cornerback.

John Boyle of Seahawks.com wrote more about Baldwin, who said Tyler Lockett is “a lot more polished than I was as a rookie.”

Boyle also relayed rookie Frank Clark’s comments about playing 3-technique and learning from Michael Bennett.

Tom Cable told KJR-AM that Lemuel Jeanpierre is the favorite to win the center job; he thinks Justin Britt is becoming a consistent right tackle; and Russell Okung is very focused on the season, not his contract.

Kam Chancellor apparently wants most of his 2015 and 2016 salaries paid up front before he returns to the team. Very unlikely.

CHAWK LINES, Training camp

August 5, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Some observations from Day 5 of camp from those who were there (and other features):

As Kam Chancellor’s holdout dragged on, Earl Thomas was removed from PUP. Rob Rang suggests that killed some of Chancellor’s leverage.

Stephen Cohen of the Seattle P-I said rookies Kristjan Sokoli and Mark Glowinski worked at left guard, and he talked to Eric Pinkins about his move to linebacker.

When Cassius Marsh was drafted last year, we figured he was going to be a LEO, but the Hawks instead tried him all over the place. Now, per The Seattle Times, he is focusing purely on LEO.

Keith Myers of 12th Man Rising said B.J. Daniels — deep down the WR chart — made his first standout plays and Marsh continued to have a strong camp.

From the transcript, Pete Carroll had great things to say about Marsh, Tyler Lockett, Kevin Pierre-Louis, Thomas Rawls and Justin Britt.

Continue reading →

Contracts, Training camp

Schneider doesn’t sound interested in adjusting Chancellor’s deal

August 5, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Not a big surprise: Seahawks GM John Schneider told SiriusXM NFL that the Seahawks do not plan to adjust holdout safety Kam Chancellor’s contract.

Schneider said it’s tough because of the personal feelings he and the franchise have for Chancellor, but the Hawks “have to continue to conduct business the way we always have.”

“We all love Kam. He’s a phenomenal football player, obviously a key core player in what we’re doing here defensively,” Schneider said. “We all miss him. It’s a bummer for everybody involved in the situation.

“It’s personal because you love a guy so much and you have so much emotional and personal feelings for the player. At the end of the day, you have to stick to your plan and your principle. That’s what has to guide you rather than (personal feelings).

“It’s about the team. It’s the ultimate team sport,” Schneider continued. “In order for us to be a consistent championship-caliber team that we’ve been preaching ever since we got here, we have to continue to conduct business the way we always have.”

Continue reading Schneider doesn’t sound interested in adjusting Chancellor’s deal →

CHAWK LINES, Training camp

August 4, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Some observations from Day 4 of camp from those who were there:

Per The Seattle Times, Kristjan Sokoli is now practicing at left guard. That narrows the competition at center to three guys and gives Alvin Bailey another thing to think about as he attempts to nail down the LG spot.

Lemuel Jeanpierre is the leader for the center spot, according to Gregg Bell of The News Tribune, and Tom Cable says it should be decided soon.

Robert Turbin’s surgically repaired hip seems fine; he showed great burst in his return to practice, per Seahawks.com.

Jimmy Graham is loving his first camp in Seattle, Seahawks.com reports.

Seahawks.com passed along three key points from Kris Richard.

On 710 ESPN, Pete Carroll said Graham has impressed him more than anyone. He also talked about the future of his team, tough decisions such as cutting Tony McDaniel, Kam Chancellor’s holdout and the roster battles in this camp.

Continue reading →

Contracts, State of the team

Wagner’s contract gives team some flexibility

August 3, 2015 cc Leave a comment

In the wake of Bobby Wagner’s monster contract, Pete Carroll said the Seahawks face uncertainty next year in the way the team is going to be constructed.

“It is so challenging to do this,” Carroll said, “and particularly as it (the salary cap) changes and you don’t know and you have to predict. … This is a big year now (for Seattle free agents); we don’t know what’s going to happen with the cap. We’ll wait and see.”

As it turns out, Wagner’s contract reflects the uncertainty and also covers the Hawks in case he misses games, as he has the past two seasons.

Wagner’s four-year, $43 million deal reportedly includes an $8 million signing bonus and — rare for the Seahawks — a $4 million option bonus in 2016 that would activate 2019 while giving the team cap flexibility next year and beyond.

Either way, the Hawks will pay Wagner $7 million in 2016 — with a $3 millon salary if they pay the option or $7 million if they don’t. So the cap hit could be $6.1 million or $9.1 million in 2016. If they decline the option, it would make it just a three-year extension. But they surely just wanted to include a second signing bonus to offset cap hits in 2015 and beyond.

The Hawks also included $3.5 million in per-game roster bonuses — $500,000 in 2016 and $1 million in each of the next three seasons. Wagner missed five games last year and two the previous season, so the Hawks clearly want him to earn some of the deal through simple availability.

Contracts, State of the team

Wilson & Wagner are signed; who else can Hawks keep?

August 3, 2015 cc Leave a comment

With Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner signed, the Seahawks can check off their two biggest 2016 free agents.

But what does it mean for the others?

The official numbers for Wagner’s deal are in, and the Hawks are looking at about $14 million in space under a projected $150 million salary cap next year.

With Wilson and Wagner signed and Tony McDaniel released, their key UFAs in 2016 — barring any other extensions — will be Russell Okung, J.R. Sweezy, Bruce Irvin, Brandon Mebane, Ahtyba Rubin, Jermaine Kearse and Jon Ryan. They can’t keep all of those guys for $14 million.

“It is so challenging to do this,” Pete Carroll said, “and particularly as it (the salary cap) changes and you don’t know and you have to predict. … This is a big year now (for Seattle free agents); we don’t know what’s going to happen with the cap. We’ll wait and see.”

Continue reading Wilson & Wagner are signed; who else can Hawks keep? →

Contracts, State of the team, The roster

Hawks had to cut someone; now, what about Chancellor?

August 3, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Once the Seahawks signed Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner to their megadeals, it was obvious someone probably was going to get cut.

While Brandon Mebane (and his $5.5 million salary) had been the rumored candidate for months, it turned out to be Tony McDaniel, whose release added $3 million to the $2 million or so the Hawks had left under this year’s cap. They typically like to have at least $4 million in reserve for practice squad and injury replacements during the season.

Pete Carroll was not happy to lose the 30-year-old McDaniel, who had been a key member of Seattle’s top-seven run defense in each of the past two Super Bowl seasons.

“It is a significant loss,” Carroll said. “Tony has been a really good core player for us, and we really liked him and what he’s brought to our club. This decision sucks, but you know we had to do something. Maybe there’s a chance we can get him back someday; I don’t know how that will work. Unfortunately, that’s what had to happen today.”

It weakens the depth on a defensive line that had looked pretty stout, especially at tackle, and means Mebane and Ahtyba Rubin will have to carry the weight as the run stoppers.

The next immediate roster concern is holdout safety Kam Chancellor.

Continue reading Hawks had to cut someone; now, what about Chancellor? →

The roster, Trades, Training camp

Schneider loves trading with Mayhew’s Lions

August 2, 2015 cc Leave a comment

John Schneider loves trading with the Detroit Lions.

His deal Sunday to acquire cornerback Mohammed Seisay for a 2016 sixth-round pick was his seventh trade with Lions general manager Martin Mayhew since Schneider became Seattle’s GM in 2010.

It was his 35th trade overall and his third this year — although it pales in comparison to the deals for Jimmy Graham and Tyler Lockett.

Continue reading Schneider loves trading with Mayhew’s Lions →