Tag Archives: Byron Maxwell

No surprises: Rubin’s back; Irvin, Sweezy in high demand

March 8, 2016 cc Leave a comment

As the free agency negotiating period began Monday, two days ahead of the new league year, the Seahawks were at the center of a lot of expected news.

As expected, they managed to re-sign Ahtyba Rubin, one of their excellent veteran defensive tackles. As expected, Bruce Irvin and J.R. Sweezy received a lot of interest. And, as expected, former Seahawk Byron Maxwell did not last long in Philadelphia.

Rubin agreed on a three-year deal. The value was unknown Monday, but expect it to be around $4 million a year. Also expect the Seahawks to keep Brandon Mebane on a cheaper deal.

Continue reading No surprises: Rubin’s back; Irvin, Sweezy in high demand →

Free agency, NFL Combine, State of the team

Schneider concedes Irvin is likely gone

February 24, 2016 cc 1 Comment

Pic -- Schneider at Combine John Schneider all but admitted that Bruce Irvin will not be back with the Seahawks.

At the Combine on Wednesday, Schneider compared Irvin to Byron Maxwell, who received $10 million a year from Philadelphia last year. Irvin, valued as a linebacker and pass rusher, is expected to get a similar deal from some team.

“I’m sure you get tired of me talking about it,” Schneider said, per The Seattle Times, “but it really, truly is a big puzzle that we have to work through. I have met with Bruce individually and he knows how we feel about him as an organization and he knows that we are either going to be able to make it work or give him a big hug and congratulate him.

Continue reading Schneider concedes Irvin is likely gone →

Injury report, State of the team, The roster

Another busted year for Simon, who is almost out of chances

October 10, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Tharold Simon’s career with the Seahawks looks just about finished.

Sure, he has one more year left on his rookie contract, but the cornerback simply has not been able to stay healthy in his three NFL seasons and it sure seems doubtful he ever will.

The Seahawks have shown great patience with injury-prone players, and it paid off with cornerbacks Walter Thurmond and Byron Maxwell.

Simon’s career arc seemed like it was following Maxwell’s — until Simon’s season was ended yet again Saturday when he was put on injured reserve.

Continue reading Another busted year for Simon, who is almost out of chances →

CHAWK LINES

June 28, 2015 cc Leave a comment

CHAWK LINES -- Week in review

Bob Condotta recapped the Week in Russell Wilson Reports.

Michael Bennett, who lives in Hawaii in the offseason, says he might hold out for an upgraded deal: “I don’t mind staying home for a little while.” It’s an empty threat, and he knows it.

Cliff Avril said contract stuff won’t affect how the Seahawks come together on the field.

Danny Kelly of Field Gulls put together a nice piece on the Seahawks’ focus on “sleep as a weapon.” This dovetails with an old Vince Lombardi quote that Jimmy Johnson loved to repeat: “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”

Frank Clark was at the rookie symposium, where he hopefully learned a few lessons on how to stay out of trouble. He said he is not dwelling on the past and is looking forward to finding his role with the Hawks.

Rob Rang wondered whether the Seahawks might be interested in intriguing, though slightly troubled, left tackle Isaiah Battle in the supplemental draft. Probably would require a third-round pick.

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NFL draft

It’s official: Seahawks get four comp picks for the first time

March 23, 2015 cc Leave a comment

It’s official. The Seahawks received four compensatory draft picks when they were announced today and will have 11, as expected.

It’s the first time since comp picks were introduced in 1994 — the year after salary-cap free agency was introduced in the NFL — that Seattle has netted the maximum four. Teams receive comp picks if they suffer a net loss of qualifying free agents in the previous offseason.

The Hawks are one of three teams with the maximum four comp picks this year (also Denver and Kansas City). They figure to get four more in 2016, based on their free-agent losses this year. And they could end up with a few more in 2017.

Continue reading It’s official: Seahawks get four comp picks for the first time →

State of the team, The roster

Roster analysis: Hawks are already better

March 22, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Two weeks into the new NFL year, the Seahawks are already a better team — despite losing four starters and nine players overall from their 2014 roster.

Re-signing Marshawn Lynch and adding one of the league’s best tight ends will make any team’s offseason.

Sure, the Hawks lost cornerback Byron Maxwell, center Max Unger, guard James Carpenter, tight end Zach Miller and five others via free agency, trade or cut. But they replaced Maxwell with Cary Williams and Will Blackmon and satisfied their tight end/receiver need with their stunning trade for Jimmy Graham.

They’re still looking for help along the lines but otherwise appear to be moving on to the big extensions for Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner — as well as the draft, where they will get even better via 11 picks.

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CHAWK LINES, Free agency

March 15, 2015 cc Leave a comment

For the second time in three years, the Seahawks stole the headlines on the first day of free agency, trading Max Unger and a first-round pick to the Saints for Jimmy Graham and a fourth.

Just days after signing his new contract, Marshawn Lynch purportedly found himself in the middle of a street brawl — and wisely extricated himself.

Lots of former Seattle cornerbacks are getting paid by other teams, Bob Condotta points out. It’s because they come from the Pete Carroll Secondary School.

The Seahawks added their own corner, Cary Williams. Here’s a breakdown from Doug Farrar. And here’s one from Field Gulls.

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Contracts, Free agency, The roster, Trades

Good value: Hawks snagged a third-rounder in Graham deal, too

March 11, 2015 cc Leave a comment

One of the big questions coming out of the Seahawks’ trade Tuesday is whether they got the proper value in the deal.

We’d say it was a great deal for the Hawks — getting a first-round-caliber tight end and picks in the third and fourth rounds in exchange for a first-round pick and a second-round center whose value no longer matched that.

Yeah, we know: The deal between the Seahawks and Saints brought tight end Jimmy Graham and a fourth-round pick for center Max Unger and a first-rounder. Technically no third-rounder.

But that is not the way Seattle GM John Schneider is looking at it. Guaranteed he sees it this way: By trading for a top offensive player and not signing an unrestricted free agent at $8 million a year, he still will get a third-round comp pick in 2016 for losing Byron Maxwell to the Eagles at $10 million a year.

And you know he will be careful to make sure the Hawks lose more UFAs than they sign so that third-rounder comes to him. The Hawks are about to go plus-three in comp picks for 2016, losing Maxwell, James Carpenter (Jets) and Malcolm Smith (Raiders). Cary Williams and Will Blackmon do not count because they were released by their teams.

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Free agency, The roster

Hawks address CB depth, other roster spots

March 9, 2015 cc Leave a comment

A day before free agency, the Seahawks took care of several roster questions — adding two cornerbacks and keeping two of their own pending free agents — while also learning James Carpenter probably will join Byron Maxwell on the way out of town.

The additions of 30-year-old cornerbacks Will Blackmon and Cary Williams address the major depth problem the Hawks face at that position — Maxwell leaving, Jeremy Lane dealing with a broken wrist and torn ACL, Richard Sherman healing up a torn ligament in his elbow and Tharold Simon apparently recovering from shoulder surgery.

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Contracts, Free agency

Overpaid Maxwell might not last long in Philly

March 9, 2015 cc Leave a comment

Byron Maxwell owes Pete Carroll and Kris Richard a big vacation. Without those guys, he never would have become a $10 million player.

His looming deal with the Eagles, reportedly $60 million over six years and guaranteeing $25 million, is not far off the deal Richard Sherman signed last year: five years, $57.4 million with $40 million guaranteed. That’s the kind of overpayment free agency breeds.

The Hawks apparently tried to retain him, surprisingly offering as much as $8 million a year, but what chance did they have at that rate?

Seahawks fans are ruing the loss, but why? The Pete Carroll Secondary School made Maxwell, and they will make another guy just like him. Carroll is the key to Seattle’s secondary. Maxwell was just a cog.

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